Tag: Kevin McHale

Celtics HoFer Kevin McHale regrets not being able to play Los Angeles Lakers in 1986 NBA Finals

“I really wanted a piece of the Lakers in ’86,” he recalled.

It isn’t just fans of the Boston Celtics who relish the idea of facing off with the Los Angeles Lakers — back in 1986 when the Celtics ended up drawing the Houston Rockets as a finals opponent, Boston Hall of Fame big man Kevin McHale was as disappointed as many fans were they wouldn’t be playing Los Angeles. “I was disappointed somewhat that Houston beat the Lakers,” said McHale in the ’86 Celtics Interviews via Basketball Network’s Virgil Villanueva.

“I really wanted a piece of the Lakers in ’86,” he added. “Once Houston got there, I never thought for a second that Houston could beat us. I looked at that team and just said there’s just no way.”

“I knew the Lakers could do this and this and this, and I thought Houston could do this”, said McHale.

“They’re not going to hit us player for player or play for play or toughness for toughness,” recalled the Celtics great.

“It was an inevitability in my mind that we were just going to win. I would have much rather beaten the Lakers, but Houston was there, so we were going to beat them.”

And beat them they did.

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On this day: Boston sees the Grateful Dead in concert; Shaw, Hunter debut

On this day, several Boston Celtics accompanied resident Deadhead and Celtics center Bill Walton to see the Grateful Dead in concert in 1985.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, several members of the storied franchise went to see the Grateful Dead in concert in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1985. Not all of the Celtics went, but after recent arrival Bill Walton had managed to pique the interest of a few of his teammates, a significant portion of the team decided to attend the concert.

A few days ahead of the planned concert, Hall of Fame teammates Larry Bird and Kevin McHale had noticed some hippie-ish looking people wearing funky clothes arriving in town and made the connection it must have something to do with their hippie-ish teammate.

Walton had himself previously met the band after sticking out like a sore thumb as a 7-footer at one of their concerts, catching the eye of drummer Mickey Hart, who called him on stage after learning who he was.

Who are the Boston Celtics’ top-10 all-time leaders in postseason free throws?

Make your guesses, then scroll down to see how you did.

In his historic, 50-point masterpiece against the Brooklyn Nets in Game 3 of the 2021 Eastern Conference first-round series, All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics likely would not have won the game had the budding superstar not gotten to the line 15 times, converting 13.

But the St. Louis native had a long way to go to crack the franchise’s top ten in free throws made in the postseason given the long and storied history of the Celtics in the playoffs, making the list in 2023; you sink a lot of shots at the charity stripe when you win 17 banners, after all.

Who are the 10 most accomplished sinkers of free throws in the playoffs for Boston, then? Make your guesses, then scroll down to see how you did.

How many of the NBA’s official 50 greatest in 1996 were Boston Celtics?

In 1996, the NBA released a list of its 50 greatest players up to that year to celebrate as many years of play as a league. Can you guess how many were Celtics? Better yet, who they were?

In 1996, the NBA decided to assemble a panel of 50 players, media members, and team representatives in total to select the 50 greatest players of the league’s first 50 years on the anniversary of the NBA’s first season of 1946-47.

The league again plans to assemble a similar list to honor the 75th anniversary of its foundation in 2021, but before we begin to recount which alumni of the Boston Celtics were added to the list, let’s take a look at the old one. Dominated by names once populating the championship eras of the team from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, a total of 14 of the NBA’s 50 greatest players once donned the green and white.

Let’s review who made the cut, and when they were Celtics.

On this day: McHale, Kreklow debut; Carr signs; Hollins, Battle born

On this day, Kevin McHale and Wayne Kreklow debuted, M.L. Carr signed with the team, and Ryan Hollins and Kenny Battle were born.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, Hall of Fame Celtics big man Kevin McHale made his debut for the team in 1980 in a home game blowout win against the Cleveland Cavaliers that Boston won 130-103.

