Do Celtics' fans really root for clothes?

Quoting Jerry Seinfeld the other day, a popular Celtics' site said that when you boil things down to the nub, Celtics' fans "root for clothes." In addition to being funny, the idea contains an element of truth. But only an element. Of course, the sentiment is another way of saying "we root for the name on the front of the jersey, not the back." And, again, when it comes to Celtics' fans, this is no doubt true.

But let me suggest there is more going on in Boston when it comes to the hardwood.

First, let's prove his point. For many years, one of our least favorite players was named Shaquille O'Neal. Well, at least until the dreaded Laker donned the Green. Then he became a fan favorite. Celtics' fans regaled in delight hearing stories about Shaq, KG, Baby, and others engaged in shenanigans of countless varieties, when only a few years earlier we might have responded by yelling "idiot!", "loser!," and similar invectives had Shaq been acting this way on a different team like the Lakers.

Now that we've proven his point, allow me to prove mine.

Celtics fans don't just root for clothes, we root for a brand.

I contend this is indisputable.

What is that brand? Any team comprised of players who put on a Celtics uniform?

Absolutely not.

Example?

Summer league.

Do Celtics' fan find themselves wrapped up emotionally in their team during summer league the same way we do during winter league (aka, the regular season)? Of course not. Even when the one or two players we care about has the ball, we simply aren't paying attention like we do during the NBA season. Sure, part of this has to do with the fact that summer league is meaningless. Then again, if it were totally meaningless, would we really be watching?

Instead, what's going on here is that the men dressed in Celtics' green aren't playing Celtics basketball. Ahhh. Yes. Now we are getting somewhere. Summer league, then, under this theory of Celtics' fanhood, is more like the 1978-79 Curtis Rowe Celtics, the ML Carr front office Celtics, the latter years of the Pitino Celtics, and the early years of the Doc Rivers-Danny Ainge Celtics. You can put a Celtics uniform on people like Marvin Barnes, Dominique Wilkins, AC Earl, Mark Blount,  and Dwayne Schintzius, but that doesn't make them Celtics.

What makes a Celtic, really, are the intangibles, and those intangibles can be summarized in three words: heart, desire, and passing. You gotta sweat green bullets. You gotta play every minute like it's game 7 of the NBA Finals. And you gotta share the ball with your teammates, and you must master this final skill to such a degree that experts (Celtics fans) understand you are doing your damnedest to play Celtics basketball. This is the Celtics' brand.

Celtics' fans, like most fans, have had their bouts with fairweatheredness. But it's not because the Celtics weren't winning. It's because whatever sport the team in the green uniforms was playing, it wasn't basketball, and it certainly wasn't Celitics' basketball. We don't have to win. We don't have to dominate. But their is a recipe, and dammit, we expect the men in green to follow it. Because when they do, and their is talent to support the brand, we all know what to expect.

Exactly Who is Bill Fitch?

Exactly Who is Bill Fitch?

February 20, 1980

BILL FITCH: WHO IS THIS MAN WHO HAS COACHED THE CELTICS BACK FROM THE DARK AGES TO THE LEVEL OF EXCELLENCE THEY ONCE TOOK FOR GRANTED? THERE IS NO SIMPLE ANSWER, JUST AS HE IS NOT A SIMPLE MAN. BILL FITCH IS MANY THINGS, BUT FOREMOST AMONG THEM IS WINNER.

For 26 years, his world has been basketball. Bill Fitch has a game face. Bill Fitch has a living face. Only a select few can tell the difference when watching the first-year Celtic coach at work.

Foot Injury Interrupts Remarkable Return for Mountain Man

February 18, 1985 Before suffering another in a long series of foot and ankle injuries on Jan. 29, Bill Walton had enjoyed remarkable success with the Los Angeles Clippers this season.

"He's been healthier than we had a right to expect before the season," Clippers Coact Jim Lynam said. "He's made a fine contribution, especially in his defensive rebounding and shot-blocking."

Posey, House Lead C's to 15th Win

12/6/2007

PHILADELPHIA - The Celtics entered yesterday with the best defense in the NBA. But if you didn't know better, you probably wouldn't have guessed that last night.

Pierce Buzzer Beater Takes Down Theo Ratliff and the Blazers

11/11/04

Less than a week ago, Doc Rivers talked about the Celtics lacking the kind of toughness needed to pull out close victories. After last night's game at the FleetCenter, no one can question the toughness of Paul Pierce.

Sixers Slam Celts

April 10, 1985

76ERS FLATTEN CELTICS

Playing as if the Polk County championship were at stake, the Celtics were beaten, 113-104, by the Philadelphia 76ers last night.

Two days after exhausting his frontcourt for a hollow victory against the hopeless Knicks, coach K.C. Jones finally decided it was garbage time. With everything virtually wrapped up and four games to play, Jones chose the Spectrum as the site of Boston's first stretch-drive snore.

It's a prudent tactic at this juncture, but one that goes against every fiber of Larry Bird's being.

Celtics Ready Themselves for Shot at Banner 13

 If the final round of National Basketball Association playoffs goes the full seven games, a score of weary athletes may still be playing their winter sport in the Boston Garden on June 9 - while the neighboring Red Sox are rolling into baseball's midseason.

