Robert Joseph Cousy played point guard with the NBA's Boston Celtics from 1951 to 1963 and (briefly) with the Cincinnati Royals in the 1969-1970 season, being recognized as one of the greatest to ever play his position in the history of the game. He is often referred to as "The Cooz," or "Houdini of the Hardwood."

Cousy was drafted in 1950 by the Tri-Cities Blackhawks, immediately traded to the Chicago Stags, then drawn by the Celtics in a dispersal draft of the Stags franchise. In the NBA, he led his team to six championships, including the 1957 one and five consecutive titles, from 1959 to 1963, after which he retired. The five consecutive titles towards the end of his career were part of a Celtics' streak of eight consecutive championships.

Cousy is the Celtics' all-time leader in assists with 6,955. He led the NBA in assists from 1953 to 1960 including a career high 9.5 per game in 1960. He also scored 16,960 points, and participated in the NBA All-Star game thirteen consecutive times, picking up the All-Star Game MVP award at that game in 1954 and 1957. He was named the league's MVP in the 1957-58 season, was named to the All-NBA First Team from 1952 to 1961, and an All-NBA Second Team selection in 1962 and 1963. Cousy still owns the following two NBA records: most assists in one half (19 in a February 27, 1959 game against the Minneapolis Lakers) and most free-throws in an NBA playoff game (or in any NBA game, for that matter) when he made 30 free throws in 32 attempts on March 21, 1953 against Syracuse.

His number 14 was retired by the Boston Celtics. In 1996, he was chosen as one of the NBA's 50 greatest players of all time, and ESPN chose him at number 94 of the 20th century sports century 100 greatest athletes.