Dave Cowens

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Cowens' journey began in Newport, Kentucky, where he grew up fishing the Ohio River and hopping freight trains to Cincinnati. After a conflict with his high school coach caused him to quit basketball temporarily, a five-inch growth spurt between his sophomore and junior years brought him back to the court, leading to stardom at Florida State University. There, he became the all-time leading rebounder with 1,340 rebounds and scored 1,479 points in 78 games. Upon entering the NBA in 1970 as a fourth overall pick influenced by Bill Russell's recommendation, Cowens immediately impacted the league. Despite critics calling him too small for center, he averaged 17.0 points and 15.0 rebounds as a rookie, sharing Rookie of the Year honors with Geoff Petrie. His peak came in the 1972–73 season when he played all 82 games, averaging a career-high 20.5 PPG and 16.2 RPG to lead the Celtics to a league-best 68–14 record, earning him the MVP award over Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

In Their Own Story

The 1974 NBA Finals Game 7 against the Milwaukee Bucks stands as Cowens' defining moment. After splitting the first six games with each team winning on their home court, the series came down to a decisive battle in Milwaukee. Cowens delivered a massive performance with 28 points and 14 rebounds, guiding the Celtics to their 12th NBA championship and ending a decade-long drought. He followed this dominance two years later during the 1976 Finals against the Phoenix Suns. With the series tied 3-2 heading into Game 6, Cowens made pivotal defensive plays and picked up the slack for an injured John Havlicek and Jo Jo White to secure his second title. CBS commentator Rick Barry famously noted during that run, 'There is no player with greater desire than Dave Cowens.'

Reader's Guide

Cowens wore jersey number 18, a number made available when Jim Loscutoff declined its retirement. His career was marked by statistical consistency and defensive intensity; in the 1973–74 season alone, he set Celtics single-season records for total defensive rebounds (993) and defensive rating (90.6). He achieved his first of six career triple-doubles on November 25, 1973, against Cleveland with 21 points, 18 rebounds, and 11 assists. His defensive prowess was recognized with selections to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 1975 and First Team in 1976. Cowens also set a personal scoring high of 39 points on January 16, 1976, against the Philadelphia 76ers. Although his time as an active player ended with chronic knee injuries after the 1979–80 season, he briefly returned for two games in the 1982–83 season before retiring permanently.

Did You Know?

• Cowens was the all-time leading rebounder at Florida State University with 1,340 rebounds.
• He once grabbed a career-high 32 rebounds in a single game against Houston and had another game with 29 rebounds against Baltimore.
• Cowens led the entire NBA in personal fouls during his rookie year with 350.
• He was selected to both the NBA 50th Anniversary All-Time Team and the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.
• His jersey number 18 was allowed because Jim Loscutoff declined to have it retired by the Celtics.