10.03.2018

Auerbach Considering Retirement

10/28/82

Auerbach Considering Retirement

The old master doesn't quite know how to put the finishing touch on his life's work, or even if this is the right time to step down.



"I have been giving serious consideration to retiring at the end of this season," said Red Auerbach, when asked the question in his office yesterday. "But I'm not going to kid anybody. Nothing is definite yet. When I reach a decision, I'll let everyone know what it is."

So there is a very real chance that Arnold (Red) Auerbach, the outstanding sports executive of his time, will move away from the major role he has played in making the Boston Celtics a dynasty over the past three decades.

Auerbach is 64 years old. He made a promise to himself several years ago that he would retire, as is traditional, at age 65, and spend more time with his wife, Dot, and the rest of his family in Washington, D.C.

In recent years, the commute to his Washington apartment each week has become more both-ersome. And of late, Dot Auerbach has suggested it is time for her husband to take a less active role with the ballclub.

Red agrees with her, but worries about the timing of leaving at the end of the season. He frets about leaving owner Harry Mangurian, for whom he has great respect and admiration, in a bind.

As every Celtics fan knows, the middle of 1983 will be crunch time for the Celtics. Between now and then, the contracts of Kevin McHale, Larry Bird, Cedric Maxwell and Rick Robey will all have to be dealt with. Auerbach has had much to do with the team's success in dealing with players in touchy contract situations.

Should Auerbach call it a day next spring, the separation is not likely to be complete. Two years ago Mangurian gave Auerbach a gracious long-term contract that will pay Red beyond age 70.

But the major impact would be that Auerbach will not play the top role in the day-to-day operation of the club, and his general manager's job will fall to someone else. Red would always make himself and his counsel available to Mangurian and coach Bill Fitch, but most of the control of the club will shift to the owner and the coach, and whoever Mangurian selects as his next general manager.

Auerbach had a tough stomach operation this past summer, but recovered well from it. It was during his recovery period in Washington that the reality of slowing down after 36 years in the NBA set in, even though he can still hustle people half his age on the tennis or racquetball court.

Several years ago Auerbach almost left the Celtics to take a job with the New York Knicks when he was upset with John Y. Brown, then the team's owner. Brown had undermined him on several things, and Auerbach did not want to be in a position where he couldn't call the shots.

Two things happened to change his mind. First, his wife told him either to stay in Boston or come straight home to Washington. She didn't want any intermediate stops in New York, feeling he would not be comfortable not being a Celtic. Also, Mangurian, sensing Auerbach's plight, stepped in and offered to buy out Brown and take complete control of the team.

Mangurian and Auerbach have worked well together and have a close relationship. In the not too distant future, they will sit down and talk out the entire situation. The feeling around the Celtics office is that Mangurian wants Auerbach to stay in an active role beyond the end of this season.

Just recently, Auerbach sat down, took out a pad and paper, drew a line down the middle and listed plus and minus factors of retirement on either side. Across the bottom he drew up a tentative schedule of what he might do with his time if he had more of it on his hands.

The tally hasn't been completed yet, but if Auerbach goes the way he is leaning, Washington will finally have a permanent resident with a record that anyone would like to stand on.

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