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Cowens’ MVP Attitude
The Celtics have had a lot of superstars, but perhaps none as unusual as Dave Cowens. The two-time NBA World Champion and 1973 NBA MVP certainly marched to the beat of his own drum. Among some of his reported exploits: Cowens spent a night on a bench in Boston Common, pelted a young Larry Bird with snowballs, hitchhiked from Boston to New Hampshire, and once masqueraded as a taxi driver – taking the scenic route if the rider was a curt businessman but offering a free ride for a regular guy. There seemed to be plenty of opportunities for Celtics fans to stop and chat with Cowens throughout the city! In his Hall of Fame induction speech, Cowens credited Don Nelson: “He showed me how important it was to get involved in the community. To try to give of your time and never forget the little guy. Because to me, the bigger the reputation, the smaller the ego, the greater the person.”
Photo by Dick Raphael/NBAE via Getty Images