Chris Ford, who won an NBA Championship as a player with the Celtics in 1981 and then two more titles as an assistant coach, has died.
Ford passed away Tuesday night due to heart failure. He was 74 years old.
“The Ford family is sad to announce the passing of Chris on January 17, 2023.
Chris was beloved by his family, friends, and teammates,” The Ford family said in a statement.
“He had a great love for his family, the city of Boston, the fans, and the entire Celtics family. He always showed humility and respect for all those that were fortunate enough to be a part of his life.”
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Chris Ford was initially drafted by the Pistons in 1974 and played his first six NBA seasons in Detroit before being traded to Boston in 1978. It was in Boston that Ford started to etch his name into the NBA history books.
He made the NBA’s first three-pointer in Boston’s season-opener in 1979. Celtics teammates nicknamed him “Doc” after Ford threw down a dunk on throw-down extraordinaire Julius Erving.
In 1981, Ford started 74 games and played an important role alongside Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, and Cedric Maxwell in Boston’s run to a championship. He averaged 9.1 points per game during the postseason, as the Celtics beat the Houston Rockets in the NBA Finals.
That was the only title that Ford won as a player, but he became an assistant on the Boston staff immediately after he retired in 1982 and won two more titles in 1984 and 1986.
Chris Ford took over as head coach of the Celtics in 1990, and helped lead the team to Atlantic Division titles in 1991 and 1992. He coached five seasons in Boston, amassing a 228-188 record.
“As a player and coach, Chris Ford’s career spanned over a decade of Celtics basketball, and he made his mark every step of the way,” the Celtics said in their own release. “‘Doc,’ as he was affectionately known by his teammates, was a fundamentally versatile all-around guard. He was voted the team’s MVP in his first season with the Celtics, and he is famously credited with scoring the NBA’s first three-point basket. Ford joined an elite group of Celtics’ personnel (Bill Russell, Tom Heinsohn, and K.C. Jones) who have earned championship rings as both a player and coach with the organization. The Boston Celtics sends their deepest sympathies to the Ford family and their many friends.”
Chris Ford coached the Milwaukee Bucks, L.A. Clippers, and Philadelphia 76ers after his time in Boston came to an end, and finished his coaching career with a 323-376 record over nine seasons.
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