millbank Posted October 29, 2006 Share Posted October 29, 2006 Red Auerbach One of Sports greatest..... Red Auerbach, the Hall of Fame coach who led the Boston Celtics to nine NBA championships in the 1950s and 1960s, died Saturday. He was 89 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Senator Posted October 29, 2006 Share Posted October 29, 2006 Auerbach was truly a legend - great coach, great GM, great executive, and - above all - great human being. That's a great article too - thanks. It lists all his greatest accomplishments - Bill Russell, drafting Bird as an underclassman, winning the 8 straight NBA titles. I'm pretty sure the Celtics also won 9 of 10 titles in the 60's with Red as either coach or GM. Red was truly one of those GMs who - when the phone rang and you were an opposing GM, you didn't answer 'cause somehow he was gonna outfox you. And the Celtics-Lakers rivalry was one of the greatest in all sports. And oh that 'victory cigar' he used to light when he was finally sure the game was 'in the bag' - I think he must have been the only one that was still allowed to smoke in the old Boston Garden in the '80's. Light it up one last time for Red. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wacka Posted October 29, 2006 Share Posted October 29, 2006 So did Trevor Berbick (sp?), who I tink fought Ali and Tyson. He was found murdered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oneonta Buffalo Fan Posted October 29, 2006 Share Posted October 29, 2006 Who?? Seriously, I'm not kidding, who was this guy? I'm not one of you older people, 17(proud of it), anyway who is this guy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buftex Posted October 29, 2006 Share Posted October 29, 2006 Who?? Seriously, I'm not kidding, who was this guy? I'm not one of you older people, 17(proud of it), anyway who is this guy? 819417[/snapback] I would go so far to say, he is maybe one of the greatest, non-athlete, sports figures of the twentieth century. His name, and influence should be thought of in the same way as Vince Lombardi. I was lucky enough to meet him once, as a wee lad, at the Aud...as he was one to do, he was sitting out, amongst the little people, in the stands, watching the Cletics whip up on the Buffalo Braves. My older brother, was a big Celtics fan. We went over to his seat, and got his autograph...I don't remember what he said, only that he patted me on the head... Auerbach was not only a major player in establishing the NBA during his legendary coaching days, he was also equally innovative and successful as the Celtics team president. He played a major role in building those great Celtcs teams of the 1980's. I will miss Red Auerbach. I am sure ESPN, or ESPN Classic will be running some retrospectives. Do yourself a favor...watch...a true legend has passed on... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dante Posted October 29, 2006 Share Posted October 29, 2006 Don't care really because it's hoops and hoops sucks. I would have cared more if someones poor granny died or something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
millbank Posted October 29, 2006 Author Share Posted October 29, 2006 Who?? Seriously, I'm not kidding, who was this guy? I'm not one of you older people, 17(proud of it), anyway who is this guy? 819417[/snapback] In perspective you being 17, he as Coach, then General Manager and President his teams won 16 Championships. In Sport the Top of the Top he would be included amongst John Wooden, Vince Lombardi, Toe Blake, Knute Rockne, all standards of excellence without peer in their sports. The great mystique of the old Boston Garden, looking up and seeing all the Championship Pennants, remembering the gallery Gods yelling from above, the parquet floor at the Garden its special checker board design, the great announcer Johnny Most, the great players of Cousey, Russell, Havilcek, later on Larry Bird. , seeing as games came to end Red Auerbach lighting his cigar as sign of victory. The place could give you shivers up your spine. Red Auerbach was amongst a number of men and women without peer who are responsible for sport and achievement being very much part of the American Psyche. From todays Boston Globe, Former Celtics coach Bill Fitch remembered Red Auerbach as a "great shopper." When the two traveled to Hawaii with an All-Star team, they stopped at a local store for some souvenirs. Fitch settled on a piece of ornamental jade and showed it to Auerbach. Fitch thought it was a beautiful piece before Auerbach took one look and told him, "It's fake." "How do you know it's fake?" asked Fitch. "Because it's too close to the door to be the real stuff," said Auerbach. To Fitch, that story captured the savvy and intelligence Auerbach used to build Boston into a basketball dynasty and leave an indelible mark on the NBA game. "He was always a step ahead," said Fitch, who won one NBA title while coach of the team from 1979-83. "That was the way he thought. I called him a one-up guy. He was always one-up on you. When we played racquetball, he was always negotiating for the serve, for points, for something. He was a fierce competitor." Arnold 'Red' Auerbach Although Auerbach required regular dialysis, needed a wheelchair and oxygen, and did not look well when honored by the US Navy in Washington last Wednesday, his passing at 89 from a reported heart attack still shocked