Chris Ford, legendary Holy Spirit basketball player, three-time NBA champion dies
Chris Ford, the Atlantic City native and Holy Spirit High School graduate that won three NBA championships and made the first 3-point field goal in league history, passed away on Tuesday.
He was 74.
Ford is a South Jersey legend on the hardwood as he achieved success at every level.
The 1968 Holy Spirit alumnus is still the Spartan’s all-time leading scorer with 1,507 career points. He went on to Villanova, where he helped the Wildcats reach the NCAA championship game in 1971. They lost to UCLA and legendary head coach John Wooden, 68-62. It was the Bruins’ fifth consecutive title.
More:Inside unbeaten start of Cinnaminson boys basketball, South Jersey's last undefeated team
The Detroit Pistons selected Ford in the second round of the 1972 NBA Draft (17th overall). He spent six plus seasons with the team before being traded to the Boston Celtics a few games into the 1978-79 campaign.
That was his finest statistical season as he averaged a career-high 15.4 points.
On Oct. 12, 1979, he made the league’s first 3-point field goal at the Boston Garden.
He helped the Celtics win an NBA title in 1981 and retired after the following year with career averages of 9.2 points and 3.4 assists.
He spent a year with Boston’s broadcast team then was an assistant coach for five seasons, helping the Celtics capture two more championships (1984, 1986).
Ford was named Boston’s head coach in 1990 and spent five seasons at the helm. He had a 222-188 record. He also coached the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers. His career mark was 323-376.
Josh Friedman has produced award-winning South Jersey sports coverage for the Courier Post, The Daily Journal and the Burlington County Times for more than a decade. If you have or know of an interesting story to tell, reach out on Twitter at @JFriedman57 or via email at jfriedman2@gannettnj.com. You can also contact him at 856-486-2431. Help support local journalism with a subscription.
This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Chris Ford, three-time NBA champion, Atlantic City native, dies
