Goodbye Red 2

Bob Cousy (I played in a league named after him!)

Tom Heinsohn (always reminded me of Fred Flintstone)

Larry Bird (met him at a dinner in the North End of Boston, the night before he coached his last game in Boston)

Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Bill Russell.

Almost six decades spent building exceptional teams, discovering legends and building the last real dynasty. Remember, a dynasty is that of successsive families ruling. Phil Jackson, you’re no Red Auerbach.

I only saw Red in person once, driving a champagne colored Jaguar in suburban DC. The plate on the car, of course, was CELTIC. And yes, even in the nineties, he was puffing on a cigar. Imagine how cool the leather in that ride stank- old man, English Leather (probably the cologne and the seats!), and too many cigars.

As everyone knows, I was barely a basketball player. But I’ve always enjoyed watching the game, never more than when the Celtics were a family of a team, and were winning games. I had hoped that Rick Pitino would stave off the commercialism and selfishness now seen throughout basketball, from High School through the Pros. Rick couldn’t fill Red’s shoes, and it was likely an impossible task. But the game has lost its last real tie to true greatness. Everything now will just be bling.

Wow. White guys really do love the romanticism of the Boston Celtics!