Sports traditionalists may find this confusion of the seasons intolerable. Executives at CBS were unable to fit some of the semifinal basketball action into their recent scheduling. But among true believers in the unique intensity of the pro playoff experience, such carping is always drowned out by the joyful din in the basketball arenas. Watching the slashing elbows of rival centers Dave Cowens of Boston and Alvan Adams of Phoenix or the raw courage under pressure shown by last-second shotmakers like Boston's John Havlicek and Phoenix's Keith Erickson, it is hard to worry about the 100 or so games that have built slowly up to his climax. Playoff ball is theater of the moment, and this year's moments have been so extraordinary that I'd be happy if they went on all summer.
ARCHITECT WITH A CIGAR

Cowens Speaks the Truth

“There’s absolutely no question that the guy is as good as any player that’s ever played for the Celtics, as far as I’m concerned,” Dave Cowens said.

I haven't written much about the Truth since the summer of 2008. I still like him, and enjoy watching him summon up his mojo in big games. The problem is I really have a tough time putting his career in perspective. For the moment, he reminds me of Hondo. I think as an aging player Pierce is probably better than John Havlicek was at a similar point in his career. 

On Collecting Celtics Basketball Cards

Not long ago, I thought it might be time to solidify my collection of Boston Celtics basketball cards. My collection started in the 1970s, but it was spotty. With the onset of the Larry Bird Era, I have everything worth anything.

So my goal was to add to my 1970s collection, and maybe even throw in a card or two from the 1960s.

My journey started out fine and well.

I managed to find someone who would sell me all of Bill Russell's cards for less than $50. Having saved boatloads of dough on that transaction, I next turned my focus to eBay.

I couldn't be proud of my 1970s collection with only one Paul Silas card (Paul Silas wearing a Celtics uniform, that is). Silas, along with Dave Cowens, totally dominated the glass over several years, including their two championship seasons, 1974 and 1976. I found one bargain, what amounts to a doctored portrait of Silas for less than $3. Not particularly fond of still portraits depicting people who play action sports, much less one in which the player's uniform has been doctored by the card manufacturer, I grabbed it nonetheless.

Next I moved to Paul Westphal. Westphal played a key role on the Celtics 1974 championship squad, and I didn't own a single card of Westphal wearin' da GREEN. Again, without too much effort, I found a bargain. It was another still portrait. But I needed to add some Westphal to my collection, no matter how distasteful the photo.

Finally, I realized that I needed to bolster my John Havlicek collection. Havlicek probably deserves a seat at the table for any conversation seeking to discuss the single greatest player in Celtics history. Usually that conversation stops and starts with Russell and Bird. I, too, am guilty of this sin. For someone as good as Havlicek, I need more than the two cards I currently own.

Regardless of where you stand on this Russell-Havlicek-Bird debate, the quality of the photos on the old Havlicek cards is near laughable. Before 1972, every Havlicek card I can find is of the player in an actionless, posed setting. Sure, the tall card I have pictured above has a bit of a vintage "Honus Wagner" flare to it. But the owner is trying to sell it for $100. One-hundred dollars! Give me a break.

I was also tempted to find a Don Nelson card to accompany the one I already own. The two affordable options are one card where Nelson is wearing blue trunks (blue!!) and another where he is sporting a porn-stache (both the blue-trunked and porn-stached Nelson are pictured above).

No thanks.

If it's possible, I was even more disappointed trying to find Pistol Pete Maravich cards from his Atlanta Hawks days. Sure, they exist. But the photos are downright pathetic. To make matters worse, the asking price for the Maravich cards are through the roof because, well, he's Pistol Pete Maravich and not Don Nelson.

I've never been an obssessed basketball card collector, but I understand how the free market works. I'm sure there is someone out there willing to throw away top coin for these lifeless little pieces of cardboard.

I'm just not one of them.

Walton Decides This Is One of His Playing Nights

November 8, 1983 

 

San Diego Clippers center Bill Walton, who had planned to skip tonight's game against the Washington Bullets at Capital Centre (7:35) in favor of playing Wednesday night against the Boston Celtics, will instead play here, a spokesman for the team said yesterday.

For a Game that Doesn't Count, C's Look Pretty Good

January 27, 1999

For a Game that Doesn't Count, C's Look Pretty Good

   TORONTO - SkyDome's gates opened at 5:30 last evening, and soon after, the destruction began. First, two doors and a turnstile were shattered. After that, the Celtics went to work on the Raptors, 106-88, in their belated exhibition opener. By the end of the night, the memory of the NBA lockout had taken a beating, too.

Pitino and Fernsten Comfortable with Knicks

1983-84 Boston Celtics  

Record 43-15 3/1/1984 

The New York Knicks have a little Boston flavor these days. Ex-Celtics center-forward Eric Fernsten is toiling for the orange and blue, and one of his coaches is Rick Pitino, head coach at Boston University last season. 

"Eric's been doing an outstanding job for us the past two games," Pitino said. "He's moved ahead of Len Elmore as our main backup power forward. He'll probably be playing 15-16 minutes a game as long as he keeps playing like this." Fernsten averaged 12.6 minutes in his first 15 games with the Knicks.

 His services have been needed more since starting forward Truck Robinson sprained his right ankle. Last night was his first Boston Garden appearance since the spring of 1982. Fernsten still hasn't resolved his grievance with the Celtics. 

He was the last player cut from the 1982-83 Celtics and claims he had a hernia at the time. The grievance is more than a year and a half old and Fernsten is a little perturbed with Larry Fleischer, executive director of the NBA Players Assn. "He said he'd set an arbitration date last Monday, but I never heard from him," said Fernsten. 

"He's been dragging his feet. He's been signing people and there's been arbitration for David Thompson and Micheal Ray Richardson." Fernsten isn't about to give up the battle. "I feel there was a mis- interpretation of the rules and there was miscommunication within management," he said. "I've still not burned any bridges in this. 

