Red Auerbach: The Harvard Business Review Interview

Part 17

HBR: With all the money involved, the owners, the big contracts, do you look at professional basketball as a business or a sport?

AUERBACH: At the back of your mind, you can't help but think that it's a business. But basically I've always felt that it's a labor of love. I've always put the chemistry and the performance of the ball club first. My prime concern has always been to have a competitive basketball team.

If you have a team that people like to see because the players are charismatic and they hustle, they play hard, they play as if they enjoy it--when you've got that, you draw people and you make money. Then the business practices fall into place.