After playing at New York University as a stand out collegian, he spent all of his 13 years in the National Basketball Association (NBA) with the Boston Celtics. He scored a career-high 30 points to go along with 26 rebounds in a 142-110 win over the Syracuse Nationals on March 13, 1962.[2] He was part of the eight championship teams in 1961–66, 1968 and 1969. In NBA history, only teammates Bill Russell and Sam Jones have won more championship rings during their playing careers (three other teammates, John Havlicek, Tom Heinsohn and K. C. Jones, also won eight championship rings).
Sanders underwent knee surgery in 1970 after he injured his left knee during the last Celtics game for the regular season.[3] This immensely affected his ability to play afterwards. He announced he was ending his playing career in 1973. On March 20, 1968, a housing development group formed by Sanders (called the Sanders Associates) received a $996,000 FHA commitment through the Boston Rehabilitation Program (BURP) for the rehabilitation of 83 units in Roxbury, Massachusetts after local community activists (including Mel King) criticized BURP for a lack of sufficient community control and racial equity.[4]
Following his playing career Sanders became the basketball coach at Harvard University, a position he held until 1977. Sanders became the first African-American to serve as a head coach of any sport in the Ivy League.[5] In 1978, Sanders became the head coach of the Boston Celtics, taking over for former teammate Tommy Heinsohn. Sanders returned the following season; however after a 2–12 record he was replaced by Dave Cowens, who took on the role as a player-coach. In 1986, Sanders founded the Rookie Transition Program - the first such program in any major American sport.[6]
NBA career statistics
Regular season
Playoffs
Gallery
Photos of Sanders
Sanders (far right) and Celtics teammate Sam Jones (far left) pose with youth basketball trophy recipients in the 1960s
^Berkman, Seth (June 19, 2016), "N.B.A. Finals Legend or Loser? Luck Is Often the Difference", The New York Times
^"Syracuse Nationals at Boston Celtics Box Score, March 13, 1962". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
^"The North Jersey Record 23 March 1970". The Record. March 23, 1970. p. 28. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
^Levine, Hillel; Harmon, Lawrence (1992). The Death of an American Jewish Community: A Tragedy of Good Intentions. New York: Free Press. pp. 120–121. ISBN 978-0029138656.
^"The Ivy Influence: Tom "Satch" Sanders". Archived from the original on August 10, 2014. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
^"Satch Sanders Enters Basketball Hall of Fame". NBA.com. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
External links
BasketballReference.com: Satch Sanders (as coach) Archived 2011-02-25 at the Wayback Machine