Eddie Gottlieb
| Eddie Gottlieb | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Isadore Gottlieb September 15, 1898 Kiev, Ukraine |
| Died | December 7, 1979 (aged 81) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Cause of death | vascular problems |
| Resting place | Har Nebo Cemetery |
| Residence | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Other names | Gotty The Mogul Mr. Basketball |
| Occupation |
Basketball coach and team owner NBA consultant |
| Years active | 1910–1979 |
| Organization | National Basketball Association |
| Known for | South Philadelphia Hebrew Association basketball Philadelphia Warriors |
| Home town | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (173 cm) |
| Weight | 175 lb (79 kg) |
| Title | Philadelphia Warriors head coach |
| Term | 1946–1955 |
| Successor | George Senesky |
Edward "Eddie" Gottlieb (born Isadore Gottlieb, September 15, 1898 – December 7, 1979), known as "Mr. Basketball" and "The Mogul", was the first coach and manager of the Philadelphia Warriors in the National Basketball Association (NBA), and the former owner and coach of the team from 1951 to 1962. A native of Kiev, Ukraine, he was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor on April 20, 1972. The NBA Rookie of the Year "Eddie Gottlieb Trophy" is named after Gottlieb.
A small, overweight, balding man with deep eyes and penchant for wearing bow ties, Gottlieb was described by Red Smith as "a wonderful little guy about the size and shape of a half-keg of beer."
Gottlieb organized, and played for, the South Philadelphia Hebrew Association teams in the 1920s. Along with a few other sports promoters, he organized the Basketball Association of America, the league that later became the NBA.
Gottlieb coached the original Philadelphia Warriors, bought the team, and sent it to San Francisco in order to expand the game westward. He headed the NBA rules committee for 25 years. When he died at age 81, he had been solely in charge of NBA scheduling for three decades. In 1971, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. "Gottlieb was about as important to the game of basketball as the basketball", fellow Hall of Famer Harry Litwack said.
Gottlieb took on many duties. He started teams and organized leagues. He was in charge of semipro baseball in Philadelphia, and made the schedule for the Negro National League. He also helped coordinate the overseas tours of the Harlem Globetrotters.
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Wikipedia