I've been the good guy." Pitino, meanwhile, is comfortable in his role as Hubie Brown's assistant and thinks the Knicks have a good shot at their goal of 48 victories. "We feel like we're in a fight with Philly for second place," said Pitino. "We have a good schedule the rest of the way. If not for injuries, I think we'd have the kind of consistency we've been looking for." Pitino on Bernard King, who went into last night's game averaging 33.6 points while shooting 59 percent: 

"He's almost been a phenom. Working in Boston, I thought I saw the incredible in Larry Bird, but this has been something else. In our offense, everybody knows when we go to him, and he gets triple-teamed and he still gets his shot off. And he only takes high- percentage shots." Pitino will be in Boston tonight to scout college talent in the Boston University-Northeastern game.

House that Russell Built (part 1)

 From 1954 to 1956, the University of San Francisco Dons captured two NCAA titles and fashioned a fifty-five-game winning streak. During this period, they transformed from anonymous underachievers in a weak-sister conference into the titans of college basketball, effecting fundamental change and infiltrating the consciousness of the sporting world. A snapshot of big-time college basketball before the streak revealed white players focused upon deliberate, earthbound offensive patterns. After the streak, that picture illustrated a racially integrated unit whose players placed a premium on speed, aggressive defense, and the control of not just horizontal but vertical space. USF delivered to the sport a truly national profile, a more dynamic style of play, and players who rewrote its cultural meaning.

This sea change resulted from a host of historical and social factors: the nation's evolving stance on race relations in the 1950s, the Bay Area's relative racial liberalism, USF's Jesuit mission, a courageous coaching staff, and a band of black and white athletes who embraced their team's goals and its consequences. But if one man was the avatar of this transformation, it was Bill Russell. (1) Russell's USF experiences shaped the future as well. As a star with the NBA's Boston Celtics, Russell grew into a figure of controversy. His outspokenness against racism and militant public persona challenged the myth that sport fosters racial democracy. At USF he seemed the opposite, projecting an enthusiastic, optimistic liberalism. But the Dons' integrationist pioneering exposed the team to both crude and subtle racism, planting the seeds of Russell's future ideology. (2) [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] PIONEERS William Felton Russell lacked coordination and confidence as a young teenager. His basketball skills developed slowly. At McClymonds High School in Oakland, he progressed from third-string junior varsity center to varsity benchwarmer to starting center. After graduating in January 1952, in the middle of basketball season, he joined a traveling squad of "split-year" graduates. That winter his game flourished.

Though friendly and funny, Russell was also an introvert and an intellectual, and only during that tour did he learn how to study other players, how to craft new methods of aggressive and airborne defense, how to find beauty in the sport's little details. By another stroke of luck, USF scout Hal DeJulio had seen one of Russell's high school games, and when he invited him to a campus workout, Coach Phil Woolpert marveled at his timing, leaping ability, and sense of inner confidence. "But he was so ungainly," the coach added. (3) [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In September 1952, the eighteen-year-old freshman trekked across the Bay Bridge on a basketball scholarship to USF. Though only fifteen miles from his West Oakland home, USF was an alien universe. Russell was from a bleak, working-class neighborhood and had attended school with overwhelmingly black majorities. Now he lived on a campus tucked atop a hill north of Fulton Street and just east of Golden Gate Park with a mostly white student population.

While some Hispanics and Filipinos dotted the sea of white faces, Russell and fellow basketball recruit Hal Perry represented the entire black population of the freshman class. Like all incoming first-years, Russell wore an initiation sweater, performed tasks for upperclassmen, and donned a "dink" hat until the Freshman Smoker at the end of September. Tall and black, he stuck out; the student newspaper, featuring him in its first issue, labeled him "a potential Globetrotter." (4) At USF, Russell received an education not only in Jesuit logic and principles, but also in basketball. During his first official practice, he could not perform a warm-up calisthenics of walking while squatting. Some teammates grumbled that Woolpert had wasted a scholarship on an awkward freak. But freshman team coach Ross Giudice nurtured his new center's development, patiently teaching him the fundamentals. Russell also drove his own progress in late-night gym sessions.

Greatness is Fundamental

August 23, 1996

The smile never left his face.

Bill Walton slumped to a seat at the far end of the Stony Brook Indoor Sports Complex, sweat dripping from his long forehead and a weary look in his eyes. He rubbed his knees, let out a long sigh and leaned back against the wall.

Eric Riley: 7 minutes, 6 fouls, no points, no rebounds

Boston No Match for Portland

February 20, 1999

 PORTLAND, Ore. - After two down-to-the-wire, strategy-matching, insomniac-rewarding performances out here on the Left Coast, the Celtics submitted a certifiable bow-wow last night. They were obliterated by the Trail Blazers, 106-86, as the Portland players spent the night taking turns going over the Celtics for rebounds and around them for baskets. The Blazers got 21 points and 18 rebounds from Brian Grant, who brutalized Antoine Walker before retiring to a standing ovation with 7:25 remaining and Portland comfortably ahead by 22. "Brian Grant was huge," said coach Mike Dunleavy. He sure was. So were his mates.

Dionte Christmas Reminds Me of Kevin Gamble

They're both 6-5 with stocky builds. They both do a little bit of everything, but are great at nothing, though each could fill up the basket on any given night. Each player spent some time playing overseas, though Gamble played mostly in the CBA before signing with the C's.

Kevin Gamble was given a shot to earn minutes at the point. I suspect the same will be true of Dionte Christmas. In the end, both may be remembered as "energy guys" who can help enliven the aging team around them.