The rookie power forward put up 10 points, 3 rebounds, an assist, and 2 blocked shots in 13 minutes of playing time off the bench, and shot 44.4% from the floor and a perfect 2-of-2 from the free throw line. It was just a sample of the punishing stat lines the University of Minnesota alum would soon be delivering on the regular for the Celtics as he laid the foundation for one of the best careers at his position in NBA history.

And it certainly wasn’t a debut to sneeze at, either.

Who are the Boston Celtics’ top-10 all-time leaders in postseason points scored?

Can you name Boston’s 10 most prolific postseason scorers? Better yet, can you do it in order?

The Boston Celtics have put a whole lot of points on the board in NBA postseasons while they racked up a league-record 17 titles over the course of their seven decades (and counting) of existence.

Some of the greatest of the great have put the proverbial biscuit in the basket for the Celtics over the years, including several staples on lists of the greatest to play the game. But naming the 10 most prolific postseason scorers for Boston is still no easy task, even for the most ardent Celtics fans. With the golden era of the 1960s, the mid-seventies resurgence, the trio of titles in the eighties, or the most recent banner in 2008, there are a lot of options to choose from.

Make your own guesses about Boston’s playoff scoring leaders, and then scroll down to see how you did.

Who are the Boston Celtics’ top-10 all-time leaders in postseason wins?

Can you name all the Celtics who led Boston to the most playoff wins? Better yet, can you do it in order?

Begrudgingly tied with their longtime rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers, with the most NBA titles in league history at 17 each, few teams can rival the Boston Celtics in terms of total playoff games won by their players.

Spanning most of the years in the seven decades of existence all the way back to the Basketball Association of America (BAA — a precursor league to the NBA) era, there has been a Celtics roster playing in the postseason more often than not. But who are the stars and role players who got Boston there and played the games that led to all those banners?

Make your guesses, and scroll down to see how you did.

How many Boston Celtics are in the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame?

No team in NBA history has produced more. How many can you name?

With Boston Celtics Hall of Fame Paul Pierce officially part of the incoming 2021 class and big man Kevin Garnett getting his formal induction into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame in May 2021 — nearly a year after getting the nod due to the pandemic — all three members of the so-called “new Big Three” of KG, Pierce and Ray Allen have been ensconced in what serves as the Valhalla of basketball.

But they are far from the only Celtics so honored. In fact, there is a veritable host of Boston legends populating the Hoop Hall in Springfield, Massachusetts, just a short drive away from the NBA’s titletown. The Celtics have more players than any other team in league history.

Let’s take a look at the 40 Celtics who have been honored with a Hall of Fame induction.

Who are the Boston Celtics’ top-10 all-time leaders in postseason free throws?

Can you name which 10 Boston Celtics have sunk the most postseason free throws in the history of the franchise? Better yet, can you do it in order?

In his historic, 50-point masterpiece against the Brooklyn Nets in Game 3 of the 2021 Eastern Conference first-round series, All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics likely would not have won the game had the budding superstar not gotten to the line 15 times, converting 13.

But the St. Louis native has a long way to go to crack the franchise’s top ten in free throws made in the postseason given the long and storied history of the Celtics in the playoffs; you sink a lot of shots at the charity stripe when you win 17 banners, after all.

Who are the 10 most accomplished sinkers of free throws in the playoffs for Boston, then? Make your guesses, then scroll down to see how you did.

Who are the Boston Celtics’ top-10 all-time leaders in postseason rebounds?

Can you name all of the top ten rebounders for the Celtics in playoff history? Better yet, can you do it in order?

With the greatest rebounder of all time bookended by the best frontcourt ever assembled in the history of the league, there’s no reason to be surprised that the Boston Celtics have dominated the boards in the postseason across much of their seven decades of existence and the 17 titles they’ve won in it.

In fact, two of the top ten postseason rebounders for the Celtics are small forwards, demonstrating the historic importance of boards for winning titles to the storied franchise over the years. Cleaning the glass has long been a Boston fundamental, but even ardent Celtics fans may struggle to name the most proficient playoff rebounders after the first three or four.

How many of Boston’s 10 most accomplished postseason rebound leaders can you name? Scroll down, and find out.