Larry Costello

Larry Costello achieved basketball immortality through one very simple yet effective application: No one was ever going to outwork him. Costello grew up in Minoa, New York, a hamlet about ten miles east of Syracuse. Costello headed west for college where he enrolled at Niagara University to play under long-time coach John “Taps” Gallagher. Costello soared with the Purple Eagles graduating as the program’s all-time leading scorer and being named a Second Team All-America in 1954. In the NBA, Costello was a six-time All-Star who earned a reputation for his hard-nosed defense. He was the last of the two-handed set shot specialists. That shot, and his single-minded desire to win, helped the Philadelphia 76ers to the 1967 NBA championship. Costello carried that focus with him his entire life, and when he landed his first head coaching job with the expansion Milwaukee Bucks, he expected his players to show the same dedication. In 1971, Costello led Bucks stars Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Oscar Robertson, and Bob Dandridge to the NBA championship. He became only the third person to win NBA titles as a player and a coach.