Culture Showdown

May 29, 1985

Section: METRO

CULTURE SHOWDOWN

Professional basketball has never really hit my hot button. This, because it's not a sport so much as it is 10 guys with glandular problems who run back and forth on a floor until there are two minutes left in a game and it's time to pay attention to the point spread.

Where are We at After 20 Games?

Well, 20 games are in the books. OK, it is only 17, but Rondo's return tonight after a two-game hiatus seems like a good place to separate one part of the season from the next. The obvious question at this point is what do we know now about this team that we didn’t know before the regular season started? As you will see after the jump, the short answer is, not much. On the other hand, what we do know may be cause for concern. So let’s get started.

Will Jared Sullinger be Better than Big Baby?

At some point this season, the Boston Celtics will play the Orlando Magic, and when they do, I will be hoping for a match-up between Jared Sullinger and Glen Davis. Come on. Admit it. The match-up must get your juices flowing, too. Glen Davis was confounded by his inner demons. A player who spent a fair amount of time getting into shape during the summer, only to screw it all up by getting into a fight and breaking his hand. Then, the season before his departure, he totally faded into oblivion, so much so that most of Celticdom wondered how it was that we landed Brandon Bass in exchange for Bambino Grande.

On the other side of this match-up will be Jared Sullinger.

Stewart Didn't Say No to Green for More Green

January 27, 1999

Stewart Didn't Say No to Green for More Green

   TORONTO - The Celtics would not promise Michael Stewart the type of contract that the Raptors did. But that's not why the 6-foot-10-inch center told Boston, "No thanks." The real reason, he said, is that the Celtics are too young.

Celtics Collar Kings

1983-84 Boston Celtics
Celtics 119, Kings 110
Record 36-9
February 1, 1984

Baseball folks weren't the only ones toasting ex-greats last night. Over on Causeway street, the Celtics and Kansas City Kings played host to a forgettable epic which could have been dubbed "A Salute to Earl Tatum." Predictably, the Celtics won the stand-around special, 119-110. The victory stretched Boston's winning streak to seven games, but only the Greenest of fans enjoyed all 48 minutes. The game featured the usual Renoir shooting of Larry Bird (32 points), some "Get back, Loretta" shot-blocking by Robert Parish (six rejections), and lots of Pete Rozellesque parity.

Jeff Teague -- Random Highlights

Payton Pritchard -- College Highlights

Carsen Edwards -- G League Highlights

Tremont Waters -- G League Highlights

Is Travis Knight the Next Jack Sikma?

July 13, 1997

Two deals last week gave credence to the truest of all NBA truisms: You can't coach height.

Starting next season, Bryant "Big Country" Reeves will become Bryant "Big Payday" Reeves, collecting an average of $ 10.888 million over the next six years from the Vancouver Grizzlies. We are not making this up. We presume it's US dollars.

Rookie McHale Helps Cool Off Blazers

 January 5, 1981

CELTICS ONLY TEAM NOT TO LOSE TWO STRAIGHT

PORTLAND, Ore.

The Celtics ended a highly successful perambulation through the highways, byways, airports, coffee shops and hostile arenas of America by hanging on grimly last night for a 120-111 triumph over the Portland Trail Blazers.

Additional Big Man Options

2013

 The Boston Celtics managed to a fill a need for an offensive scoring punch off the bench when they traded for Wizards guard Jordan Crawford on Thursday, but they had to send away veteran big man Jason Collins to do so, which left them very thin along the front line.

The Celtics didn't waste any time trying to fill the gap up front as forward D.J. White is set to ink a 10-day contract. Coach Doc Rivers said Friday night in Phoenix that the team will still target another big with another open roster spot available. It's very likely that -- with White on his way -- the team will proceed slowly and see what emerges from buyouts across the league. But if Boston finds itself in a sudden rush for a body, here's a handful of currently available options in the D-League and free-agent market:

Ainge takes long route

June 8, 2007

Corey Brewer and Al Thornton - two of the players the Celtics are considering for the fifth pick in the draft - had a right to be tired after going through their paces for the club yesterday.

But Danny Ainge also was looking a bit fatigued after hopscotching the states to look at potential draftees.

Carlisle Steals the Show, Outscores Sampson

October 11, 1984

CARLISLE STEALS SHOW; CELTICS WIN, 124-105

This town has been good to the Celtics. A couple of youngsters named Bob Cousy and Tom Heinsohn developed their skills near the shores of the muddy Blackstone River and went on from Holy Cross to enjoy years of green glory in Boston.

The Celtics gave a little back last night - treating Central Mass. legions to one of the more attractive matchups on Boston's preseason barnstoming tour: a date with ex-Celtic czar Bill Fitch and his World Trade Center Houston Rockets.

Why Ainge Might Be Interested in Damien Wilkins

 Heading into this season Damien Wilkins was considered a defensive stopper with limited offensive skills. Brought into Seattle as a free agent in 2004, Wilkins was told by Nate McMillan, coach of Seattle at the time, he could earn playing time by developing into a defensive stopper.

 Wilkins said working closely with assistant coaches Mark Bryant, Ralph Lewis and Brian Keefe has helped to improve his offensive skill set this season. Wilkins has scored in double-digits his past six games, including a 20-point performance in Seattle's lone win in the past three weeks against Portland. 

Wilkins is averaging 14 points and five rebounds in about 30 minutes a contest over those six games. The News Tribune Tacoma, WA April 1, 2008 "Ultimately, it's up to the person," said Damien Wilkins, one the team's best defenders, about improving Seattle's defensive performance. "I think defense is a mind-set.  

