On Friday, 87-year-old Bill Sharman, a legendary figure in the NBA, passed away. Sharman was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player and a coach, making him an especially unique contribution to professional basketball.
Lakers president Jeanie Buss said in a statement: “Today is a sad day for anyone who loves and cares about the Lakers. As our head coach, Bill led us to our first championship in Los Angeles, and he was an important contributor to the 10 championship teams that followed. For the last 34 years, his importance to Dr. Buss and our family, and for the last 42 years to the Lakers organization, cannot be measured in words. His knowledge and passion for the game were unsurpassed, and the Lakers and our fans were beneficiaries of that. Despite his greatness as a player, coach and executive, Bill was one of the sweetest, nicest and most humble people I’ve ever known. He was truly one of a kind. On behalf of our organization, the Buss family, and the entire Lakers family, I send my condolences, prayers and love to Joyce and the Sharman family.”
