Motivation Quote by Bob Cousy

Cousy’s line reads like a polite endorsement, but it’s really a statement about power, labor, and loyalty in an era when players were expected to be grateful employees, not public critics. Calling Walter Brown “the best owner in the league” isn’t just praise for a boss; it’s a coded reminder of what “good ownership” meant in the early NBA: stability, personal rapport, and a willingness to invest in a still-fragile product. Brown, the Celtics’ founding owner, kept the franchise alive when pro basketball was far from a sure bet, and Cousy is acknowledging that kind of stewardship.

The key phrase is “strong relationship.” Cousy isn’t talking about spreadsheets or championships; he’s talking about trust and access. In the 1950s, the NBA was small enough that an owner could feel like a patron, and a star could feel like a partner. That intimacy could be genuine and still reinforce hierarchy: a “strong relationship” can also function as a soft substitute for collective bargaining. Cousy, notably, later became involved in early player-union efforts; that history makes the compliment more interesting. It suggests he’s separating his critique of the system from his respect for an individual who treated him well within it.

There’s also a brand-management angle. Cousy’s public persona has long been rooted in professionalism and institutional pride. Elevating Brown retroactively burnishes the Celtics’ origin story: not just a great team, but a well-run family where success wasn’t accidental. In today’s owner-skeptical sports culture, it lands as nostalgia for a time when “best owner” meant human-scale decency, not just deep pockets.