The latest sports movie is about legendary player Sweetwater and the people associated with him. In this article, we are going to talk about one such person, Joe Lapchick, whose role is portrayed by Jeremy Piven in the movie. So, let’s talk about him.
Joseph Bohomiel Lapchick, born on April 12, 1900, was an American professional basketball player. He was known as the best center player of his era. He had a 50-year-long basketball career as a player, coach, and reporter. He was popularly known as a player for the Original Celtics in the early 1920s. He then coached St. John’s University until 1947 and then moved to the NBA as the head coach for the New York Knicks, which helped them book their place in the finals for three consecutive times.
At the very early age of 19, he played for four different teams at the same time, including playing for Holyoke Reds, Brooklyn Visitations, and Troy Trojans. Then, in 1926, he joined the American Basketball League, and in 1928, he joined the Cleveland Rosenblums.
However, he was known for excessive worry during the game, both as a player and as a coach, which led to ending his career, as he fainted a few times on court during the game when he was coaching and also had a few heart attacks. But as a player, he played very well. He had sharp passing skills and very good shooting skills too.
In 1968, he also wrote a book titled “50 Years of Basketball,” which tells about his struggle and early days in basketball. He died in 1970 due to a heart attack in New York. He was 70 years old.