50 Greatest NBA/ABA Players Not In the Hall Of Fame

Copyright 1961 NBAE (Photo by The Stevenson Collection/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Philadelphia Warriors drafted point guard Larry Costello from Niagara in the second round of the 1954 NBA Draft, but his true impact would not be felt until later.

Costello was limited to 19 games as a rookie in 1954-55 and sat out the entire 1955-56 season — missing out on the Warriors’ championship run — while completing his U.S. Army obligation.

In October 1957, the Syracuse Nationals were in the market for a point guard and purchased the contract of Costello from the Warriors.

It was a heckuva deal for both parties.

Costello was an All-NBA selection in 1960-61, while also leading the NBA in free-throw shooting in 1962-63.

In 1963, Costello returned to Philadelphia when the Nationals franchise was relocated there and once again was the NBA’s best free-throw shooter in 1964-65 before retiring from the NBA and playing minor-league ball for the Wilkes-Barre Barons in the Eastern league

Costello returned to the 76ers as a backup in 1966 and finally earned his lone ring as the 76ers dethroned the Boston Celtics — who had won eight straight titles — en route to winning the franchise’s second championship and its first since 1955.

In May 1968, Costello was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks in the expansion draft and opted to retire — and become the new club’s first head coach.

In a 12-year career, Costello averaged 12.2 points, 4.6 assists and 3.8 rebounds in 30 minutes a game, shooting 43.8 percent from the floor and 84.1 percent from the foul line.

Costello would coach the Bucks into their ninth season in the NBA before he resigned in November 1976 after the team got off to a 3-15 start.

During that time, the club was 410-264, making the playoffs six times, reaching the NBA Finals twice and winning the title in 1970-71.

He was back on the bench in 1978 when he was hired by the Chicago Bulls, but lasted just 56 games into the season before he was fired in February with a record of 20-36.

In 10 seasons, his career record was 430-300 and his teams were 37-23 in the playoffs.

The last two-handed set shooter in the NBA, Costello died from cancer in December 2001 at the age of 70.