Don Chaney facts for kids
Don Chaney, in the "Game of the Century", in 1968
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 22, 1946 Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S. |
| High school | McKinley (Baton Rouge, Louisiana) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Listed weight | 210 lb (95 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Houston (1965–1968) |
| NBA Draft | 1968 / Round: 1 / Pick: 12th overall |
| Selected by the Boston Celtics | |
| Pro career | 1968–1980 |
| Coaching career | 1980–2004 |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1968–1975 | Boston Celtics |
| 1975–1976 | Spirits of St. Louis |
| 1976–1977 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1977–1980 | Boston Celtics |
| As coach: | |
| 1980–1983 | Detroit Pistons (assistant) |
| 1983–1984 | San Diego / Los Angeles Clippers (assistant) |
| 1984–1987 | Los Angeles Clippers |
| 1987–1988 | Atlanta Hawks (assistant) |
| 1988–1992 | Houston Rockets |
| 1992–1993 | Detroit Pistons (assistant) |
| 1993–1995 | Detroit Pistons |
| 1995–2001 | New York Knicks (assistant) |
| 2001–2004 | New York Knicks |
| Career highlights and awards | |
As player:
As coach:
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| Career ABA & NBA statistics | |
| Points | 6,663 (8.4 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 3,147 (4.0 rpg) |
| Assists | 1,762 (2.2 apg) |
Donald Ray Chaney (born March 22, 1946) is a former American basketball player and coach. He is famous for winning two championships as a player with the Boston Celtics. He also won the NBA Coach of the Year award while leading the Houston Rockets.
Contents
Don Chaney's Early Life
Donald Ray Chaney was born on March 22, 1946. His hometown is Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He went to McKinley High School. There, he was a star player in basketball.
Don Chaney's College Career
Chaney played basketball in college for the University of Houston. He played alongside future Hall-of-Famer Elvin Hayes. Chaney played every minute of the famous "Game of the Century" in 1968. This big game was held at the Astrodome.
Don Chaney's Professional Playing Career
Playing for the Boston Celtics (1968–1975)
In the 1968 NBA draft, the Boston Celtics picked Chaney. He was the 12th player chosen overall. He was also picked by the Houston Mavericks in the American Basketball Association.
Chaney became an NBA champion with the Celtics in his first year, 1969. He scored a career-high 32 points in a game on February 28, 1973. He also helped the Celtics win another championship in the 1974 NBA Finals.
Playing for the Spirits of St. Louis (1975–1976)
Chaney played in the ABA for one year. He played for the Spirits of St. Louis during the 1975–1976 season.
Playing for the Los Angeles Lakers (1976–1977)
Chaney then played a short time for the Los Angeles Lakers. He was with them from 1976 to 1977. Chaney was well-known for his strong defensive skills. He was named to NBA All-Defensive teams five times. He also played many important minutes coming off the bench.
Returning to the Boston Celtics (1977–1980)
Chaney went back to the Boston Celtics in 1977. He is the only Celtics player to have played with both Bill Russell and Larry Bird. Russell played until 1969, and Bird started in 1979.
Don Chaney's Coaching Career
After he stopped playing, Chaney became an assistant coach. He started with the Detroit Pistons in 1980.
Coaching the Los Angeles Clippers (1984–1987)
On March 13, 1985, Chaney became the head coach of the Los Angeles Clippers. He was one of the first African American head coaches in the NBA. His first full season with the Clippers was in 1985. The team finished with 32 wins and 50 losses. In his second full season, the team had many injuries. They ended with a record of 12 wins and 70 losses. He was fired on April 22, 1987.
Coaching the Houston Rockets (1988–1992)
On June 13, 1988, Chaney was hired to coach the Houston Rockets. In his first season, the Rockets won 45 games. The next year, they won 41 games. In his third season, the team had a strong finish. They won 52 games, which was their best record since 1986. For his great work, Chaney won the NBA Coach of the Year Award in 1991.
The next season started well, but the team's performance dropped. On February 12, 1992, Chaney was fired. He had a winning record of 164 wins and 134 losses with the Rockets.
Coaching the Detroit Pistons (1993–1995)
On May 4, 1993, Chaney was hired to coach the Detroit Pistons. The team had some older star players and new young players. They struggled during his first season, winning only 20 games.
In his second season, the Pistons drafted Grant Hill. While Hill played very well, the team still struggled. Chaney was fired on April 11, 1995.
Coaching the New York Knicks (2001–2004)
In the 2001–02 season, Chaney was an assistant coach for the New York Knicks. On December 10, 2001, he became the head coach. The team finished the season with 30 wins and 52 losses. This meant they missed the playoffs for the first time in 15 years.
He coached for another season, but the team continued to struggle. On January 14, 2004, Chaney was fired by the Knicks. He retired from coaching later that year.
Don Chaney's Personal Life
During his coaching years, Chaney enjoyed trying exciting new things. He went skydiving and tried racecar driving. In 2019, he was diagnosed with a rare heart condition. It is called Transthyretim Amyloid cardiomyopathy. This disease can be serious and affects more African Americans. Chaney thought his symptoms were from his playing days. But he learned they matched what his family members had experienced. His wife, Jackie Chaney, helps him manage his health.
