Auerbach Blasts Refs at Old-Timers Game

1983-84 Boston Celtics
January 29, 1984
DENVER

Hal Greer still jumps when he shoots free throws, Tom Heinsohn still shoots every time he gets his hands on the ball, and Rick Barry is still annoying after all these years. But the greatest reminder that things never change came when yesterday's first NBA Old-Timers game was over. Red Auerbach, coach of the losing East squad, exploded at referee Norm Drucker. "These guys came to play and he worked to make a farce out of this," snapped Auerbach after his East team lost, 65-63. "The guys we're playing got serious, and that bastard was out there globetrotting it.

"People didn't come to see the refs play. It's bull. They come up with an idea that there'll be no free throws in the last two minutes and they tell us 10 minutes before the game starts." Drucker, who worked the game with Sid Borgia, responded: "Why should anything have changed?" Before Auerbach's outburst, this was just another one of those rides down memory lane. The game was a little long and at times looked like a beer commercial, but the masters of forgotten skills brought smiles to the faces of a sellout crowd (17,251).

The East trailed most of the way but came back with a stretch-run flurry and might have won if it could have put the West on the free throw line in the final minute. Pete Maravich (8 for 13) sparked the East comeback and led all scorers with 18 points. Other former Celtics also distinguished themselves. Sam Jones played 26 minutes and hit five of 10 shots for 10 points. John Havlicek had nine points in 30 minutes and was assigned the difficult task of stopping Barry, who led the West with 14 points. Heinsohn missed two hook shots and did not score, but got a few laughs when he held Johnny Kerr by the shorts in the lane.

Hal Greer (10 points), Lou Hudson (12) and Earl Monroe (11) gave Barry plenty of help in the second half. "It was fun," said Heinsohn. "It was a good game and pretty interesting for a bunch of old guys." "Everybody wanted to win," added Jones. "If we didn't want to win we wouldn't play this game." They all said they'd come back for another one - everybody except the losing coach with the rolled-up program in his hand.