Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

 The present Jayson Tatum/Jaylen Brown duo may very well be the top pairing in the NBA right now - but how do they compare with the potent combo of Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen during the Bulls 1990-91 Championship season? Below, I do a numerical comparison of various stats between the two superstar pairings: Tatum/Brown (averages from 17 games this season) 54.5 PPG - 14.9 RPG - 10.3 APG - 2.5 SPG - 0.9 BPG - .464 FG- .350 3s Jordan/Pippen (averages for 1990-91 Title season) 49.3 PPG - 13.3 RPG - 11.7 APG - 5.2 SPG - 2.1 BPG - .530 FG - .311 3s Admittedly, these numbers do not tell the whole story, but they are noteworthy. The Celtics twosome gets the nod on points, rebounds and 3-point accuracy . The Bulls duo wins on assists, steals, blocks and field goal percentage. Jordan and Pippen really shined in the defensive categories . Michael was 9-Time All-Defense, first team - DPOY (1988) - and 3-Time Steals Leader. Scottie was 10-Time All-Defense and 1995 Steals leader.  ...

 In an NBA TV segment called, Basketball Stories: Indiana Glory , Former-Celtic, Larry Bird , sat down with Isiah Thomas and Reggie Miller to discuss many subjects, including the "Mount Rushmore" of NBA superstars.  Larry stated the following: "I always knew how good I was. I didn't care what you thought about my games. I knew in the majority of the games I played in - with the team we had - we're gonna win most of them." "Quit whining about Lebron (James). Enjoy him while he's here. He's unbelievable. He's one of the greatest - if not the greatest ever." It is fitting that Bird mentioned himself in "the best ever" conversation. He belongs there . And it particularly noteworthy that Larry sent accolades "The King's" way. Lebron may not be the most-likable individual on the planet, but he has to be included in the "Best Ever" talk because of his skills, longevity in the League, his conditioning, his ve...

 I'm talking about the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers . The Lakers camp has been favored by NBA stars for decades , with the likes of Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Shaquille O'Neal and Lebron James ending up there. The sun, warmth, bright lights and chances for off-court stardom beckoned. And both Shaq and Lebron also played for the Miami Heat . The warmth, beaches and night life were calling. And I almost forgot they played together for Cleveland, forgoing the warmth and beaches for a bit. Well, it's 2024, and both teams have been eliminated from the post-season, and I love it . The Lakers won't acquire their Banner 18 prior to the Boston Celtics doing the same, and apparently the sun and nightlife of Miami wasn't enough to cure the ailments of Jimmy Butler and Terry Rozier . The current Celtics team doesn't have any classic "Ring Shoppers" in the fold. No member of The Green is known for constantly seeking supposed greener pastures.  Ok...

  "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 ...

 This one can - at least in part. No, I am not enthralled with Lebron James breaking Kareem's all-time scoring record last night. Nor is it the fact that The King is in his 20th season in the NBA. And I would not rate him as one of my all-time favorite individuals . So what is it? James takes care of his body as well as any NBA player I can recall , and I admire that - in pro athletes and for  "the rest of us". When I went in for cancer surgery 17 years ago - and then for aortic valve surgery last March - the medical teams marvelled at my physical shape for someone at such an advanced age. I just turned 79 years old. It doesn't come easy. As a mentor for anyone wanting to work hard to stay vibrant, fit and healthy , Lebron James as role model just works. For the rest of it - the other human qualities - folks may want to seek mentorship elsewhere. 

For those skeptics who feel Larry Bird should not be rated Top-5 All-Time, I present the following from September 20, 2020 ( per The Sacramento Bee's Joe Davidson ): OUR ALL-TIME NBA STARTING 5, PLUS A FEW MORE If I’m picking an all-time NBA starting lineup, here’s who I hit the floor with: Point guard: Magic Johnson  — The ultimate floor leader, ball handler, passer, leader, personality and champion. Magic led the Lakers to nine NBA Finals, winning five. He could play any position. Shooting guard: Michael Jordan  — Relentless in scoring, in defending, in leadership and winning. Jordan and the Chicago Bulls went 6-0 in the NBA Finals while owning the 1990s. Small forward: LeBron James  — Ageless, timeless, relentless. James at 35 can score inside and out, handle the ball, finish with the ball, and has his third team in the Finals. Power forward: Larry Bird  — Yes, he could also play small forward, and James would be seamless at power forward, but in this game, just u...

There is no question that the present Celtics corps is extremely skilled, but they are mostly a finesse team. What they generally lack are physical strength and the will and ability to manhandle opposing players. I long for the days when Kareem Abdul Jabbar used to complain about being physically abused by Celtics center, Dave Cowens, with allegedly little notice by officials. Marcus Smart is the exception here. He is a darker, shorter version of Big Red, and Marcus takes no nonsense, physical or otherwise, from any member of the opposition. Bumping and grinding to gain position on offense or defense can be exhausting. Bill Russell once commented that repeatedly jumping for an elusive rebound tired him more than any other task on the hardwood. Cowens could quickly cover the guards on the perimeter, and get back to his man to battle underneath. Marcus Smart does the same, and the height, weight and toughness of his opponent makes no difference. The Miami Heat's Jimmy Butler and the ...

Our on-line draft of 32 Celtics stars is complete, and we have now whittled down that number to the Sweet Sixteen. The only current player to make the cut is Al Horford. The remaining 15 Boston players are either retired or deceased, having played for The Green for more than two full seasons over the past sixty years. The 16 stars from the Lakers squad is as formidable. CELTICS: BIGS Bill Russell Dave Cowens Robert Parish Al Horford WINGS Kevin Garnett John Havlicek Paul Pierce Larry Bird Tom Heinsohn Kevin McHale Reggie Lewis Dennis Johnson Sam Jones BALL HANDLERS Bob Cousy JoJo White Tiny Archibald LAKERS: BIGS Wilt Chamberlain Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Shaquille O'Neal Pau Gasol George Mikan WINGS Magic Johnson Elgin Baylor Kobe Bryant James Worthy Bob MaAdoo Jamaal Wilkes Michael Cooper BALL HANDLERS Jerry West Byron Scott Gail Goodrich Derek Fisher What sticks out immediately is the triple-tower combo of Wilt, Shaq and Kareem. The Celtics can...

Realizing the immense impact the late Kobe Bryant had on the NBA, I truly believe that the Kobe-as-logo proposal is too emotion-of-the-moment based. Making his image the logo of the NBA would certainly give a boost to those mourning his loss, but it would also demean the present Logo, Jerry West, and other League stalwarts that were never considered for the honor. I will start with West. The 14-time All-Star, 8-time Champion as Executive and 2-time Executive-of-the-Year earned the honor and is still deeply involved in the NBA. How about Bill Russell? He is an 11-time Title holder and 2-time Champion as player/coach of the Celtics. This proud man never received the accolades he deserved when he was active. And then there is Larry Bird - 3-time Champ, 12-time All-Star - and the only player to earn MVP, Coach-of-the-Year and Executive-of-the-Year. Those are fine credentials. The Lakers Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul Jabbar would certainly be worthy of consideration. You get my point...