Sucker for Home Movies

If one were so inclined, you could own the following DVDs: NBA Dynasty, 1986 Finals, and Larry Bird. Were you to add these numbers to your library, you'd have game video from every championship era in Boston, except the current one, and, if you are reading this blog, I'm sure you already have the videos from the KG Era. There are probably other historical Celtics DVDs, too, and maybe some day I'll figure out what those are.

In the meantime, I'm struck buy what I call the "home-movie effect." You know what I'm talking about. Mom or Dad says, "I think we'll pull out the projector tonight, dust it off, and watch some movies. Maybe from when you were in fourth grade. "Oh great. I can't wait!" But then the movies start, and sure enough you're drawn in, the mind starts reeling, and pretty soon a tidal wave of memories and emotions is flooding your brain and you find yourself enjoying yourself, despite expecting not to. Almost never fails.

And so it is with the Celtics "home movies."

I became a fan of the Celtics in 1974. I watch those movies and I see Red, Tommy, and Dave. Someone needs to check their genealogy because those three have to be related. They shared a total and consuming passion for winning, and that's the first thing that drew me to this team.

Then we move on to the 1988 playoffs and the Bird-Nique shootout. What got my attention in this game was that KC Jones DID play his bench. I swear to God Mark Acres dunks a ball on a nifty pass from Jim Paxson. No name rookie Reggie Lewis hits a turnaround fade-away in Doc Rivers face, and there's curly haired Bill Walton cheerleading on the sideline. Oh wait. No, that's Brad LoHaus with a perm.

Finally, we're brought to Bird's double overtime performance against Portland in 1992. The 1980s are now in the rear-view mirror, and the Big Three are a combined 479 years of age, but somehow they manage to get up and down the floor as if they were younger. Still, NBC flashes a chart again and again and again. The Big Three: games missed due to injury. Well, of course they've missed games you bozos. What the hell? Did ya think that a trio of octogenarians were gonna play an entire 82-game regular season?

In any event, that's today's trip down memory lane. Don't worry, I won't start sharing memories from my own home movies.