You have to take pride in not letting your man score. And either you have that pride or you don't. At the end of the day, you can draw up all of the schemes and do all of the talking that you want to do, but if you don't have a conscience about guarding someone, then defensively you're just not going to be there. So it's just a mind-set that I think you have to develop. It starts as individuals. We can't be a good defensive team if you're terrible as individuals."  

The News Tribune Tacoma, WA March 16, 2008 Swingman Damien Wilkins will be matched up defensively against Kobe Bryant most of the game. "(Damien) Wilkins is a real fine defender," Los Angeles coach Phil Jackson said. The News Tribune Tacoma, WA November 27, 2007 Also note that Dime Magazine and a fella known as Lex have questioned whether Lemon S'quisy has the physique to defend the power 3s of the league.

Parish Stars as C's Blow Out Cavs

1990-91 Boston Celtics Remembering the 29-5 Start  

November 3, 1990 

 His numbers tend to slip through the cracks, much like the man himself tries to do. In the wake of Opening Night, when the Celtics thrashed the Cleveland Cavaliers, 125-101, Robert Parish showered quickly, slipped out the side door and tried to exit quietly, anonymously. This was not the work of a man hiding from his performance. 

Even though Reggie Lewis and Larry Bird and Kevin McHale might have jumped out at the multitudes during last night's gala, the more discerning fans found themselves marveling at No. 00, running up and down the floor like a long, lanky gazelle, fulfilling his stated responsibilities with a stoicism that often masks his own passion for the game. Need proof of commitment? Check the stat sheet. Aside from Bird, no one played more minutes than Robert Parish. Nobody came close to duplicating his shooting accuracy of 10 for 11 from the floor. 

Perhaps his game-high 14 rebounds eluded you? Be advised the worth of this 37-year-old center, the oldest player in the NBA, has never escaped his teammates. "You get so accustomed to Robert's play, sometimes you just take it for granted," said McHale.

 "He's been a tremendous teammate for 11 years. At some point, you look beyond basketball and say to yourself, 'What kind of guy is this?' You look at Robert once and you know." It was a difficult offseason for Parish. His divorce spilled over into the tabloids, and this intensely private man had to live with some distasteful public scrutiny. 

 

Later his name popped up in the sports pages, where every trade rumor included him as bait. Finally, he lost his closest friend on the team, Dennis Johnson, who was not re-signed. "I was thinking about him," said Parish. "It's funny here without him. I miss him a lot."

 The emotions, however, have never altered his play. They did not prevent him from lofting soft turnaround rainbows in the paint, or ripping rebounds out from a crowd. 

They didn't affect the defensive job he did on young Brad Daugherty, who was always aware of No. 00 on his back, and shot 5 for 16 from the floor to prove it. Those are the advertised talents of Parish, the ones McHale is talking about taking for granted. Yet the oldest player in the league had a few more wares to peddle. 

There was his full-court pass to McHale on the break, a perfect strike that evoked a small, albeit warm smile from the Chief himself. There was also a poke-check steal in the open floor, a gift to his friend DJ, who had done it so many times. 

 "Robert is a very predictable player," said assistant coach Don Casey. "He always maximizes his position and his strength. "But there's more, too. This is not a rah-rah type of emotional team, but he is the spiritual leader. This is a work ethic franchise, and Chief is the model." 

The young guys tuckered Parish out last night, pushing and pushing the ball, imploring the veterans to keep on running. "I try to keep up, but it's impossible," Parish said.

 "Our backcourt is definitely into this, aren't they?" He refuses to think about Dee Brown being 21 years old, barely half his age. He kids with these young players, but has no choice but to be a bit removed. 

The list of longtime allies is dwindling; McHale and Bird are the only ones left. "Robert is one of those great players that doesn't care if he gets four shots a game or 10 shots a game," said Bird. "But this year I think it's really important for him to average 15 points a game or more." Bird was asked if he's noticed the list is dwindling. He was asked if he realized Parish is the oldest player in basketball. 

 "I don't care," he said. "I'm just glad he's here. After all the talk over the summer, I didn't know if he'd be gone or I'd be gone or we'd both be gone . . . I'm just glad he's here." He has been here 11 seasons, and has been trying to slip through the cracks most of that time. "It's just another year," said the oldest player in the league. "It doesn't feel any different."

Blount Benched

November 28, 2005
DNP-CD. That was Mark Blount's fate Friday night, a surprising one given that he had started the first 11 games of the season and had no inclination that Game No. 12 was going to be any different. But he lost his starting job to Kendrick Perkins and never took off his sweats the rest of the night.

Auerbach Silencing the Sceptics

December 6, 1979 Red Auerbach hardly knows where to begin. The Boston Celtic president has been so smart recently, after being told for two years how dumb he was, that even he finds it a bit disgusting.

Bird, Cowens Cleared by Jury

A state jury today unanimously cleared Celtics Larry Bird and Dave Cowens of any wrongdoing or damages in connection with a Jan. 5, 1980, postgame incident outside HemisFair Arena.

The jurors, who deliberated more than three hours over two days, found that Johnny Merla, a member of the San Antonio Spurs' Baseline Bums organization, should receive zero damages for physical pain and humilitition he claimed he suffered in a confrontation with the two players.

The jurors in 37th State District Court found no merit in Merla's $825,000 lawsuit which charged that Cowens and Bird spat on him and that Bird knocked him to the ground with a duffle bag.

Cowens did not spit on Merla and Bird was acting in self defense when he swung the tote bag, the jurors ruled.

Three policemen, a paramedic, a bus driver, two San Antonio fans and the two players all testified that Merla provoked the incident by spitting in Bird's face while a drunken group of fans shouted obscenties at Boston players as they boarded a bus.

