Skip to main content

Tale of two "Riflemen" and one tough marksman, Larry Bird

 There are various links between the late actor/pro athlete Chuck Connors and former NBA players Larry Bird and Chuck Person.


Connors played for the Boston Celtics in the late 1940's and had the distinction of being the first pro basketball player to break a backboard (per Wikipedia):

During his tenure with Celtics in 1946, Connors became the first professional basketball player to break a backboard. He did so during pre-game practice before the Celtics' first home game of their inaugural season with a shot and not a slam dunk, which is what typically breaks a backboard in modern basketball. He played 53 games for Boston before leaving the team early in the 1947–48 season.

Chuck Connors played the role of Lucas McCain in the popular TV series, The Rifleman, in the 1950's. McCain was portrayed as a man of peace - who somehow managed to kill at least one or two bad guys per episode.

Chuck Person was named "Chuck" by his parents after Chuck Connors and picked up the nickname, The Rifleman, for the same reason. He played six seasons for the Indiana Pacers and was klnown for his shooting touch. 

Person was also a foe of Larry Bird on the hardwood and battled Bird in Game-5 of the famous 1991 first-round Eastern series between Boston and Indiana. This is the one where Larry hit the floor hard - was forced to leave the game - and returned to eliminate the Pacers - with the Celtics moving on in the series.(per The Athletics Jared Weiss):

The 34-year-old Bird had missed 22 games that season due to a compressed nerve and ruptured disc in his back and the pain had gotten so bad that he spent the night before Game 5 in traction in the hospital. When Bird had back surgery after the season was over, the surgeon said, “I don’t see how he played with what he had.”

Nonetheless, Bird was out there in an elimination game, leading with his ground-bound wizardry even if he looked like he would shatter if he tried to land from a layup. He was just starting to find his rhythm when, at the 4:37 mark of the second quarter, he dove after a loose ball. Bird went for it with his right hand and tried to brace for impact, but the hand couldn’t break his fall. He landed on his stomach and violently smashed his head on the ground.

 I recall the entire game well. Bird's return to the court has become legendary. He has always been known as one of the toughest players to take to the court.

There you have it - Connors, Person, Bird. Two "Riflemen" and one damn tough marksman. I enjoyed watching all three and still watch reruns of The Rifleman and clips of Larry Bird taking out the bad guys.








Comments

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 four 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.) He was arrested and transported to Massachusetts State Police Barracks on Elm Street in Concord . 3.) He was  tried, convicted   and sentenced for the murders at  Superior Court , corner of  Elm Stree t and Gorham Street, Lowell, Massachusetts. When evil and cleverness reside in the same mind, the stage is often set for true horror. Such was the case with triple-murderer, Daniel Laplante . As a 16-year old , he quickly transitioned from: Minor thefts and breaking into homes To: Taunting and threatening a father and his two daughters as an unseen

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

Nik Stauskas adds "shooting with size" voiced by Brad Stevens

 As a 6'6" shooting guard, 28-year-old Nik Stauskas adds that shooting with size sorely needed by the Boston Celtics. Drafted 8th-overall by the Sacramento Kings in 2014, Stauskas has bounced around to various teams since then. Nik Stauskas' deal with the Boston Celtics includes non-guaranteed salary for the second season in 2022-23, a source tells @celticsblog . — Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) March 4, 2022 Nik has never averaged more than 9.5 points per game in the NBA, but Boston is most likely counting on his production for Grand Rapids in the G League as the incentive to sign him. In 17 games thus far, he has averaged 24.7 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 4.8 APG - while shooting 50% on field goals and 45% on treys. Nik Stauskas is signing a two-year deal with the Boston Celtics, his agents Mark Bartelstein and Andy Shiffman of @PrioritySports tell ESPN. Stauskas had an historic week, scoring 100 points on 57 and 43 point performances in back-to-back games for Grand Rapids. — Adrian Wo