those connected to him through the organization. Tommy Heinsohn said Auerbach always seemed tough enough to carry on despite his health problems. M.L. Carr said it was "a sad day." Jan Volk said "it's very, very hard." Fitch said, "I had my cry." Those who were lucky enough to know and work with Auerbach during his nearly 57-year affiliation with the franchise shared stories about the Celtics patriarch and praised him for his many contributions to the city and the game. "I remember my first year in Boston, we clinched the best record in the division and we were celebrating a little bit in the locker room when Red came in and he said, 'What's all this,' " said Carr, who won titles as a player in 1981 and 1984 and coached the team from 1995-97. "We told him what had happened. And he said, 'We don't celebrate division titles. We celebrate championships.' He set the bar high for everyone. "This is not the passing of a man, it's the passing of an institution. He came into a hockey town with a 6-9 black guy [bill Russell] and sold professional sports in a racially charged city. That was one sales job." With the regular season starting Wednesday at TD Banknorth Garden, the Celtics are dedicating the season to Auerbach and plan to honor him opening night. Listening to Bob Cousy, Danny Ainge, Carr, Heinsohn, Fitch, and others, it's clear any tribute would have to recognize his devotion to the Celtics and the game. "I've been accused of being competitive, but [Auerbach had] total and absolute commitment," said Cousy, who played for Auerbach from 1950-63, winning six titles. "He was the most relentless person I've ever met in terms of achieving his goals. He did back then what it takes about eight people to do today. I've never seen such dedication. You can argue about this, but I think he produced the greatest dynasty in the history of sports, certainly in basketball. He knew talent. He knew how to acquire it. He knew how to coach it. He knew how to motivate it. His legacy in terms of sport achievement is unparalleled." Added Ainge, the team's executive director of basketball operations, "I loved Red. Red was the guy who drafted me. I have a lot of fun and fond memories of Red from early in my career. I don't think there's a legend who was as beloved as Red is in Boston. "This was going to be his [61st] opening night and we were looking forward to that. To endure for [57] years with the same organization, through all the ownership changes, the coaching changes, it's amazing. He was one of the greatest coaches, one of the greatest managers, in the history of our game." Heinsohn remembered Auerbach as both "a guardian of the game of basketball" and a practical joker, recalling times when the two exchanged "loaded cigars." "He was an original," said Heinsohn, who played for Auerbach from 1956-65, winning eight championships. "He left an indelible mark on the game of basketball and the NBA. He was a champion and he made champions." -There is much to read in Globe and other media resources, a person would be rewarded in taking some time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuckincincy Posted October 29, 2006 Share Posted October 29, 2006 RIP, Red... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buftex Posted October 29, 2006 Share Posted October 29, 2006 Don't care really because it's hoops and hoops sucks. I would have cared more if someones poor granny died or something. 819429[/snapback] Ah, there is at least one in every crowd...if you don't care, why not just stay out of it? Early nominee favorite for "tard of the week" folks? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Jim Posted October 29, 2006 Share Posted October 29, 2006 Ah, there is at least one in every crowd...if you don't care, why not just stay out of it? Early nominee favorite for "tard of the week" folks? 819567[/snapback] Come on, be nice. He's only 17. How many of us old farts knew who Babe Ruth was when we were 17. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taterhill Posted October 29, 2006 Share Posted October 29, 2006 Come on, be nice. He's only 17. How many of us old farts knew who Babe Ruth was when we were 17. 819765[/snapback] or 46 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dante Posted October 29, 2006 Share Posted October 29, 2006 or 46 819789[/snapback] Hey, I tend to be grumpy when I get tired. Sorry for the insensitivity. Im a heartless old sob!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Senator Posted November 1, 2006 Share Posted November 1, 2006 Had to "light it up one more time for Red"... I think the last line of this article just about perfectly epitomizes Red's personality... The green loved Red I can't tell you how many times I staggered though Quincy Market after a game at 'The Gahden' or a night at Dockside, stopped at that bench, sat down next to 'Red', and put my arm around him - he was such a living legend, now gone, and I'm gonna miss him. IMHO, the Gerald Henderson-for-Lenny Bias deal was his last true stroke of genius and he never quite recovered from that tragedy - nor did the Celtics. Here's another great tribute from Charles Rosen... Auerbach left indelible mark on the game A final tribute... A simple goodbye to Red Auerbach and some photos... PHOTOS: Red Auerbach 1917-2006 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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