Bird left yesterday for Indiana to prepare for the upcoming season and was not on hand for the verdict.

Cowens, now athletic director at Regis Women's College, said he was "gratified and pleased that they came up with the right answer" and that his and Bird's names were cleared.

Celtics have much to Prove

11/3/2007

The Celtics have been on every magazine cover but Foreign Affairs.

The coach is amused.

"I can't control that," says Doc Rivers. "So I'm not really 'OK' with it. But I understand it. I keep telling them that it's not the team on the cover that matters; it's the team on the floor."

Allen Iverson: Danny Likes What He Sees

November 20, 2005
Is there anyone playing better basketball, anywhere, than Allen Iverson?

"I've never seen him play better," Boston basketball boss Danny Ainge said. "Right now, he's the best player in the conference." 

Rick, Larry, and Dirk

Rick Carlisle played with Larry Bird in Boston and he coaches Dirk Nowitzki in Dallas, so he is often asked which player is better.

"There's no one guy who's better than the other," Carlisle said before the Mavericks played the Celtics Sunday night. "They're both great, but they're both very different. One thing I know, I still talk to Larry quite a bit and Larry is a big fan of Dirk's and vice versa. It's a cool thing."
Shortly after the Mavs hired Carlisle, he visited Nowitzki in his native Germany and he brought a DVD of Bird highlights.

"Some things that I really felt," Carlisle said, "would be good for him to develop on that right post is an area that Larry was so great at."

Nowitzki worked hard on those Bird moves with Maverick coaches.

"Their diligence working on that stuff," Carlisle said, "over there was one of things that led to him coming up with the one-legged fade, which now guys are copying."

Carlisle, a 1979 Worcester Academy graduate, played three seasons with Bird and has coached Nowitzki for six. Bird also hired Carlisle to coach Indiana and he coached the Pacers for four seasons.

The 6-foot-9 Bird averaged 24.3 points, 10 rebounds and 6.3 assists while shooting 49.6 percent, including 37.6 percent from threeland, in his 13 NBA seasons. The 7-foot Nowitzki has averaged 22.6 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists while shooting 47.6 percent, including 38.3 percent from threeland, in his 16 NBA seasons. Bird retired at age 35 and underwent back surgery. Nowitzki, who will turn 36 in June, is still going strong, averaging 21.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists.
"There are a lot of similarities between Nowitzki and Bird," Carlisle said. "The biggest thing is their drive to win, their meticulous approach toward preparation, work ethic and those kinds of things. A big difference is Dirk didn't have the number of Hall of Famers around him that Larry did, so in many ways he's carried over the course of his career a bigger load than almost any star player has in recent history. For that reason it just goes to show even more why this guy is one of the top 10 or 12 greatest players ever."

Carlisle believes Jared Sullinger, who slipped to the Celtics with the 21st pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, has proven a lot of teams wrong with his standout play this season.

"He's a very resourceful player," Carlisle said. "He's a great draft pick. A lot of people I think looked at his size and felt maybe that he wasn't that dynamic, but he's one of those guys that understands how to use leverage. He's extremely strong and the majority of people really overlooked his outside shooting ability. Brad (Stevens)'s got him shooting 3s and posting up and shooting mid-range and he's a big weapon for them. If you look at their wins in recent weeks, when they're winning games he's having big games."

Sullinger appreciated Carlisle's praise.

"In my eyes," Sullinger said, "I feel like I've still got a lot of proving to do, but it says a lot about Coach Carlisle and the respect he just gave me, that's big-time. A lot of people won't admit that they're wrong, but he did. So it's pretty big-time on his part."

Auerbach Dreaming of Bird, Maravich Combo

January 5, 1979 Picture the Boston Celtics with Pete Maravich at guard and Larry Bird at forward. Picture the Celts rising from the ashes next year. Bet your boots boss Red Auerbach is thinking along those lines.

Maravich, finally frustrated enough to want out of New Orleans, is on the NBA trade block. Eight clubs are in the bidding, and the Celts -- whose Jo Jo White has been bucking to be traded for some time -- are in the forefront. The Maravich deal could break any day now, letting the Jazz unload the knee-braced ace and the 3 1/2 years left on his big, big contract while maybe even getting N'Orleans forward Truck Robinson out of the mood to be traded, too, as he has wished aloud in the past because of the club's "special treatment" of Maravich.

Celtic owner John Y. Brown qualifies: "I'm aware that Red has always been fond of him, but I'm also aware of Maravich's contract." Meanwhile, Auerbach finds Bird-watching at Indiana State pure pleasure.

The Celts drafted Bird No. 1 last year as a junior and are enjoying a winter of anticipation, avowedly not unhappy that the 6-foot-7 All-America opted to play his senior year at Indiana State before going pro. The NCAA Division I statistics just out show Bird the only player among the top five in both scoring and rebounding -- No. 1 in scoring, 33.3; No. 4 in 'bounding, 14.6; but that's not all. Auerbach beams, after a visit to Terre Haute to watch Bird against Tulsa (27 points, 19 rebounds, six assists): "I don't think there is any forward in the pros now who can pass any better than he can. In fact, he's the best passing big man I ever saw."

Jerry West on KG v. Kobe

Tip of the cap to Michael for reminding me of this piece from the Globe The man who brought Kobe Bryant to the Los Angeles Lakers recently called the high-scoring, high-maintenance guard the best player in the NBA. West made his preference clear with all due respect to the Celtics' Kevin Garnett , though the Hollywood logic behind his choice likely will spark some debate. 

