Former Knicks Staffer Chris Ford Passes Away at 74

The family of Chris Ford announced on Wednesday that the former NBA player and head coach has passed away at the age of 74. Ford's expansive NBA career featured a three-year stay with the New York Knicks, spending the final portions of his Association tenure as a coaching consultant.

Ford was on the Knicks' ledger for three seasons, called upon by then-head coach Mike Woodson to serve in an advisory role. Woodson's first coaching job came when he approached Ford in 1996 when the latter was the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks. With Ford in his ear, Woodson guided the Knicks to consecutive playoff berths the latter producing the team's first series victory in 12 years when they won 54 games and topped the Boston Celtics in a six-game set.

"It wasn’t a case of me repaying him,” Woodson told Peter May of the New York Times when speaking of his decision to bring Ford into the fold in 2013. “We had a great relationship. He gave me an opportunity. I trusted his basketball knowledge. I reached back out to him not knowing if he even wanted to coach or get back in the game."

The win over Boston was ironic by the fact that Ford spent the majority of his NBA days with the Celtics: he spent the final four seasons of his 10-year playing career in green (winning the 1981 NBA title) after the Atlantic City native was chosen by Detroit with the 17th overall pick of the 1972 draft before joining their coaching staff.

"Chris was beloved by his family, friends, and teammates," the statement from the Ford family said. "He had a great love for his family, the city of Boston, the fans, and the entire Celtics family. He always showed humility and respect for all those that were fortunate enough to be a part of his life.

Ford was an assistant on the staffs of K.C. Jones and Jimmy Rodgers (winning two more titles under the former) before getting the top Boston job in 1990. Over 10 seasons as a head coach with Boston (1990-95), Milwaukee (1996-98), the Los Angeles Clippers (1999-2000), and an interim stint with Philadelphia (2004), Ford amassed a 323-376 record and made four playoff appearances.

Ford was also the head coach for the Eastern Conference at the 1991 NBA All-Star Game, guiding them to a 116-114 victory thanks in part to the services of nominees like Larry Bird, Patrick Ewing, Bernard King, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish.

“He always voiced his opinion, and I have a great deal of respect for his opinion,” Woodson, now the head coach of the Indiana Hoosiers, told The Times. “He has been on the high end of winning basketball games. He’s won titles. Anytime you can go through a Celtics system and experience that kind of life from a playing and coaching standpoint, I’d say you know a little bit about the game. He tells me about certain things, hey, my ears are going to be wide open, listening.”

In addition to his time as an NBA boss, Ford also spent two seasons at the helm of Division III Brandeis University in Massachusetts.

Ford's playing career offers him a special distinction: in 1979, he became the first player in NBA history to sink a three-point shot, doing so in a Boston win over Houston.

Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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