RETIRING BIG RED

Dave Cowens closed out his Seminole career as one of the greatest players in program history, averaging 18.9 points and 17.2 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-9 center brought his supreme skills on the college courts to the professional level. Selected No. 4 overall in the 1970 NBA Draft, Cowens won NBA Rookie of the Year, the 1973 NBA MVP award and two NBA World Championships over 11 seasons with the Boston Celtics. He was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991 and named one of the NBA’s top 50 players in 1996. Cowens received further accolades in Tallahassee, becoming the first player in program history with a retired jersey in 1981. “I had a grand experience here,” Cowens said. “Going to FSU was one of the best things in my life. And for them to honor me in this fashion, I was very happy to come back.”