NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, NY – The Niagara University Department of Athletics Hall of Fame Bobblehead Series, featuring Naismith Memorial Hall of Famers, Hubie Brown, Calvin Murphy, and Larry Costello, continues this Friday when Niagara celebrates the life and career of Larry Costello inside the Gallagher Center.
 
Fans in attendance for Niagara's home game versus Fairfield on Friday, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. will receive a Larry Costello bobblehead, the third and final installment of Niagara' Hall of Fame Bobblehead series.
 
Costello played for the Purple Eagles from 1950-54. He finished his NU career as the then-all-time leading scorer with 1,275 points in 85 games played. Costello helped the 1952-53 and 1953-54 NU teams to National Invitation Tournament (NIT) berths, and he was a two-time NIT All-Star Team selection.

Costello was then just the second NU player to go to the NBA when he was drafted in the second round by the Philadelphia Warriors. He played two seasons with the Warriors before playing 11 years with the Syracuse Nationals, playing five seasons in Syracuse and six seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Costello was a six-time NBA All-Star (1958-62, 1965) and was part of the 1967 World Champion Philadelphia 76ers team. Costello, who was known as the last two-handed set shooter, led the NBA in free throw percentage in both 1963 (.881) and 1965 (.877).

After retiring from playing in 1968, Costello was named the first head coach of the expansion Milwaukee Bucks in 1968-69. The Bucks won the NBA title in 1971 in Costello's third season with the team. Costello coached in the NBA for 10 seasons between the Bucks and the Chicago Bulls and finished with a career record of 430-300. Costello returned to coaching as the head coach at Utica College from 1980-87.

Costello, whose number 69 was retired by Niagara, is a member of the Niagara University Athletics Hall of Fame, the Syracuse Sports Hall of Fame, the Greater Buffalo Hall of Fame and the New York State Hall of Fame.

Costello passed away in 2001 after a battle with cancer. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Sept. 10, 2022.
 
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