7 fun facts in new Celtics' book you probably didn't know
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| image courtesy of @VNdsgn |
By reviewing the team in its downward spiral since the Len Bias draft of 1986, Russell accentuates something many other writers have failed to do in magnifying the Celtics' misfortunes: emphasizing the role luck played on it. Instead of harping on all the bonehead moves that were made (yours truly is absolutely guilty of this) he basically explains the other way to see it. And maybe it's all that simple: a few breaks here or there and the Celtics' might have had success. Here are 7 particular items I felt worth mentioning.
1. The Ainge trade was one of the worst in history of the Celtics. Not so-much because of who they got back, but because of the feistiness that Ainge brought the team and how it took away their identity.
So this one isn't a fact but more of an opinion and one I agree with. Let me go on record as never having been a fan of that trade, even at the time. The Celtics' needed a frontcourt presence with toughness, someone like an Antoine Carr (who they had signed a couple seasons before). Joe Kleine was a pretty big underachiever in the NBA (based on his high draft status) and became nothing more than a reserve center during an era where having key big guys was critical. And EZ Ed Pinckney? He of the "covering your mouth when you cough and are taking the floor?" I just don't think he was ever that guy either. He was an easy going guy.
Was I glad the move opened up playing time for Reggie Lewis? Yes. Would Ainge and Lewis have been able to play together with Reggie getting more time at the 3? Probably. But the bottom line is you moved a guy who was coming off an All Star campaign for nothing more than two reserve big men. I remember scouring Zander Hollander's 1989 The Complete Book of Basketball book when the trade went down, hoping the Celtics had acquired someone else, hoping it had all somehow been a mistake. Maybe they got Wayman Tisdale instead?
Danny Ainge was a very good basketball player and it doesn't surprise me he would go on to be a key contributor to two other teams that would go on to make the Finals (92 Portland and 93 Phoenix). The Celtics sold themselves short on that deal.
To pour salt on the wounds, Jan Volk even admits had Bias lived that the Ainge trade very likely doesn't go down. Just kick me in the stomach now, please.
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| Larry wanted Tim |
[Larry] told me he wanted me because he thought I'd fit in with their team like Tiny Archibald did, and when they didn't pick me, he became upset.
Wow. Count me as being terribly disappointed at the time as Hardaway pretty much had an impact right away (first team All Rookie) with Golden State and Michael Smith proceeded to do zero. In hindsight Shawn Kemp probably would've been the best pick but he wasn't considered by the team at the time. Hardaway, meanwhile, absolutely was. And it allegedly came down to choosing him or Smith. It didn't help Don Nelson was telling people Hardaway was too short and had a bum knee. Or that Red Auerbach really liked Smith. Or that entire fiasco with Larry Drew.
But the Bird quote is something I'd never heard about before. Many similarities with Tim and Tiny for sure. Imagine a backcourt with Tim and Reggie? At the very least, how much better would this poster have been with Hardaway in place of Shaw?
3. ML Carr's idea around the time of the Dominique signing. When the Celtics' signed Dominique Wilkins in the summer of 1994 it was greeted with skepticism. At least it was a change. But you couldn't help but question the thought process behind it with Dominique being on the wrong side of 30. Russell points out a really interesting thing:
Boston signed Wilkins to one of their larger salary slots, but he was to be just a placeholder. In a few years, when Wilkins' contract expired, Boston would go back and re-sign Parish and start really building the next winning Celtics team from there.
Robert Parish? He who would retire after the 1997 season just before turning 44 years old? I loved Chief and we at Celticslife don't think Carr did as bad a job as he gets blame for, but that makes absolutely no sense. Would Parish have been a signal to the fans that they were still a loyal bunch? Why on earth would Carr want to re-sign him?
It sucked when Robert left for Charlotte after the 94 season (I was hopeful he could tutor rookie Eric Montross) but you can't blame the guy. There wasn't much of a reason for him to stay. I also distinctly remember watching a regular season game in 97 as the Bulls played the Nets and Parish got the start. At 43, he was still very serviceable and actually looked good out there.
But Carr's intent on pursuing him is truly baffling.
4. Owner Paul Gaston, not to be confused with his father Don, absolutely refused to pay the luxury tax. This has somehow been forgotten by myself over the years with all my vicious attacks against the Buffoon. And while I certainly don't retread my statements on the multitude of deficient decisions he executed, I do give him a little slack since it's hard to do much when your handcuffed financially. Wyc and his group have consistently been willing to pay the luxury tax and that's helped the Celtics remain very competitive in recent years. Gaston never was interested in that. And he was a dick. So he rightfully deserved the coinage of the term "Thanks Dad" bestowed upon him by Celtics fans.
