Don Chaney


Donald Ray Chaney is an American former professional basketball and coach, most notable for his long stints as a player on the Boston Celtics.

Playing career

Chaney played basketball in college for the University of Houston, where he was a teammate of future Basketball Hall-of-Famer Elvin Hayes. Chaney played all 40 minutes of the famed "Game of the Century" at the Astrodome. That year Chaney became the first-round pick of the Boston Celtics in the 1968 NBA draft; he was also drafted by the Houston Mavericks of the American Basketball Association.
Chaney became a champion with the Boston Celtics during his rookie year. He would also help the Celtics toward winning the 1974 NBA Finals. He had two stints with the Boston Celtics, for which he is most noted. He also had a short two season stint with the Los Angeles Lakers from 1976–1978, and played in the ABA for one year with the Spirits of St. Louis from 1975–1976. Chaney was mostly known for his defensive skills, providing adequate numbers in minutes off the bench.
Chaney is the only Boston Celtic who played with both Bill Russell and Larry Bird.

Coaching career

After ending his playing career, Chaney spent 22 seasons in coaching of which he spent 12 seasons in the NBA.

Awards

Personal life

Chaney during his coaching days was known for partaking in new "daredevil"-esque stunts just to see what they were like, including skydiving and racecar driving.