Red Holzman facts for kids
Holzman in the 1970s
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 10, 1920 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | November 13, 1998 (aged 78) New Hyde Park, New York, U.S. |
| High school | Franklin K. Lane (New York City) |
| Listed height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
| Listed weight | 175 lb (79 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College |
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| Pro career | 1945–1954 |
| Coaching career | 1953–1982 |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1945–1953 | Rochester Royals |
| 1953–1954 | Milwaukee Hawks |
| As coach: | |
| 1953–1957 | Milwaukee / St. Louis Hawks |
| 1963–1967 | Leones de Ponce |
| 1967–1977, 1978–1982 |
New York Knicks |
| Career highlights and awards | |
As player:
As coach:
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| Career BAA & NBA statistics | |
| Points | 2,166 (6.1 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 344 (1.5 rpg) |
| Assists | 721 (2.0 apg) |
William "Red" Holzman (born August 10, 1920 – died November 13, 1998) was a famous American basketball player and coach. He is best known for being the head coach of the New York Knicks in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He coached the Knicks from 1967 to 1977, and again from 1978 to 1982.
Red Holzman led the Knicks to win two NBA championships in 1970 and 1973. Because of his great achievements, he was added to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1986. In 1996, he was also named one of the Top 10 Coaches in NBA History.
Contents
Early Life and Education
William "Red" Holzman was born in New York City on August 10, 1920. His parents were immigrants from Romania and Russia. He grew up in the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Ocean Hill and Brownsville. He played basketball for Franklin K. Lane High School in the mid-1930s.
College Basketball
Holzman went to the University of Baltimore and then the City College of New York. He played basketball there for two years and graduated in 1942. In the same year, he joined the United States Navy. He played on the Naval Base team in Norfolk, Virginia, until he left the Navy in 1945.
Playing Career
Rochester Royals (1945–1953)
After leaving the Navy, Holzman joined the NBL team, the Rochester Royals. In his first season, the Royals won the NBL championship. He was also named Rookie of the Year in 1944–45.
He was chosen for the NBL's First All-League team in 1945–46 and 1947–48. In between those years, he was on the Second All-League team. Holzman stayed with the Royals when they moved to the NBA. He helped them win the NBA championship in 1951.
Milwaukee Hawks (1953–1954)
In 1953, Holzman left the Royals. He joined the Milwaukee Hawks as both a player and a coach. He stopped playing basketball in 1954 but continued to coach the team.
Coaching Career Highlights
Milwaukee / St. Louis Hawks (1953–1957)
Holzman coached the Hawks, who later moved to St. Louis, Missouri. During the 1956–1957 season, the team struggled. After 33 games, Holzman was no longer their coach.
Leones de Ponce (1963–1967)
From 1963 to 1967, Holzman coached the Leones de Ponce team.
New York Knicks (1967–1977, 1978–1982)
After coaching the Hawks, Holzman became a scout for the New York Knicks. A scout helps find new players for a team. He did this for ten years until 1967. Then, he became the Knicks' head coach. He coached them for most of the time until 1982.
His former player, Willis Reed, took over as coach in 1977. But Holzman returned to coach the Knicks again near the start of the 1978–1979 season. During his 15 years as the Knicks' coach, Holzman won 613 games. He led them to two NBA championships in 1970 and 1973.
In 1969, Holzman coached the Knicks to a record-breaking 18-game winning streak. This was the longest winning streak in the NBA at that time. For his great work leading to the 1970 championship, Holzman was named the NBA Coach of the Year. He won his second NBA championship in 1973, when the Knicks beat the Lakers in the 1973 NBA Finals.
Red Holzman was one of the few people to win an NBA championship as both a player and a coach. When he retired in 1982, he had the second-highest number of wins as a head coach in NBA history.
After His Career
In 1985, Red Holzman was chosen for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. This is a special place for the greatest basketball players and coaches. The New York Knicks honored him by retiring the number 613. This number matches the 613 wins he achieved as their head coach. He is also a member of the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame.
Personal Life
Red Holzman lived with his wife in Cedarhurst, New York. After his long coaching career, he became ill with leukemia. He passed away in 1998 at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park, New York. In 2000, a clock tower was built in Cedarhurst to honor him.
Images for kids
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Holzman in 1950, playing for the Rochester Royals.
See also
In Spanish: Red Holzman para niños
- List of select Jewish basketball players
