Tag: Red Auerbach

Boston Celtics legends Bill Russell and Red Auerbach give a lesson on getting rebounds

The two Boston greats demonstrate proper rebounding technique in the classic clip from the ‘Red on Round Ball’ series.

There may have never been a greater rebounder in NBA history than Boston Celtics Hall of Fame big man Bill Russell, and no better general manager than Celtics icon Red Auerbach. And if you were to combine the legendary talent assessor and the most unstoppable board collector the game has ever seen in a training session on how to pull down rebounds, you’d have the best possible teachers on your side.

This was not lost on Auerbach, who put together a series of instructional clips called “Red on Round Ball” that he had his famous players help with. Russell and Auerbach teamed to do one on rebounding.

Take a look at the clip embedded below courtesy of the NBA’s YouTube channel, and, as an added bonus, you will hear Auerbach casually drop his G.O.A.T. argument into the conversation.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

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The relationship between Bill Russell and Red Auerbach that made the Boston Celtics champions

Their mutual respect and drive to win created the Celtics’ dynasty.

The ties between legendary Boston Celtics head coach and general manager Red Auerbach and Hall of Fame Boston big man Bill Russell created one of  the most fruitful on-court relationships in the history of the NBA. It produced an unprecedented 11 championships.

It was a friendship and partnership based on respect, honesty and an indomitable desire to win that saw each amplify the other in their common goal of winning at the highest level in their chosen sport. Through their mutual interest in NBA excellence, they set the stage for the golden age of the Celtics, firmly establishing Boston as a premier franchise in the league, and the NBA as a serious player in the world of sports.

To hear more about how that partnership began and played out, watch the video embedded below put together by the folks at NBC Sports Boston.

Check out the Celtics Lab podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

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Celtics honor Red Auerbach’s career, retire No. 2 in his honor at Boston Garden in 1985

The Celtics celebrated the legendary Celtics executive’s career at the Garden in 1985, retiring the No. 2 jersey in his honor.

Astute fans of the Boston Celtics don’t need any explanation as to why the storied franchise chose to retire a jersey number to honor Arnold “Red” Auerbach, a man who never played a single minute for the Celtics. But for those still learning the lore of their favorite team, the legendary coach and team president had a hand in all but one of Boston’s 17 titles.

The feat has not been bested by any front office occupant in NBA history and a singular achievement in North American sports more generally. The Celtics organization honored the iconic executive in 1985, raising the No. 2 jersey to the rafters in honor of his accomplishments with the team.

Auerbach was a true giant of the game, and Bostonians reaped the rewards for generations.

To get a look back at that historic day, check out the video embedded above courtesy of CLNS Media.

If you enjoy this pod, check out the “How Bout Them Celtics,” “First to the Floor,” “Celtics Lab,” and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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NBA TV’s ‘Basketballography’ documentary on Boston’s Red Auerbach

Check out this documentary highlighting the legendary Celtics coach and team president.

On Oct. 18, 1950, Arnold “Red” Auerbach coached his first preseason game for a club he helmed in some capacity until his death in 2006. And it is no coincidence Auerbach was tied to the Boston Celtics for the better part of six decades, either.

Among the winningest coaches and general managers in sports history, 16 of Boston’s 17 NBA titles have Auerbach’s fingerprints on them. In celebration of the legacy he helped set in motion, the folks at NBA TV dedicated an entire episode of their “Basketballography” show to Auerbach and his career at the helm of the Celtics.

Watch the video embedded below hosted by Basketballography’s Andre Aldridge to catch the full documentary on the legendary Auerbach for yourself, courtesy of YouTuber ginoongkamote’s channel.

If you enjoy this pod, check out the “How Bout Them Celtics,” “First to the Floor,” “Celtics Lab,” and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Boston Celtics Red Auerbach, Bob Cousy and Bill Sharman take on MLB’s Braves – in sports trivia

Watch three Celtics try to best three Braves on a popular 1970s sports trivia game show.

We might have broken a few brains when we revealed that the Boston Celtics beat the Washington Senators (or rather, a trio of representatives from each team) once on a sports-themed game show hailing from the early 1970s. But the Celtics seemed to turn everything they touched to gold back in those days. It wasn’t the only appearance for Boston on the show (called “Sports Challenge”) either.

Within a year of the win by Bill Russell, John Havlicek, and Red Auerbach, another trio of Celtics made an appearance on the show. Auerbach returned with champion Celtics Bob Cousy and Bill Sharman to face off against three stars of the then recently-relocated Atlanta (previously of Milwaukee) Braves MLB team, though we won’t give away the ending this time for the curious among you.

Watch the clip for yourself to see how the Celtics did their second time on the show courtesy of the CLNS Media YouTube channel “NBA History and Legends on CLNS”.