Career Playing Statistics
| Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
NBA/ABA
Source
Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968–69† | Boston | 20 | 10.5 | .319 | .400 | 2.3 | 1.0 | 4.0 | ||||
| 1969–70 | Boston | 63 | 13.3 | .359 | .752 | 2.4 | 1.1 | 5.0 | ||||
| 1970–71 | Boston | 81 | 28.3 | .454 | .748 | 5.7 | 2.9 | 11.5 | ||||
| 1971–72 | Boston | 79 | 28.8 | .475 | .773 | 5.0 | 2.6 | 11.9 | ||||
| 1972–73 | Boston | 79 | 31.5 | .482 | .787 | 5.7 | 2.8 | 13.1 | ||||
| 1973–74† | Boston | 81 | 27.9 | .464 | .828 | 4.7 | 2.2 | 1.0 | .8 | 10.4 | ||
| 1974–75 | Boston | 82 | 26.9 | .428 | .806 | 4.5 | 2.2 | 1.5 | .8 | 9.5 | ||
| 1975–76 | St. Louis (ABA) | 48 | 30.7 | .418 | .250 | .780 | 4.9 | 3.5 | 1.4 | .8 | 9.3 | |
| 1976–77 | L.A. Lakers | 81 | 29.7 | .408 | .745 | 4.1 | 3.8 | 1.7 | .4 | 6.1 | ||
| 1977–78 | L.A. Lakers | 9 | 14.8 | .361 | .833 | 1.2 | 1.9 | .9 | .3 | 3.4 | ||
| 1977–78 | Boston | 42 | 16.7 | .391 | .846 | 2.5 | 1.2 | .9 | .2 | 5.1 | ||
| 1978–79 | Boston | 65 | 16.5 | .420 | .857 | 2.2 | 1.2 | 1.1 | .2 | 5.9 | ||
| 1979–80 | Boston | 60 | 0 | 8.7 | .354 | .167 | .762 | 1.2 | .6 | .5 | .2 | 2.8 |
| Career (NBA) | 742 | 0 | 23.5 | .438 | .167 | .776 | 3.9 | 2.1 | 1.2 | .5 | 8.4 | |
| Career (overall) | 790 | 0 | 23.9 | .436 | .200 | .776 | 4.0 | 2.2 | 1.2 | .5 | 8.4 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969† | Boston | 7 | 3.6 | .167 | .750 | .6 | .0 | .7 | ||
| 1972 | Boston | 11 | 24.6 | .506 | .750 | 3.5 | 2.0 | 8.8 | ||
| 1973 | Boston | 12 | 24.0 | .476 | .706 | 3.3 | 2.1 | 7.5 | ||
| 1974† | Boston | 18* | 30.3 | .461 | .820 | 4.3 | 2.2 | 1.3 | .5 | 9.5 |
| 1975 | Boston | 11 | 26.7 | .457 | .793 | 3.5 | 1.9 | 1.9 | .5 | 10.8 |
| 1977 | L.A. Lakers | 11 | 37.5 | .375 | .727 | 4.7 | 4.4 | 1.9 | .3 | 8.0 |
| Career | 70 | 26.2 | .450 | .775 | 3.6 | 2.2 | 1.7 | .4 | 8.1 | |
Head Coaching Record
| Regular season | G | Games coached | W | Games won | L | Games lost | W–L % | Win–loss % |
| Playoffs | PG | Playoff games | PW | Playoff wins | PL | Playoff losses | PW–L % | Playoff win–loss % |
| Team | Year | G | W | L | W–L% | Finish | PG | PW | PL | PW–L% | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| L.A. Clippers | 1984–85 | 21 | 9 | 12 | .429 | 5th in Pacific | — | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| L.A. Clippers | 1985–86 | 82 | 32 | 50 | .390 | 4th in Pacific | — | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| L.A. Clippers | 1986–87 | 82 | 12 | 70 | .146 | 6th in Pacific | — | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| Houston | 1988–89 | 82 | 45 | 37 | .549 | 2nd in Midwest | 4 | 1 | 3 | .250 | Lost in First round |
| Houston | 1989–90 | 82 | 41 | 41 | .500 | 5th in Midwest | 4 | 1 | 3 | .250 | Lost in First round |
| Houston | 1990–91 | 82 | 52 | 30 | .634 | 3rd in Midwest | 3 | 0 | 3 | .250 | Lost in First round |
| Houston | 1991–92 | 52 | 26 | 26 | .500 | (fired) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Detroit | 1993–94 | 82 | 20 | 62 | .244 | 7th in Central | — | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| Detroit | 1994–95 | 82 | 28 | 54 | .341 | 7th in Central | — | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| New York | 2001–02 | 63 | 20 | 43 | .317 | 7th in Atlantic | — | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| New York | 2002–03 | 82 | 37 | 45 | .451 | 6th in Atlantic | — | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| New York | 2003–04 | 39 | 15 | 24 | .385 | (fired) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Career | 831 | 337 | 494 | .406 | 11 | 2 | 9 | .182 |
Awards and Honors
- Two-time NBA champion as a player (1969, 1974)
- Five times named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1977)
- NBA Coach of the Year Award in 1991 with the Houston Rockets
- Inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 1991
- Assistant coach for the gold medal-winning US national team at the 1994 FIBA World Championship
See also
In Spanish: Don Chaney para niños
