LOS ANGELES — Bill Sharman effortlessly straddled both sides of the Celtics-Lakers rivalry, winning championships and making friends from Boston to Los Angeles during a unique basketball career. Even when he struggled to speak in his later years with a voice worn out from passionate coaching, Sharman remained a beloved mentor and an innovator who saw great success from almost every perspective in more than a half-century in the NBA. Sharman, the Hall of Famer who won multiple titles both as a player for the Celtics and a coach for the Lakers, died Friday at his home in Redondo Beach, the Lakers announced. He was 87. — AP