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| ML and "Thanks Dad" |
5. The Paul Pierce stabbing incident. Yes some people will remember it but it's been forgotten over the years by many others. That the Celtics were that close to losing a 3rd big-time player (Bias, Lewis) to death over a 14 year period is absolutely incredible. Thankfully it didn't happen (one of the few things that went the franchise's way after 1986). But one quote that sticks out for me is actually via the Buffoon who said:
"Pierce being at Tufts as opposed to anywhere else may have saved his life."
It's sort of true. Tufts Medical Center is one of many outstanding hospitals in the Boston area and something we as Celtics' fans took for granted. The attacks on Pierce were really bad and had they been made inches in others directions, may have cost him his life. Fortunately the doctors saved him and prevented an unprecedented 3rd tragedy from occurring.
6. The importance of Eric Williams on the early 00 Celtic teams.
Eric had this poignant quote on the dismissal of the Evil Emperor:
We wanted to come out in [2002] and show that we were a good team and that we were the Celtics. I was fortunate to get drafted when Red Auerbach was there. I remember that stuff, and I remember Havlicek coming back, I remember Dennis Johnson, ML, Larry was there and there was tradition. And when we used to lose four in a row all the old Celtics used to come back and offer us encouragement. But when Rick Pitino came, it was different. All the old Celtics wouldn't come back, that unity wasn't there.
Kenny Anderson pointed to Williams as being the catalyst for the team's uniformed approach:
Eric was the glue. He just told everybody, I'll cover ground, I'll rebound and defend and you do what you do. He led by example, he just played hard and worked hard.
I always liked Eric Williams as a player. Was I upset the Celtics picked him over Michael Finley in the 95 draft? Yeah, absolutely. Was Finley the better player with the better NBA career? No doubt. But somewhere along the way you probably took for granted all the little things E Dubs did with those early 00 teams. He was always a very sound defender, had a terrific knack at getting to the foul line and would develop a solid 3 point shot from the corner to keep defenses honest.
Russell's book opened my eyes to Eric's leadership abilities and being the guy to do the intangibles for those teams. That goes a long way in convincing me of his importance.
7. Joe Johnson's role on the Celtics. The Buffoon mentioned that "Joe was really distanced from our team emotionally at the time." This "lack of connection" he alludes to was in my mind, more of an excuse to cover his ass from the disastrous trade that sent Johnson to Phoenix for Rodney Rogers and Tony Delk. Disastrous in that Kedrick Brown was indeed the guy the Suns wanted.
That sounds like a Buffoon cop-out to me. I don't care how nice of a guy Chris Wallace is: Joe Johnson showed some serious potential that first month. And Kedrick Brown was the guy Phoenix wanted. You make that trade of Brown for Rogers and Delk and you're a genius. You trade Johnson and you are indeed a Buffoon.
7a. Ok had to get this in here somehow! I loved this quote from the author: "But few to this day rue the Celtics picking Sam Vincent over Joe Dumars or Terry Porter."
He obviously doesn't read Celticslife! I've long lamented that pick of Vincent over Porter and AC Green (Dumars was actually not available going earlier to Detroit) and have mentioned had they drafted either guy how not only 1987 might have played out differently, but going into the 1990s, things could have been different. Porter was a sensational point guard. Having AC Green, and more importantly not allowing the Lakers to have him, could've created the shift in power in the league.
All-in-all, this is a very, very solid read for anyone who has been a fan of the Boston Celtics and has stuck with the team over the years. Russell candidly paints the picture of how luck, as much as smarts, plays a role in how teams fare and how success is measured. And he literally takes it all the way back to 1986. The reader is understandably bereft the in-depth, behind-the-scenes access Jack MacCullum (Unfinished Business) or David Halberstam (The Breaks of the Game) garnered. But this isn't a one year project. It's a culmination of endless hours of research spanning the better part of several decades. And Russell doesn't cut any corners, going to great lengths to interview some of the more relevant people in the tale.
This is a must-read for any Celtic fan, especially the younger fans who may not fully comprehend the excellence that the Boston Celtics exemplified for a 30 year period or the ineptitude that subsequently belabored the team for the following 22 years.
Sound off below in the comments if you read it and your opinion.
