Alan Norman Cohen | |
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Born | December 19, 1930 Passaic, New Jersey |
Died | August 10, 2004 | (aged 73)
Education | B.A. Columbia College J.D. Columbia Law School |
Occupation | businessman |
Known for | co-owner of the Boston Celtics co-owner of the New Jersey Nets owner of the New York Knicks owner of the New York Rangers. |
Spouse(s) | Joan Fields (until her death) Susan Cohen |
Children |
with Fields: --Laurie Cohen Fenster --Gordon Cohen with Susan Cohen: --Rebecca Cohen |
Alan Norman Cohen (December 19, 1930 in Passaic, New Jersey – August 10, 2004 in Boca Raton, Florida) was the former co-owner of the Boston Celtics and the New Jersey Nets, and chairman and CEO of the Madison Square Garden Corporation, owner of the New York Knicks and the New York Rangers.
Born to a Jewish family, Cohen graduated from Columbia College in 1952 and Columbia Law School in 1954. After school, he served in the U.S. Army and then went to work for Paul, Weiss, Rifkin, Wharton and Garrison in 1957 becoming a partner of the firm in 1964. In 1970 he accepted a position at Warner Communications (now Time Warner, Inc.) as executive vice president where he was responsible for Atlantic Records, Elektra Records, and Warner Bros. Records. He joined with a group of investors including Warner CEO Steve Ross and purchased the New York Cosmos, which made international headlines by signing superstar Pelé.
In 1974 he became chairman and CEO of Madison Square Garden Corporation, a public corporation which owned the New York Knicks and the New York Rangers. In 1978, Cohen and a group of investors purchased the New Jersey Nets basketball team. In 1983, he sold his interest in the Nets, and together with his partners Don Gaston and Paul Dupee purchased the Boston Celtics winning the NBA championship in 1984 and 1986 with players Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish. From 1985-1987, he served as chairman of the NBA Board of Governors helping to pioneer the concept of the salary cap.