Ranking the top 50 players in NBA history…
32. Bob Cousy
Cousy was the original point guard and the NBA’s first superstar.
Nicknamed “The Houdini of the Hardwood,” Cousy revolutionized the game with his innovative ball-handling and passing, leading the NBA in assists for eight consecutive seasons and becoming the first to reach 4,000, 5,000 and 6,000 career assists.
He averaged 18.4 points, 7.5 assists and 5.2 rebounds per game over 924 games.
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Cousy was an All-Star in each of his 13 NBA seasons and won the NBA Most Valuable Player award in 1957 while leading the league in assists.
He also received two All-Star Game MVP awards during his career.
A key figure in the Celtics’ early dynasty alongside Bill Russell, Cousy won six NBA championships (1957, 1959–1963).
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His contributions were recognized with induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1971, and the Celtics retired his No. 14 jersey.
Cousy was named to the NBA 25th, 35th, 50th, and 75th Anniversary Teams, and in 2019, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
The NBA later honored him by naming the Eastern Conference championship trophy after him in 2022.
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As the game has evolved through the years and point guards have become more and more athletic, Cousy’s legacy has waned slightly, but that doesn’t change the fact that he’ll always be the OG point guard.
