Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

  "Anything can happen in the playoffs!" I like that quote better than the one in the title.  Flashback to Game-4, 1987 NBA Finals - Celtics versus Lakers. In the closing seconds, Magic Johnson goes to a sky hook to win the game - all the while i gnoring open teammate, Kareem Abdul Jabbar - he the of "Sky Hook" fame. A Boston win would have tied the series at 2-2 . The teams split the next two contests, meaning the series would have been tied at 3-3 as opposed to LA taking the series in six games. Meaning there would have been a Game-7. How about Don Nelson's "look-what-I-found" shot in the closing seconds of the 1969 Finals against the Lakers. Nellie's shot took a high bounce off the rim and settled right through the net. That sealed the win - and the Championship for the Celtics. The 2023-24 Celtics are the best team on paper - and the best in the regular season. They are favored to take the Title, but luck, good or bad, can intervene. It ...

 Here I go again! I truly miss the run-the-opposition-into-the-ground, fast-paced basketball we saw from the Celtics in the 60's and 70's. Coaches Red Auerbach and (later) Tommy Heinsohn demanded it. Few centers could match Bill Russell and Dave Cowens at ripping the ball off the boards and starting the fast break. Bob Cousy preferred the long outlet pass, while his replacement, K C Jones , would drive the ball down court before passing off to the open man. Cowens, JoJo White and John Havlicek were just born to run . That tradition carried on in the early 90's with former-Celtic, Don Nelson , and his RUN TMC  Warriors trio of  Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin . . Nellie was an integral part of that  70's Celtics crew as a player under Tommy Heinsohn.  Now, back to today. We might expect a little more running game from the projected starters for Boston, but more-likely we may see it from the bench, possibly from A aron Nesmith, B r uno Fernando...

        Don Nelson aka "Nellie" , if you can imagine, played for the Zephyrs and - yuck - the Lakers, but made his home as a Celtic. He won 5 rings with the Celtics and his number 19 hangs in the rafters. He signed with the Celtics in 1965. Nellie had a unique shooting style that honestly will never be replicated.       In his first year as a Celtic he averaged 10 points and 5 rebounds a game, helping the Celtics to defeat the Lakers in the 1966 Finals, Talk about sweet redemption, beating the team that let you walk - or was it Red stole him away! He was the epitome of the 6th man back in the day. In 67/68 he averaged double figures under Bill Russell as coach . In the 68 Finals he averaged 14 points, 8 rebounds and 2 assists - not too shabby!        His most career defining moment came in Game 7 in 1969 vs the Lakers. He hit a foul line jumper that dropped through the basket after hitting the back rim and bounced as high as t...

Red Auerbach knew how to manage his troops, but he didn't hold back on criticizing some of them . Tom "Satch" Sanders and Don Nelson were often the recipients of Red's barbs, but it was Tom Heinsohn that was the most-frequent victim (per Sam Jones in his 1-on-1 interview with me): (Sam): "I saw a lot of it. I loved it. That means he (Red) kept off my back. That (Heinsohn) was Red's whipping boy. Better Tommy than me." Heinsohn helped the Celtics to eight Championships and played in six All-Star games. After Bill Russell's retirement in 1969, Tommy was chosen as Boston's next head coach, a move that was subject to much criticism at the time. But Celtics renowned announcer, Johnny Most, got it right (from Mark C. Bodanza's book, Ten Times a Champion): To me, Heinsohn represents the closest total of Auerbach coaching attributes of all the ballplayers that played for him. I think Tommy will turn out to be the junior edition of the Redhead. ...

Most long-time Celtics fans know about the various player-heists made by Red Auerbach, but few know that Red acquired 5-Time NBA Champion, Don Nelson, for the grand total of $1,000.00 from the rival Los Angeles Lakers. Yes, that dollar-figure is correct - $1,000.00. According to author, Thomas J. Whalen, in his book, Dynasty's End: Bill Russell and the 1968-69 World Champion Boston Celtics , Laker star Elgin Baylor was upset upon finding out about the Nelson trade. The two often went one-on-one, with Don giving Elgin some solid competition. Nelson never went on to stardom with Boston, but he was just what Auerbach was looking for - a solid defender that could score while making few mistakes. Nellie played 11 seasons in Boston, helping his teams to win three Championships in the late-60's with Bill Russell and Sam Jones - and another two Titles in the mid-70's with John Havlicek, JoJo White and Dave Cowens. For his career, he averaged 10.3 PPG, 4.9 RPGF and 1.4 APG. U...