Ed Macauley

Macauley spent his prep school days at St. Louis University High School, then went on to Saint Louis University, where his team won the NIT championship in 1948. He was named the "AP Player of the Year" in 1949. His nickname of "Easy Ed" came during a pre-game warmup, when fans shouted "Take it easy, Ed" because he (the captain of the team) did not realize he had run down the court during the playing of the national anthem.

Macauley with the Boston Celtics c. 1950

Macauley played in the NBA with the St. Louis Bombers, Boston Celtics, and St. Louis Hawks. Macauley was named MVP of the first NBA All-Star Game (he played in the first seven) and he was named to the NBA's All-NBA First Team in three consecutive seasons. He was named to the All-NBA second team for the only time in the 1953–54 season while also leading in field goal percentage. However, it is a trade orchestrated by Celtics owner Walter A. Brown that Macauley is likely best known for, as he was traded from the Boston Celtics to the St. Louis Hawks on the day of the 1956 NBA draft (April 29, 1956). He and Cliff Hagan were sent to the Hawks for Bill Russell, who was drafted as the second overall pick in the draft that day (he later stated that if he was drafted by St. Louis, he wouldn't have been in the NBA as he called it an "overwhelmingly racist" city). For his part, Macauley convinced a reluctant Brown to trade him as it would do him a favor, as Macauley's son had been diagnosed with spinal meningitis and was in St. Louis receiving care at the time.[2] All three players would eventually make the Hall of Fame, although Russell is considered one of the greatest players in league history.

Macauley made the NBA Finals in 1957, averaging 14.9 points and 5.9 rebounds per game in the seven-game series, which saw the Hawks lose to the Celtics (making their first Finals appearance in team history) in seven games.[3] In the 1958 NBA Finals, the Hawks faced the Boston Celtics. The Hawks had four future Hall of Famers with Macauley while the Celtics had eight. In his final playoff series played, he averaged 5.8 points and 6.3 rebounds in the seven-game series, which the Hawks won in seven games.[4] He was named player-coach for the 1958–59 season, and he played in fourteen games (all regular season) before retiring as a player. After one more season as coach, he retired, having led them to the 1960 NBA Finals, which they lost in seven games to the Celtics. In the two years Macauley coached with the Hawks, he led them to an 89–48 record, with a 9–11 playoff record.

Macauley (left) becoming coach of Saint Louis in November 1958

Macauley scored 11,234 points in ten NBA seasons and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1960. At age 32, he still holds the record for being the youngest male player to be admitted.[5] His uniform number 22 was retired by the Celtics on October 16, 1963, the same date when his teammate, Bob Cousy retired his number 14. He was also awarded a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame.[6][7] His no. 22 jersey was retired by the Celtics, making him one of only two Celtics to have a retired number without winning a championship with the team, the other player being Reggie Lewis.[8]

After retiring, he became sports director of KTVI, then the ABC affiliate in his native St. Louis. In 1989, Macauley was ordained a deacon of the Catholic Church. With Father Francis Friedl, he co-authored the book Homilies Alive: Creating Homilies That Hit Home.[9]

Macauley died on November 8, 2011, at his home in St. Louis, Missouri at the age of 83.[10]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ed Macauley.

• Ed Macauley at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
• BasketballReference.com: Ed Macauley (as coach)
• BasketballReference.com: Ed Macauley (as player)