Career snapshot
8seasons
557games
9,834career pts
16.5PER (avg)
Most-played franchise:
Boston Celtics
· 517 games · 1971-72–1979-80
Position rank · 1979-80
#16PPG rank
#17PER rank
#12WS rank
Among 53 Center players (min. 41 games)
Career highs (single season)
PPG
20.5
1972-73 · BOS
RPG
16.2
1972-73 · BOS
APG
4.6
1974-75 · BOS
PER
19.3
1974-75 · BOS
WS
12.0
1972-73 · BOS
Draft
1970
Round 1 ·
Pick 4
from Florida State
Honors & awards
1×
NBA 75th Anniversary Team
2022
3×
All-Defense Team
1979, 1975, 1974
8×
All-Star Selection
1979, 1977, 1976, 1975, 1974, 1973, 1972, 1971
3×
All-NBA Team
1975, 1974, 1972
1×
NBA Most Valuable Player
1972
1×
All-Rookie Team
1970
1×
NBA Rookie of the Year
1970
Stats by season
| Season | Team | G | GS | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG% | 3P% | FT% | PER | WS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971-72 | BOS | 79 | 0 | 40.3 | 18.8 | 15.2 | 3.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 48.4 | 0.0 | 72.0 | 17.1 | 10.4 |
| 1972-73 | BOS | 82 | 0 | 41.8 | 20.5 | 16.2 | 4.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 45.2 | 0.0 | 77.9 | 18.1 | 12.0 |
| 1973-74 | BOS | 80 | 0 | 41.9 | 19.0 | 15.7 | 4.4 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 43.7 | 0.0 | 83.2 | 16.6 | 9.3 |
| 1974-75 | BOS | 65 | 0 | 40.5 | 20.4 | 14.7 | 4.6 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 47.5 | 0.0 | 78.3 | 19.3 | 9.5 |
| 1977-78 | BOS | 77 | 0 | 41.8 | 18.6 | 14.0 | 4.6 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 49.0 | 0.0 | 84.2 | 18.6 | 10.8 |
| 1978-79 | BOS | 68 | 0 | 37.0 | 16.6 | 9.6 | 3.6 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 48.3 | 0.0 | 80.7 | 15.2 | 4.8 |
| 1979-80 | BOS | 66 | 55 | 32.7 | 14.2 | 8.1 | 3.1 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 45.3 | 8.3 | 77.9 | 14.8 | 5.4 |
| 1982-83 | MIL | 40 | 34 | 25.4 | 8.1 | 6.9 | 2.1 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 44.4 | 0.0 | 82.5 | 12.6 | 2.6 |
Transfers & team changes
Derived from season-by-season team membership.
| Date | Move | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1982 | Boston Celtics | Milwaukee Bucks | From 1979-80 to 1982-83 | |
All entries are offseason.
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About Dave Cowens
David William Cowens is an American former professional basketball player and NBA head coach. At 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m), he played the center position and occasionally played power forward. Cowens spent most of his playing career with the Boston Celtics. He was the 1971 NBA Rookie of the Year and the 1973 NBA Most Valuable Player. Cowens won NBA championships as a member of the Celtics in 1974 and 1976. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991. Throughout his career Cowens was known for being an undersized center, however he made up for his height with hustle and