Widely considered one of the greatest NBA coaches of all-time, Ramsay, known as ‘Dr Jack’, was a true teacher of the game.
Born on this day in 1925, Ramsay earned his nickname for receiving a doctorate in education from the University of Pennsylvania. On the hardwood, he was best known for his time at the helm of the Portland Trail Blazers, who he led to a championship in 1977 in his first season.
Before he arrived to the team, Portland had not made the playoffs or had a winning campaign in their brief six-year history. Ramsay also coached the Philadelphia 76ers and Indiana, compiling an overall record of 864-783 during his career.
He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992 and the Blazers retired No77 in his honour in 1993 for the 1977 title team. Ramsay died at the age of 89 in 2014.
1967: Leroy Burrell, American former track and field athlete who twice broke the 100m world record (49).
1977: Steve Francis, American retired guard in the NBA and three-time All-Star (39).
1991: Riyad Mahrez, winger for Premier League contenders Leicester City and Algerian international (25).
1992: Phil Jones, English footballer for Manchester United and the England national team (24).
