Tag: Red Auerbach

On this day: Hayward, Wilcox sign; Mickey waived; Red stays

On this day, the Boston Celtics signed Gordon Hayward and Chris Wilcox, waived Jordan Mickey, and didn’t lose Red Auerbach to the New York Knicks.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, the team officially signed All-Star veteran forward Gordon Hayward away from the Utah Jazz in free agency after a kerfuffle on the fourth of the month over whether he had actually left the Jazz. The Butler product’s contract, a four-year, $128 million deal with a player option on its final year, started on a gruesome note that took several seasons to recover from.

A devastating injury to his ankle ended Hayward’s first season with Boston just a few minutes into the 2018-19 NBA season. The Indiana native worked diligently over the next two seasons to get back to his old self and abilities.

Unfortunately, by the time he had mostly recovered his game, it was on a team that needed him in less of a starring and more of a supporting role.

Isiah Thomas on Boston Celtics greats Red Auerbach and Bill Russell

The Pistons legend shared a story about a message he got from legendary Boston big man Bill Russell and a tale about iconic Celtics executive Red Auerbach.

Detroit Pistons Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas was one of the Boston Celtics of the 1980s’ biggest rival point guards, but Thomas developed a real respect for the Celtics during his heyday on the court, and it lasted long after he left it.

In an interview with CLNS Media’s Cedric Maxwell, the Pistons legend shared a story about a message he received from legendary Boston big man Bill Russell and a tale about iconic Celtics executive Red Auerbach, discussing his admiration for the Celtics. Thomas also talks about Boston’s reputation for starting African-American players, their influence as both rivals and teachers and Auerbach’s groundbreaking decision to make Bill Russell the first black head coach.

Take a look at the clip embedded below to hear the interview in full courtesy of the “NBA History and Storytellers on CLNS” official YouTube channel.

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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Who are the greatest NBA head coaches of all time?

And how many coached the Celtics?

While he might be a very good head coach of the NBA’s most storied franchise, Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla has a very long way to go to make the list of the best coaches to ever tote a clipboard in front of Boston’s bench, never mind across the other 29 teams of the Association.

Even the best head coaches of today’s game — with a single notable exception — would not make the cut of the greatest head coaches in NBA history according to Los Angeles Lakers legend Michael Cooper.

No, Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra is not the exception Cooper was talking about.

Coop and the founder of the CLNS Media network, Nick Gelso, hashed out who those legendary head coaches are on the NBA G.O.A.T. list.

Two Celtics coaches and a former player who coached elsewhere make the list, but you will have to watch the clip embedded above to hear who else made Coop’s cut.

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 Boston 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.

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.

Every Boston Celtics head coach of an All-Star game in NBA history

The Celtics make history by sending the first interim head coach to helm the 2023 NBA All-Star Game – these are the other alum coaches.

The Boston Celtics are making history by sending the first interim head coach of a team to be the head coach of the 2023 NBA All-Star Game in Salt Lake City on Sunday, Feb. 19 with star wings Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum in tow, with Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla being uniquely honored due to the fact that the Celtics command the Eastern Conference’s top spot.

It will very much NOT be the first time a Celtics head coach has helmed an East All-Star squad, however, with the annals of the annual exhibition tilt littered with the names of Boston alumni.

Let’s dive into every Celtics alum who has ever coached an All-Star squad in the history of the NBA.

On this day: Red’s 1,000th win; Barros’ 3-pt streak ends; Wilkins born

On this day in Celtics history, Red Auerbach got his 1,000th career win as coach, Dana Barros’ 89-game 3-point streak ended, and Dominique Wilkins was born.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, iconic head coach and general manager Arnold “Red” Auerbach secured the 1000th win of his head coaching career with the storied franchise in a 114-102 home win at the old Boston Garden over longtime rival Los Angeles Lakers in 1966.

Auerbach initially joined the team in 1950 to become the franchise’s third head coach after stints leading the (now defunct) Washington Capitols and (then) Tri-Cities Blackhawks (now, Atlanta Hawks). The New Yorker quickly rose to prominence as a consummate professional obsessed with winning at a time when many organizations were quite far from actually being organized.

Never mind something we would refer to as “professional.”

On this day: Red’s jersey retired; Parish 2000th block; Jefferson, Kreklow, Kleine born

On this day, iconic Celtic GM and coach Red Auerbach’s jersey was retired, Robert Parish made his 2000th career block, and Al Jefferson was born.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, the storied franchise retired legendary head coach and team president Arnold Jacob “Red” Auerbach’s jersey number in 1986.

Of course, Auerbach had given up the sport as a player long before becoming part of the Celtics organization, having played collegiately for George Washington University before the Second World War began. Rather, it was in recognition for building the NBA behemoth that won an unprecedented total of 16 titles in his lifetime as either head coach or general manager of the Celtics in a span of years stretching from 1957 all the way to 1986.

His career as an executive was and remains unparalleled in basketball and in professional sports more generally.

On this day: Auerbach, Cousy, Cooper, Rondo, Fox, Walker debut with Celtics

On this day, Celtics greats Red Auerbach, Bob Cousy, Chuck Cooper, Rajon Rondo, Rick Fox, and Antoine Walker all debuted for Boston.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, Hall of Fame coach and general manager Arnold “Red” Auerbach coached his first regular-season game with the storied franchise. Recently hired by the team’s owner Walter Brown on the advice of local sports journalists after stints coaching with the Tri-Cities Blackhawks (now, Atlanta Hawks), the defunct Washington Capitols NBA franchise, and — as an assistant coach at the college level — the Duke Blue Devils.

The game was thankfully not auspicious for the Boston icon’s future with the team in the coming years, with Auerbach’s Celtics falling 107-84 to the (then) Fort Wayne (Indiana) Pistons (who are now based in Detroit).

Auerbach was not the only Celtics legend making his debut that day.

On this day: Red passes; KC Jones coach, Hudson, Rozier, Mickey, R. Morgan, Cook player debuts; Nelson signed

On this day, legendary Boston Celtics team president and coach Red Auerbach passed away in 2006.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, legendary Celtics team president and coach Arnold “Red” Auerbach passed away at the age of 89 in 2006. Auerbach assembled a career in basketball unparalleled in its time and to this day, winning nine titles with the team as a coach, and seven more as an executive.

He joined the franchise in 1950 after stints coaching the Washington Capitols (now defunct) in the Basketball Association of America (BAA – a precursor league to the NBA) and at the NCAA level as an assistant coach with the Duke Blue Devils before joining the Celtics.

Red — as he was often called — transformed the game with his emphasis on the fast break and team-focused play reliant on ball movement at all positions.