Deep 76ed

Jack Ramsey, the basketball genius who sent Wilt Chamberlain out of Philadelphia, has died of cancer at the age of 89. Dr. Jack, so named after getting a doctorate in education from the University of Pennsylvania, started out coaching St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, making 10 postseason appearances in 11 seasons, highlighted by a 1961 Final Four appearance. Moving on to become the GM of the Philadelphia 76ers, Ramsey led the team to the then-best record in NBA history and the NBA title in 1966-67, his first season, and made 4 more playoff appearances as a head coach. A stint in Buffalo and more playoff appearances followed, then he took his basketball prowess and sartorial splendor national with his first coaching championship, in 1977 with the Portland Trail Blazers. All told, in 20 NBA seasons as head coach, he made the playoffs 16 times, earning induction into the Hall of Fame in 1992, then spent 30 years trying to convince people that a game consisting of grown men running around in their underwear and not playing defense was a sport worth watching.