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 famous American former basketball player and coach. He is best known 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
Early Life and College Basketball
Donald Ray Chaney was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on March 22, 1946. He went to McKinley High School, where he was a star basketball player.
After high school, Chaney played college basketball for the University of Houston. He was teammates with Hall-of-Famer Elvin Hayes. Chaney played every minute of the famous "Game of the Century" in 1968. This was a huge college basketball game held at the Astrodome.
Playing in the NBA
Joining the Boston Celtics (1968–1975)
In the 1968 NBA draft, the Boston Celtics picked Chaney as their first-round choice. He was the 12th player picked overall. He also had an offer from the Houston Mavericks in the American Basketball Association.
Chaney became an NBA champion with the Celtics in his very first year, 1969. He helped the Celtics win another championship in the 1974 NBA Finals. On February 28, 1973, Chaney scored a career-high 32 points in a game against the Golden State Warriors.
Playing for Other Teams (1975–1977)
Chaney played one year in the ABA for the Spirits of St. Louis from 1975 to 1976. He joined them because they offered him more money. However, he tore his knee early in the season, and he later called it "a lost season."
After that, Chaney played briefly for the Los Angeles Lakers from 1976 to 1977. He was well-known for his amazing defensive skills. He was named to the NBA All-Defensive team five times during his career. He was also great at coming off the bench and playing many important minutes.
Back with the Celtics (1977–1980)
Chaney returned to the Boston Celtics in 1977. He is the only Celtics player who played with both Bill Russell and Larry Bird. Russell was a star from 1956 to 1969, and Bird played from 1979 to 1992.
Coaching Career
After he stopped playing, Don Chaney became an assistant coach for the Detroit Pistons in 1980.
Leading the Los Angeles Clippers (1984–1987)
On March 13, 1985, Chaney became the head coach for the Los Angeles Clippers. He was one of the first African American head coaches in the NBA. In his first full season (1985-1986), the Clippers won 32 games.
His second full season (1986-1987) was very tough. Many players were injured, and the team struggled. They finished the season with only 12 wins and 70 losses. This was one of the worst records in NBA history at the time. Chaney was fired on April 22, 1987.
Coaching the Houston Rockets (1988–1992)
On June 13, 1988, Chaney became the head coach for the Houston Rockets. In his first season, the Rockets won 45 games. They made the playoffs but lost in the first round. The next year, they also made the playoffs but lost again.
In his third season (1990-1991), the Rockets faced a challenge when their star player, Hakeem Olajuwon, was injured. Despite this, the team had an amazing March, losing only one game out of 15. They finished the season with 52 wins. For his great work, Chaney won the NBA Coach of the Year Award.
The next season started well, but the team then had some tough losses. On February 12, 1992, Chaney was fired when the team's record was 26 wins and 26 losses. Even though he was fired, his winning percentage with the Rockets was the best in the team's history at that point.
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 like Isiah Thomas and Bill Laimbeer, along with new players. The team struggled, and Laimbeer retired during the season. Thomas also retired due to an injury. The Pistons finished with only 20 wins that year.
The next season was Chaney's last with the Pistons. They drafted Grant Hill, who became a star. However, the team still struggled, winning only 28 games. Chaney was fired on April 11, 1995.
Working with the New York Knicks (2001–2004)
In the 2001-2002 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, missing the playoffs.
The next season, the Knicks hoped a new player, Antonio McDyess, would help. But McDyess was injured and missed the whole season. The team struggled again, finishing with 37 wins and 45 losses. In December 2003, the Knicks traded for Stephon Marbury. Fans even chanted "Fire Chaney!" during a game. On January 14, 2004, Chaney was fired. He retired from coaching later that year.
Personal Life
Don Chaney was known for enjoying exciting activities like skydiving and racecar driving during his coaching years.
In 2019, he was diagnosed with a serious heart condition. He had thought his symptoms, like feeling tired and having swollen ankles, were from his playing days. But he learned they were similar to what some family members had experienced. His wife, Jackie Chaney, helped 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
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 | .000 | 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
- 1969 NBA Finals and 1974 NBA Finals champion (as a player)
- NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1972, 1973, 1974, 1975 and 1977)
- NBA Coach of the Year Award with the Houston Rockets for the 1990–91 season
- Inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame (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
