Ex-NBA All-Star, coach Gene Shue dies

The NBA lost a legend on Monday, as former All-Star and coach Gene Shue has died.

Peter Vecsey shared the news that Shue has died at age 90.

Gene Shue, 90, has died. A 5-time NBA all-star, twice coach of the year (twice lost Finals) he was an acquired taste whose always accessible company I enjoyed. Confident & conceited, with good reason, Gene could laugh at himself & often at what was written about him. God Bless!

— Peter Vecsey (@PeterVecsey1) April 4, 2022

Shue was drafted by the Philadelphia Warriors with the third overall pick in the 1954 NBA Draft. The former guard played 10 seasons in the league and then went on to enjoy a successful coaching career.

Shue was named an All-Star five seasons in a row during his prime. He averaged 14.4 points per game and scored more than 10,000 points in his career.

As a coach, Shue was named NBA Coach of the Year twice — once with the Baltimore Bullets in 1969 and then again with the Washington Bullets in 1982. He later became the general manager of the Philadelphia 76ers and had some issues with Charles Barkley. The Hall of Famer once called Shue a “clown” while trying to force a trade.

Shue played college ball at the University of Maryland. He was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame in 1991. He and Mike D’Antoni are the only NBA coaches to win Coach of the Year twice and not be in the Naismith Hall of Fame.

Photo: Wikimedia/Public Domain