KC Jones Racist Celtics Teams

JA Adande observed recently:

Let's just say it: To fans who came of age during the NBA's glory days of the 1980s, the Celtics have long been considered a "white team." They were Larry Bird's team when Magic Johnson and the Lakers were the other choice. The Celtics were the squad that had Danny Ainge, Kevin McHale, Jerry Sichting, Greg Kite, Bill Walton, Scott Wedman and Rick Carlisle on the roster long after the league had taken on a darker complexion. It didn't help that they were representing Boston, which had a long-standing reputation -- fueled in part by stories Bill Russell told -- of being an unfriendly location for African-Americans.

Add it all up and you had no love for the Celtics.

When Spike Lee took a guest editor role at Spin magazine in 1990, he ran a photo essay on the meaning attached to different sports apparel. Under a picture of a black man wearing Celtics gear it said: "This man is an Uncle Tom."

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Anyone who thinks the Boston Celtics were a racist organization in the 1980s might also point out that the battle for the final roster spot the 1985-86 Boston Celtics came down to a competition between David Thirdkill and Rick Carlisle.

Carlisle won.

That proves the Celtics were racist beyond all doubt.

Right?

Even if you think Thirdkill was the greatest thing since sliced bread, you might want to hold off on using this as the final piece of persuasive evidence in the debate.

As you might recall, the head coach for the Boston Celtics that year was KC Jones, an African American. In Peter May's The Last Banner, he tells the author that he still takes umbrage at suggestions his decision was racially motivated.

"Was I supposed to have been taking orders from Red?" Jones asked. "I don't suppose anyone is familiar with Red's record on race. First all-black starting team. First team with blacks and whites rooming together. First team with a black head coach. On and on and on it goes. It just makes me sick to hear this stuff."