Larry Bird will present former Celtics coach Bill Fitch at this year’s Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame ceremony at Springfield Symphony Hall on Sept. 6.
Fitch coached the Celtics from 1979-83, leading them to the 1981 title. He coached in the NBA from 1970-98 with the Cavaliers, Celtics, Rockets, Nets, and Clippers, and won 944 games. He also coached at the collegiate level from 1956-70.
This year’s class will feature 12 inductees, including Chuck Cooper, who played for the Celtics from 1950-54 and was the first African-American drafted into the NBA, in 1950. He was traded to the Milwaukee Hawks after the 1953-54 season and played two seasons for them before retiring.