



Bill Sharman, who built a Hall of Fame career playing for the Boston Celtics in the 1950s, died Friday at age 87, according to the Los Angeles Times

Sharman was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1976 after a playing career in which he paired with Bob Cousy and won four championships in Boston. Known as an exceptional free throw shooter, he hit 88.3 percent of those shots and averaged 17.8 points per game.

In 2004, he was also enshrined in the Hall of Fame as a coach for his work in San Francisco and Los Angeles, most notably leading the Lakers to a record-setting 33-game winning streak and, ultimately, bringing Los Angeles its first NBA Finals championship.

Sharman, who also played professional baseball for the Brooklyn Dodgers before his basketball career took off, is one of three men named to the Basketball Hall of Fame for both playing and coaching.

The L.A. Times reported Sharman, who suffered a stroke last week, died at his home in Redondo Beach, California.