The 1973 Finals: Cowens’ Finals MVP and the Seven-Game War With Phoenix

The 1973 NBA Finals was Cowens' coronation. Boston faced the Phoenix Suns led by Connie Hawkins, and the two teams went the full seven games before the Celtics escaped with a 4-3 win. It was Boston's first return to the top since 1969, and Cowens' first and only Finals MVP.

That series showed everything the "short center" offered. Against Phoenix's front line, Cowens did not bully with size; he buried opponents with footwork, positioning and tip-ins. He averaged better than 20 points with rebounds comfortably in double figures, and on defense he jammed the Suns' offensive flow. In Game 7, Boston clawed out the win, and Cowens' grit—if not gaudy—was the team's steadiest anchor.

The meaning of that MVP went beyond hardware: it proved that in the NBA, the Finals MVP need not be the flashiest scorer, but can be the one who "steals" the win back. Cowens wrote himself into Celtics championship lore the blue-collar way.

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