"Garnett is very good, but if he had the pressure on him to score like Kobe does every night, there's a difference," West said. "Kevin is going to be a great, great player every night in all facets of the game. 

But the other one has a little bit different kind of cachet to him." While Garnett is a "tremendously good basketball player," West said Bryant brings a degree of excitement "like going to an action movie instead of seeing a great film. 

Kevin Garnett would be in a great film and Kobe Bryant would be the action-hero figure. He's going to supply the jumps off the tops of bridges, dunks, going through 10 people, driving to make a layup.

 "Kevin Garnett is just going to be the steady, steady, steady guy there every night. But I think from an all-around standpoint, Kobe is the best." "I love Kevin Garnett as a player. As you move along in your life, you learn to appreciate different things. I saw the incredible skill of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. I saw incredible skill in Magic Johnson. 

But Magic Johnson was the action hero, and Abdul-Jabbar was your serious actor. Boston's never had a player like Bryant. West acknowledged the impact Garnett has made with the Celtics and commented that he is happy for them.

 But do the Celtics have what it takes to win a championship? "I wouldn't even want to venture into that," said West. "One injury to the best of teams [changes the odds]. I don't care who it is. You take the best player off the best team and they can forget about it." --- Jerry, Jerry, Jerry. 

Your beloved purple was supposedly deeper, more talented, and better coached than Da Green, and yet they still lost 6 of 8 games this year (if you read any Bob Ryan, then you'll also agree that the purple should have lost all eight). Worse, in two games, your team quit trying before the game was over.

That's right, your team quit competing despite the fact that they are paid millions to do so, not to mention that they are professional athletes and ought to have some individual pride. Shameful and shameless. 12/30/2007 Game at Staples Purple Quits Trying With 7 Minutes Left in 4th 6/19/2008 NBA Finals Game 6 Purple Quits Trying at Half

Forte Giving it a Go

January 2, 2005

Former Celtics first-round draft pick Joseph Forte is trying, once again.

Forte, whom the Celtics selected with the 21st pick in 2001 (we won't say anything more), lasted one year with the team, appearing in eight games and playing 39 minutes. He was, indeed, Clueless Joe. The Celtics moved him to Seattle in the Vin Baker deal and he lasted a year there. Seattle waived him, eating the final year of Forte's rookie contract.

   The Asheville Altitude of the National Basketball Development League signed him Dec. 14 and, in his first four games, Forte played 58 minutes, scoring 8 points on 3-of-17 shooting.

Forte may never make the grade as an NBA player, but he is one of only four University of North Carolina players to earn consensus All-America honors as a sophomore. The others were Jerry Stackhouse, J.R. Reid, and a guy named Michael Jordan.

Parish, Bird Not Sold on "New Three"

November 1, 2007

 Not quite a year ago Larry Bird was asked about the challenges facing his former teammate, Danny Ainge, at a time when the local climate was beginning to bake for both men.

Bird was unsympathetic.

 ``Look, I'm taking some heat, too, so we're in the same boat,'' he said.

Celtics fall to Pistons

November 16, 2005
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Once again, the Celtics proved they could play with the Pistons. But not for an entire game.

After leading by as many as 13 points in the third quarter, the Celtics were doomed by foul trouble, turnovers, a stagnant offense, and the hot hand of Detroit point guard Chancey Billups. When it was all said and done, the Pistons defeated the Celtics, 115-100, last night to remain the only undefeated team in the NBA. 

 

No Picassos in Celtics Win

No Picassos in Celtics Win

January 6, 2005

The word "ugly" was tossed around rather freely last night - and with good reason. The 13,078 hostages, er, fans who sat through the Celtics' torpid, 84-83 victory over the Golden State Warriors had to have one thought in mind when they got home: Take a shower.

KC Jones: Bird is Best Celtic Ever

March 31, 1983

Larry Drops 53 in W

He is the keeper of the flame. He is continuity with the past, excellence of the present and hope for the future. He is the torch-carrying inspiration on this team loaded with talent and question marks.

Will 66 be more Like 67 or 68?

Much of Celtic Nation has been hitting the snooze bar since the green closed out wins against Phoenix and New Orleans at home, while other Celtics fans began to lose interest after win number 60 and home-court advantage had been secured. 

Not me. 

I've always been fascinated by watching talented green teams pile up the wins. Russell’s Celtics won 60 games three times, and two of those team’s won championships. 

Heinsohn’s Celtics won 60 games twice, and neither of those teams won a championship. When Boston won nine of its first eleven games in the Bird Era, it was immediately apparent that Celtics teams would be racking up Ws by the boatload for many years to come. 

Bird’s Celtics won 60 games six times in seven years. Yet how many Celtics fans know the precise number of regular-season wins compiled by any one of those teams? 

The regular-season record of one of those teams stands out, to be sure. But can you tell me how many regular season games the 1981 or 1984 championship teams won? How about how many games Bird won in his rookie season? 

While 60 regular season wins is clearly special, then, the final win total becomes memorable only once a Celtics team eclipses 65 wins. Most Celtics fans know two regular season numbers by heart, 68 and 67. Sixty-eight wins by the 1973 Celtics, who lost in the Eastern Conference Finals to the Knicks, and 67 wins by the 1986 squad. Winning 66 games would put Garnett’s Celtics in that exclusive group. 

 68 67 66 

 Now that the Bulls went off and won 72, the 67 wins doesn’t seem quite as impressive as it did back when the 1986 Celtics originally reached that milestone. It is nonetheless distinctive. It adds to the identity of that team, and enables McHale to idly boast “we were only a handful of mental lapses away from winning 70 games two or three times in the 80s.” 

