June 18, 2008

BOSTON, Mass. - Former University of Richmond player and assistant coach Kevin Eastman helped guide the Boston Celtics to the NBA World Championship as an assistant coach with the team.

The Celtics defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 131-92 in Game 6 of the NBA Finals Tuesday night in Boston to win their 17th World Championship.

Eastman begin his second stint with the Celtics this season, joining coach head coach Doc Rivers as one of three bench assistant coaches.

The Celtics won a league-best 66 games in the regular season and pulled off the best turnaround in NBA history after winning just 24 games in 2006-07.

The 1978 graduate of Richmond is a member of school's Athletic Hall of Fame and served as an assistant coach for the Spiders from 1978-80 and in the NCAA Tournament season of 1985-86. He scored 1,162 career points, which ranks 23rd on the school's all-time list.

Eastman, who lives in Richmond, received his Master's In Athletic Administration from the University in 1989.