Chris Ford
Christopher Joseph Ford (born January 11, 1949) is an American former professional basketball player and head coach. He is known for making the first counted NBA three-point shot in October 1979. Amateur career. A 6-foot-5 (1.96 m) guard from Atlantic City, Ford played high school basketball at Holy Spirit High School in Absecon, New Jersey, He averaged a Cape-Atlantic League record 33 ppg as a senior, and finished with 1,507 career points, which is still a school record. Ford then signed to play at Villanova University, sat out his freshman year as required at the  time, and then quickly established himself, averaging 16.1 ppg, helping the team advance to the regional finals of the 1970 NCAA University Division Basketball Tournament, losing to St. Bonaventure 97-74, with the Bonnies led by 26 points by Bob Lanier, a future teammate of Ford with the Detroit Pistons. Villanova and Ford continued their winning ways, advancing in the 1971 NCAA University Division Basketball Tournament to the championship game, losing to UCLA and legendary coach John Wooden 68-62. Ford averaged 13.8 ppg on the season. In his senior year, Ford averaged a stellar 17.9 ppg, 6.4 rpg, again  helping lead Villanova to the 1972 NCAA Tournament, with the team losing in the regional semi-final to Penn 78-67. For his college career, Ford averaged 15.8 ppg, 6.0 rpg, leading Villanova to three consecutive NCAA appearances. Professional career. Ford was drafted by the Detroit Pistons in the 1974 NBA Draft (2nd round, 17th overall pick). Ford established himself as a defensive oriented regular for Detroit, helping lead the team to four straight post-season berths (1974-1977). His averages peaked in the tumultuous 1976-77 Detroit Pistons season with 12.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 4.1 apg, and 7th in  steals (179) in the NBA. In October 1978, he was traded by Detroit with a 1981 2nd round draft pick to the Boston Celtics for Earl Tatum. He averaged a career high with 15.6 pgg in the 1978-79 Boston Celtics season and was a member of the 1981 Boston Celtics championship team. He retired after the 1981-82 Boston Celtics season, with 10 year career averages of 9.2 ppg, 3.4 apg, and 1.6 steals per game, remaining in the top 100 for his career in steals per game. Ford also appeared as a member of the Detroit team in  the cult classic basketball film The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh in 1979 alongside Pistons teammates Bob Lanier, Eric Money, John Shumate, Kevin Porter, and Leon Douglas. Coaching career. Ford became an assistant coach with Boston, first under KC Jones and then Jimmy Rodgers, helping the Celtics to NBA championships in 1984 and 1986. After Rodgers dismissal, Ford was promoted to head coach for the Celtics (1990–95, 222-188, .541), and then dismissed, replaced by former Pistons and Celtics teammate ML Carr. Ford then coached Milwaukee Bucks (1996–98, 69-95, .421), the Los Angeles Clippers (1998–2000, 20-75, .211), and finally  the Philadelphia 76ers (2003–04, 12-18, .400). Ford coached the Eastern All-Stars in the 1991 NBA All-Star Game. In addition to coaching at the professional level, Ford spent two seasons (2001–2003) as head basketball coach at Brandeis University, a Division III school in Waltham, Massachusetts. Ford then became a scout for the 76ers and was also a coaching consultant for the New York Knicks.