 So while winning their 66th game tomorrow night would be no cause to break out the champagne, it would definitely write another chapter in the book on the 2007-08 Boston Celtics, a book that will reach it’s climax shortly. In the end, the number 66 will either be remembered like the number 67 or the number 68. I never did like 68.

Antoine Gone, But Ainge Got a Lot in Return

November 06, 2005

The release of Curtis Borchardt Oct. 27 did more than just finish off the Celtics' roster. It also pretty much closed the book on Antoine Walker's two stays in Boston. While Toine may still hold the city and the Celtics dear in his heart, he can now look back and know that whatever transpires in the next few years will be in large part thanks to him and to the assembled multitudes that Danny Ainge acquired in his three deals involving Employee No. 8.

'86 Cs Begin ECFs with 32-Point Blowout

Bird & Co. Pick Up against Bucks Where they Left Off against Hawks The days and nights of the next week suddenly stretch forever for the Milwaukee Bucks. Tomorrow is a hundred years away and Saturday is a thousand and Sunday is unthinkable.

Time stands still when you are manacled to a prison wall. "How can we stand this?" they have to ask after last night, Game 1 of the best-of-seven NBA Eastern final playoff series at Boston Garden. "How can we survive? How?" The final score is not the embarrassment -- Boston 128, Milwaukee 96. The game is the embarrassment. The way the Bucks played. The way the Celtics played. The way there is no hope, none whatsoever, nothing. 

 "How do we make this series interesting?" the average Celtics fan was asking after leaving last night's carnage. "Do we have the Celtics play with four men? Or do we have them play with three? Do we make the Celtics play in cordovan loafers? Do we send the starting five for a Miami Beach vacation? Do we simply hand the Bucks 50 points at the start of each game, a handicap event for the Celts? What?" 

The poor Bucks appear to be locked into a dark room with a hive full of killer bees and a couple of buzz saws. Goodness. They seem to be caught in the leakiest of boats with only a soup spoon to bail them out. Not listening to country and western advice, they seem to be roller skating in a buffalo herd.

 They may have been tired from the seven nights of effort against the Philadelphia 76ers and they may have been missing star Sidney Moncrief and forward Terry Cummings' finger might have been swollen to the size of a baseball bat, but . . . but, really. They looked as lost on the parquet floor last night as any group of Indiana Pacers, any LA/San Diego Clippers, any CYO wonder five from Herkimer, N.H., ever looked. Goodness. 

 They scored 12 points in an entire first period of basketball, tying a record for an NBA playoff game. They once trailed, 41-14. They once trailed, 45-16. They once trailed, 53-27. They once trailed . . . you get the idea. They brought a new look to the playoff definition of "blowout."

 More than any sports team, they resembled Walter Mondale on election night, sitting there at home with the popcorn and television, finding that the election was badly lost before 99 percent of the polls had closed. Goodness. "What else is there we can try?" the Bucks have to ask. "What can we do?" Don Nelson has about a thousand different lineup combinations he can use and he tried them all.

 He tried a lot of big people at one time. He tried a lot of small people at one time. He tried big people and small people and in- between people. He tried people who bumped. He tried people who fell down every time they were bumped. He tried people who like to shoot three-point field goals. 

He tried people who can only shoot three-inch field goals. Who was left? He did not try the trainer. He did not try the assistant coach or himself. That was all. "How many more games of this do we have to play?" the poor Bucks have to ask. 

"Three. We have to play three? Couldn't this be a best-of-five, a best- of-three? Couldn't -- hey, let's call the whole thing off -- this be a best-of-one? Isn't that what they do in football? Couldn't that have been the Super Bowl?" 

Maybe that is a good analogy. Suppose the Super Bowl had been a best-of- seven. Suppose the Patriots had to play the Chicago Bears at least three more times before they could return to hearth and kin. Goodness. Just suppose. 

Could the Patriots have been able to look at three more consecutive appearances of Mr. Richard Dent and Mr. William Perry? Goodness. The Milwaukee Bucks hit 17 percent of their shots in that dismal first quarter, 37.5 percent for the game. 

The Milwaukee Bucks hit three of their first 10 foul shots. How tired could they have been? Could they have been that tired? "I think we just tried too hard," forward Cummings said. "If you get up for a game you just don't play very well and there's nothing you really can do about it." 

Were they too ready, too high? Was that it? Could that have been it? Were they too low, too flat, emotionally drained? Was that it? What? "It sure looks like an emotional letdown," coach Don Nelson said.

  "Judging by the lopsided score and the fact that we didn't play well, it sure looks that way." What can Nelson do? What can the Bucks do? Is Sidney Moncrief -- good as he is -- able to stop a 41-16 start to a basketball game? Can minds and psyches be repaired in that sort of a hurry, while-U-wait, as easily as a pair of Cat's Paw heels?

  What alternatives are there? What chance? The only nagging memory that can give the Bucks any hope at all is the memory of the first game of the NBA finals a year ago, Boston 148, Los Angeles Lakers 114. 

Didn't the Celtics have the same kind of dance in that game? Didn't the Lakers come back and win in the end, not even needing a seventh game? Couldn't the Bucks do the same thing? Couldn't they? "Sure we could," they have to say, waking this morning in their chains. "That's the ticket, sure we could. We could do what the Lakers did with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and with Magic Johnson. Sure we could." The only problem is that they don't have Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the bench and they don't have Magic and they don't have hope. One game into the playoffs and the Bucks have to know -- as anyone who was at the Garden last night knows -- they are hanging in the wind.