Skip to main content

Flashback to Danny Ainge's March Madness buzzer-beater vs. Notre Dame

Most younger Celtics fans know Danny Ainge as the guy that runs the Boston Celtics organization, but he has two Championship rings and one All-Star appearance under his belt. And, by the way, he was a star for Brigham Young University - shining particularly brightly in a 1981 March Madness contest versus a powerful Notre Dame squad.

I remember this game very well. Ainge had future Celtics Greg Kite and Fred Roberts at his side, but Notre Dame countered with Orlando Woolridge, John Paxson, Kelly Tripuka and future-Celtic, Joe Kleine. There were eight seconds left in the game, and BYU was down one point, 50-49. Danny took the inbounds pass, motored down court - avoiding all five Notre Dame defenders - and laid the ball in for the win.


Ainge came away with team-highs in points (12), assists (3) and steals (3). The BYU team went wild, with no member more excited than Danny. Take a look at the end of the video below.



ToddAndelin
1 year ago
Ainge is a winner no matter what he does

The above was a viewer reaction to the video. I was a major fan of Ainge when he played and when he coached. But I never had him pegged as a very successful NBA Executive. Danny knows that you don't win if you don't take chances, and he has taken quite a few. Sometimes labeled as a whiner, complainer and gunner - Danny just throws that back at his critics.


After last season's disappointments, the Celtics look prepared to take on all comers. A very good draft and off-season moves should make for a satisfying season. I frankly wouldn't want anyone else running this show.

Follow Tom at @CelticsSentinel, @_Celtics_Center and Facebook

Comments

  1. Allan Ayers
    @RareAyers
    ·
    6m
    Replying to
    @CelticsSentinel
    and
    @danielrainge
    Also unfairly criticized about his baseball career, in which he had 146 hits in 211 Major league games over 3 seasons by age 22. Average age of MLB rookie position players last year was 24

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Elm Street Nightmare

 A true-and-suspenseful horror tale of haunting, homicides and the hunt for triple-murderer, Daniel Laplante - as told by the cops that were there By Lt. Thomas Lane (Ret.)  Daniel Laplante - cold, calm, clever, calculating- Photo: YouTube   Elm Street  surfaces on six (6) occasions in the Laplante saga: 1.) He  resided on Elm Street  in Townsend, Massachusetts  2.) He  kidnapped a woman  at gunpoint on  Elm Street, Pepperell , Massachusetts 3.) That kidnapped woman fled to the Gillogly residence on Elm Street after escaping from the armed fugitive, Laplante. 4.) He was arrested and transported to Massachusetts State Police Barracks on Elm Street in Concord . 5.) He was  tried, convicted   and sentenced for the murders at  Superior Court , corner of  Elm Stree t and Gorham Street, Lowell, Massachusetts. 6.) The author, Thomas Lane, lived on Elm Steet, Pepperell, Massachusetts while a police Sgt./Lt. for the town police force. When evil and cleverness reside in the same mind, the st

Did the Celtics Kevin McHale really have a wingspan of 8-feet?

According to many sources, the Celtics Kevin McHale did indeed have an estimated wingspan of 8-feet. One of those sources is Wikipedia, as seen below: Kevin McHale American basketball player DescriptionKevin Edward McHale is an American retired basketball player who played his entire professional career for the Boston Celtics. He is a Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, and is regarded as one of the best power forwards of all time. He was named to the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team. Wikipedia Born: December 19, 1957 (age 61 years), Hibbing, MN Wingspan: 8′ 0″ Height: 6′ 10″ Spouse: Lynn McHale (m. 1982) NBA draft: 1980, Boston Celtics (Round: 1 / Pick: 3) Hall of fame induction: 1999 Number: 32 (Boston Celtics / Power forward, Center) Kevin was listed at 6'10" tall when he was drafted with the 3rd pick in the 1980 draft. Red Auerbach, in yet another heist, brought in both McHale and center Robert Parish (via trade) prior to the Celtics' 1980-81 Champion

In defense of Marcus Smart

 Let me make it clear first of all that I am totally against making a threat of any kind that even hints at harming, or certainly killing, another human being. Marcus Smart was wrong in doing so in the Celtics loss to the tanking Oklahoma City Thunder , and he deserved the one-game suspension. But to be honest, part of me loved that it occurred. . This type of thing can happen when a player gets to a point "beyond frustration" and is having a bad game. Marcus and his teammates have been under-performing generally - were in the process of losing to a pathetic-and-tanking Thunder team - and Smart was having a bad game . And he let loose verbally at the closest target - an NBA official. Wilt Chamberlain did a similar act versus referee, Earl Strom when Wilt was having his usual tortuous time at the free throw line (per Chicago Tribune's Sam Smith): ''He was in one of those 1-for-13s,'' recalls referee Earl Strom. ''Nothing was getting close. S