Celtics great Chris Ford, who made the NBA’s first 3-pointer, dies at 74

Former Boston Celtics player and coach Chris Ford died at the age of 74, the team announced Wednesday.

Ford won three NBA championships with the franchise, once as a player in 1981 and twice as an assistant coach in 1984 and 1986. He coached the Bucks, Clippers and 76ers from 1990 until 1995 when he headed Boston.

Ford is credited with making the first 3-pointer in NBA history against the Houston Rockets on October 12, 1979.

“Chris was loved by his family, friends and teammates. He was so dear to his family, the city of Boston, the fans and the entire Celtics family,” the Ford family said in a statement. always showed humility and respect for all those fortunate enough to be a part of his life.”

Ford’s Legacy in Boston and the NBA

Ford will forever be known in the NBA world for making the first 3-pointer in league history, but his place in Boston history goes far beyond the one shot. He was a core rotating player for his team in his 1981 championship, and then in ’84 and his title in ’86 he became KC Jones’ assistant coach.

He took over the role of head coach at the end of the Big 3 era in 1990, making the playoffs in four of his five seasons before making several stops in the league.

Ford’s basketball prominence dates back to his time at Villanova. There he helped lead the team to his 1971 championship his game against John Wooden’s vaunted UCLA dynasty. Ford had 10 assists in that game, but UCLA went on to win 68-62 on him.

He played six seasons with the Detroit Pistons before coming to Boston in 1978 and kicking off the 3-point era in October 1979 with that famous set shot. He won 60 seasons until his retirement in 1982.

After spending the rest of the ’80s on the Celtics’ bench, Ford helped rejuvenate Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parrish as he replaced Jimmy Rodgers in the ’90s.

Ford has coached the Bucks, Clippers, and was interim coach of the 76ers in 2004. He occasionally stopped by Brandeis University outside of Boston from 2001 to 2003, all the while in Nashua, New Hampshire, where he ran a basketball school for 14 years.

He was the ideal guru guy on a team full of Hall of Famers and continued to coach and scout for decades after retirement.Ford was a true basketball rifler. — Weiss

(Photo: Dick Rafael/NBAE via Getty Images)