If you enjoy this pod, check out the “How Bout Them Celtics,” “First to the Floor,” “Celtics Lab,” and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Celtics coaching legend Red Auerbach’s last game, Boston’s ninth title

This was Boston’s eighth consecutive title and Auerbach’s final game as head coach.

With an unmatched record in U.S. professional sports, Arnold “Red” Auerbach threw in the towel on being an NBA head coach when he coached his last game for the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the 1966 NBA Finals series. It was against their longtime rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers.

Boston won the game, the series, and the title — their eighth consecutive and ninth overall. In the years that followed, Celtics star big man Bill Russell served as a player-coach, becoming the first Black head coach not only in NBA history but in the histories of the four major North American sports. Red earned his retirement to a front-office job, having amassed a 938-479 record as a head coach, most of it with the Celtics.

To watch clips from that historic game, check out the video embedded below, courtesy of our friends over at CLNS Media’s “NBA History & Legends on CLNS” YouTube channel.

If you enjoy this pod, check out the “How Bout Them Celtics,” “First to the Floor,” “Celtics Lab,” and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Boston legends Red Auerbach, Bill Russell and Bob Ryan on Celtics mystique

The trio discussed just what that term means for the storied franchise and its fans in this historic clip.

Quite a lot of ink has been spilled over the decades on the Celtics mystique, with many a sportswriter trying to convey an understanding of what it meant to be a part of — or up against — the Boston Celtics. With 18 titles to their name, a large part is the history and glory of playing underneath those banners.

But it encompasses more than that if you ask the men who built it. Legendary Boston beat reporter Bob Ryan did exactly that once upon a time, sitting down with Celtics legends Arnold “Red” Auerbach and Bill Russell to talk about the air of invincibility, deep roots and togetherness that is in part that fabled quality.

To hear Red and Bill break down exactly what the Celtics mystique is, check out this clip from the vault of our friends over at CLNS Media, embedded below.

If you enjoy this pod, check out the “How Bout Them Celtics,” “First to the Floor,” “Celtics Lab,” and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Kevin McHale on legendary Boston Celtics president Red Auerbach not trading him away

“I will always be grateful for Red for not trading me,” said McHale.

As one era of contention for the Boston Celtics hits its stride, a look back at the penultimate before it and its end through the eyes of a Hall of Famer is in order. As the end of the Celtics’ run of title contention in the late 1980s ran down, that revered core of Larry Bird, Robert Parish, and Kevin McHale could have found themselves suiting up for new ball clubs in the twilights of their iconic careers.

But legendary Boston team president Red Auerbach elected to let each of the trio leave the team on their own terms, with Parish leaving to join the Charlotte Hornets and Chicago Bulls, and Bird and McHale to retire. The latter of the trio in particular expressed his thanks for Auerbach’s decision.

“I will always be grateful for Red for not trading me,” said McHale via ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan. “It meant the world to me to play my entire career with the Celtics.”

“I know people want to criticize him now, but I loved the fact Red said, ‘Screw it, these are my guys.’,” added McHale.

“There was real honor to it, something you hardly ever see today.”

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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On this day: Celtics icon Red Auerbach retires as coach, 1966 championship won

On this day, renowned Celtics head coach and GM Red Auerbach retired as coach of the team after winning the franchise’s 9th championship.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, legendary head coach Red Auerbach retired after taking the Celtics to their ninth championship with a 95-93 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 7 of the 1966 NBA Finals the day prior.

Auerbach coached Boston for all nine of its championships up to that point — eight of them consecutive between 1959-66 — before passing the baton to player-coach Bill Russell. His 16 seasons as head coach produced a 795-397 regular-season record (a .667 winning percentage) and a 90-58 postseason record (.608), the winningest in league history to that point, a record that would hold for many years.

Auerbach would remain with the team in an executive capacity until his death in 2006.

Dick Raphael-USA TODAY Sports 

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On this day: Celtic legend Red Auerbach hired as coach; Heat eliminated in 2010

On this day in 1950, the Celtics hired Red Auerbach as head coach, and 60 years later, Boston would eliminate the Miami Heat from playoff contention.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, Arnold “Red” Auerbach — former head coach of the Washington Capitals and Tri-Cities Blackhawks — was hired as head coach of the Boston Celtics in 1950.

Auerbach would go on to coach the Celtics for 16 seasons. He amassed nine championships over that run with a 795-397 record in the regular season and a 90-58 postseason record, good for .667 and .608 respective winning percentages — the winningest coach in NBA history. Red would step down as head coach in 1966 in favor of player-coach Bill Russell but would remain general manager of the team well into the 1980s.

He would be awarded the Coach of the Year award for the 1964-65 NBA season, was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach in 1969, and was named a top-10 coach in league history in the 1996-97 season.

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