It was a somber day on Wednesday in the NBA as news broke that former shooting guard Chris Ford had passed away at the age of 74. Today's NBA game has become heavily perimeter based and consistent three-point shooting is a must for teams. In terms of three-point shooting, Ford helped pave the way for modern day long-range marksmen such as Stephen Curry. He is credited with having made the first recorded three-point shot in NBA history when the league first introduced the three-point line during the 1979-1980 season.
Ford played ten years in the NBA and was drafted by the Detroit Pistons in the second round of the 1972 draft. He played six seasons for the Pistons before being traded to the Boston Celtics. There he played with Larry Bird and was a part of the 1981 championship team. He holds career averages of 9.2 points per game and 46 percent shooting from the field and 37.5 percent shooting from three-point range.
After his playing days, Chris Ford became a coach in the league and was an assistant with the Celtics for seven years before serving as head coach from 1990-1995. Following that, he had coaching stints with the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers. He held an overall coaching record of 323-376 in the regular season and 13-16 in the playoffs. He also spent two years as a head coach in the NCAA at the Division III level with Brandeis University.
With such a focus on three-point shooting today, players like Stephen Curry can look back at Ford and marvel at the player who set the wheels in motion.
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