The NBA on Thursday announced the death of Bill Fitch, a two-time Coach of the Year who turned things around for the Boston Celtics organization and led the group to the 1981 NBA title.
Fitch was 89.
The coach, who was inducted to the National Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019, spent 25 years at the helm of five teams: the Cleveland Cavaliers, Celtics, Hosuton Rockets, New Jersey Nets and Los Angeles Clippers.
The Celtics released a statement acknowledging his death Thursday afternoon:
“Coming off of a 29-win season in 1979, the Celtics had experienced the two worst seasons in the team’s history. But a promising rookie named Larry Bird was set to arrive, and Red Auerbach knew the franchise was at a critical crossroads. He decided to hire Bill Fitch as the head coach, and as was so often the case, Red made the right call. Fitch’s deep knowledge of the game, toughness, and dry wit made him a perfect fit for Boston and the Celtics. Fitch had already built a reputation as a turnaround artist, and his ability to get the best out of his players paid immediate dividends as Fitch orchestrated what was at the time the best turnaround in NBA history, vaulting to a 61-21 record.
“An offseason trade brought Robert Parish and rookie Kevin McHale to Boston, and they paired with Bird and Cedric Maxwell to form a dominant frontcourt that Fitch led to the Celtics’ 14th banner in 1981 and established a foundation for the team’s brilliant championship run in the 1980s. His record in four years as head coach of the Celtic was a stellar 242-86, a .738 winning percentage. Fitch was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019. The Celtics family mourns his loss as we celebrate his legacy.”
