Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

 The late Celtics play-by-play man, Johnny Most , called him "High Henry" . Hank Finkel had the "distinction" of being Boston's primary center in the lone season (1969-70) between the departure of Bill Russell and the arrival of the effervescent Dave Cowens . The 7-foot Finkel was not generally a starter for Boston. That task went to 6'7" Rich Johnson , primarily for the purpose of winning the center tap . And 6'8" Jim Barnes took center stage when The Green needed some muscle in the middle. But Hank's first season in Boston was his best. He averaged 23 minutes per game, 9.7 PPG and 7.7 RPG. He lasted six seasons with Boston and became a backup for Cowens - and also a crowd favorite.  Henry's first season with the Celtics was tough on him . He often heard the crowd noise - "He's no Bill Russell". But of course, the Boston fans were right. Hank was tall but he was not quick or athletic . And frankly, he often looked aw...

Even after 17 Title Banners, Celtics fans need a bit of Fantasy. Come with me for a few minutes I want Tommy Heinsohn and Johnny Most broadcasting Game One between the Celtics and Nets tomorrow afternoon. Yes, I know they have both passed on, but can you imagine these two Boston "Homers" sharing thoughts on the return of Kyrie Irving and his Brooklyn Nets to TD Garden. Many Celtics fans want this left alone, but I can't. It was Irving stomping on the center-court Celtics logo that did it for me . For those not aware, that Leprechaun logo was designed by Red Auerbach's brother, Zang. Okay, I also want Tommy and Johnny to get Red's take on all of this during half-time.  Legend has it that leprechauns often engage in mischief . What better time to inject a few pranks into the Nets' offense than tomorrow somewhat after 3:30 PM ET. Leprechauns are also said to have a pot of gold hidden away , and that bit of gold known as the Larry O'Brien Championship Tr...

 There was only one Johnny Most. There will never be another. I was remembering some of the nicknames that Johnny assigned to Celtics players, and I have used them often in my writings. Here are a few of Johnny Most's Monikers : Rapid Robert (Cousy) Jarrin' John the Bouncin' Buckeye (Havlicek) Dynamite Don (Nelson) Wide Clyde (Lovellette) Wayne The Wall (Embry) Jungle Jim (Luscotoff) Big Red (Cowens) Tall Paul (Silas) Small Paul (Westphal, who wasn't much shorter than Silas) Buckshot Bailey (Howell) High Henry (Finkel) The Kentucky Colonel (Frank Ramsey) Leapin Larry (Siegfried) Slippery Sam (Jones)

 The late John Havlicek almost never dunked the ball , and there was no 3-point shot during his NBA stint. So basketball fans, particularly those that feel treys and jams are all there is to pro ball, may think the 6'5", 205-pound "Hondo" might not thrive in today's League. That could not be more wrong. These accomplishments only tell part of the story: 8-Time Champ Finals MVP (1974) 13-Time All-Star 8-Time All-Defensive (5X First Team, 3X Second team) 11-Time All-NBA (4X First Team, 7X Second Team) Hall-of-Famer "Jarrin' John" (as Johnny Most called him) was drafted both by the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Browns , but he put his energy into basketball, with Red Auerbach labeling him as "the guts of the team". In the 1969-70 season, prior to the arrival of Dave Cowen s, Havlicek led his team in the three major categories with 24.2 PPG, 7.6 RPG and 6.8 APG - all while logging 41.6 minutes per contest . He bettered those numbers the nex...

Imagine it! Ten dearly-departed, former Celtics returning as a small-ball team to compete. And why not bring back John Kiley at the organ and Johnny Most "high above courtside" .Hell, put Red Auerbach on the sidelines to coach and berate the refs. Starting at center, we have 6'7" Tommy Heinsohn . At the point, 6'3" JoJo White will run the show alongside defensive ace, 6'4" Dennis Johnson . At the small forward slot, 6'5" John Havlicek will start and be partnered with the bruising, 6'5" Jim Loscutoff . "Loscy" will handle many of the "drudgery" chores and play the role of enforcer should the need arise. Coming off the bench as backup point guard is 6'1" Bill Sharman . We can expect him to see minutes at the shooting guard spot next to DJ at times during the game. Also coming off the pine will be 6'5" "Pistol Pete" Maravich at both back court spots, but not at the same time. Sorry...

Former-Celtics great, Bill Russell, walked around with a chip on his shoulder, but he also played basketball with that same attitude. Russ has mellowed over the years, but the chip remains in place for anyone attempting to knock it off. Could he play - or even be a star these days? Here's my analysis. Who am I to judge? I lived down the street from Russell in Reading, Massachusetts during the 1960's and started following the NBA at the same time. Bill's second home in Reading was more upscale and private than his first residence on busy Main Street. A line of cedar trees all-but-shielded the Haverhill Street home from view. It was "Big Bill's" (as Johnny Most called him) play on the court that largely fueled my interest in the Boston Celtics, all the way to his final game, and triumph, when he led his team to its 11th Championship on May 5, 1969 versus the Los Angeles Lakers. As Jim Murray, the late Pulitzer Prize-winning sports writer of the Los Angeles T...

It is no contest. In the vote count for the most-despised Celtics opponent of all time, Bill Laimbeer of the Detroit Pistons takes first place, and no runner-ups are even close. Bill's the winner in this race. Laimbeer wouldn't just annoy and antagonize, he would whip opposing players into an absolute frenzy. Bill's takedown of Larry Bird in Game Three of the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals earned him a $5,000 fine. Larry was fined $2,000 for retaliating. Bird was known for his controlled anger, but he lost it in this confrontation - apparently for good reason. The game Larry Bird and Bill Laimbeer went at it. Seeing Larry Legend go full berserk is rare. You have to take him to the limit to see that. FULL VID https://t.co/CgVt6hvPgn pic.twitter.com/kg6BPguWCb — OLDSKOOLBBALL (@Oldskoolbball1) April 11, 2020 In Game Five, the normally-mild mannered Celtics center, Robert Parish, got so angry at Laimbeer that he golfed him three times in plain view of three officials, non...

Tommy Heinsohn has been around the Boston Celtics for so long, he seems to have a padlocked connection to the team. He has played the role of player, coach and analyst going back 64 years. The guy Red Auerbach called "the oldest 27-year-old body in the history of sports" earned eight Championship rings with The Green as a player and two more as coach. But his work as a TV analyst often spawns criticism from fans that view his analysis as perhaps too slanted in favor of Boston. These occasional attacks on Tommy's rhetoric go back as much as 53 years (from Bob Ryan's book, Scribe: My Life In Sports Everybody talks about (Celtics radio announcer) Johnny Most, and nobody watches Celtics games on TV without listening to him on the radio. That's too bad because if you really want a laugh, you should listen to Tommy Heinsohn, who is so partisan he makes Most seem like Walter Cronkite. Most is essentially a reporter, however ridiculous he may sound on occasion. Heinsoh...