| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 11, 1949 Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | January 17, 2023 (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: 2nd round, 17th overall pick |
| 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:
As head coach: As assistant coach:
| |
| Career statistics | |
| Points | 7,314 (9.2 ppg) |
| Assists | 2,719 (3.4 apg) |
| Steals | 1,152 (1.6 spg) |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Christopher Joseph Ford (January 11, 1949 – January 17, 2023) was an American professional basketball player and head coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "The Mad Bomber",[1][2] Ford played most of his NBA career on the Detroit Pistons, before finishing his playing career at the Boston Celtics. In the Celtics' season opener in 1979–80, he was credited with making the first official three-point shot in NBA history. He won an NBA championship with the Celtics in 1981.
Between 1990 and 1995, Ford was the head coach of the Celtics, and proceeded to coach for three other NBA franchises for various stints until 2004.