Chris Ford

Christopher Joseph Ford (January 11, 1949 – January 17, 2023) was an American basketball player and head coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Ford was nicknamed "the Mad Bomber". He played most of his NBA career with the Detroit Pistons, Ford finished his playing career with the Boston Celtics. In the Celtics' first game in 1979–80, he made the first official three-point shot in NBA history. He won an NBA championship with the Celtics in 1981.

Chris Ford

Personal information
Born	(1949-01-11)January 11, 1949 Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
Died	January 17, 2023(2023-01-17) (aged 74) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Listed height	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Listed weight	190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
High school	Holy Spirit (Absecon, New Jersey)
College	Villanova (1969–1972)
NBA draft	1972 / Round: 2 / Pick: 17th overall
Selected by the Detroit Pistons
Playing career	1972–1982
Position	Shooting guard
Number	42
Coaching career	1983–2004
Career history
As player:
1972–1978	Detroit Pistons
1978–1982	Boston Celtics
As coach:
1983–1990	Boston Celtics (assistant)
1990–1995	Boston Celtics
1996–1998	Milwaukee Bucks
1999–2000	Los Angeles Clippers
2001–2003	Brandeis University
2003–2004	Philadelphia 76ers (assistant)
2004	Philadelphia 76ers (interim)
Career highlights and awards
As player: NBA champion (1981) Robert V. Geasey Trophy (1972) As head coach: NBA All-Star Game head coach (1991) As assistant coach: 2× NBA champion (1984, 1986)
Career statistics
Points	7,314 (9.2 ppg)
Assists	2,719 (3.4 apg)
Steals	1,152 (1.6 spg)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

Between 1990 and 1995, Ford was the head coach of the Celtics. He also had been the coach for three other NBA teams until 2004. He died on January 17, 2023, six days after his 74th birthday.