“Let’s have the fellows who want to play basketball on one side,” said Bill Russell, “and the fellows who want to fight in another place.”
Tag Archives: Boston Celtics
Paul Silas: He Doesn’t Leave Fingerprints, 1972
“All of us in the league play with a part of a comradeship. This is our living. This is what we do. It doesn’t make sense to go out and get mad. This is a job. But you can be fierce.”
Tommy “Gun” Heinsohn, 1960s
Cousy agreed. “Heinsohn can do everything Baylor can do,” he said one day. “On top of that, he’s the best offensive rebounder in the business.”
John Havlicek: A Farewell to Remember, 1978
“My suggestion,” said Dave Cowens, the Celtic’s center for the past eight years, “is that they retire his number from the league. Don’t let anyone wear No. 17 again. That’s how much I think John’s meant to the NBA. Just take 17 and stash it up there in lights.”
Ode to a Rookie Referee in Two Takes, 1967
Moser, about to hand the ball to the Celts’ John Havlicek, looked at the agonized Holzman—the Knicks were 16 points behind—and said firmly, “That’s enough,” without exclamation point.
Remember When St. Louis Won the NBA Title in 1958?
“We were a mixture of the old and the new, both in experience and style of play. The long jump shot was just catching on in the league and practically none of our players used it.”
Red Auerbach Rates Basketball’s Best Battlers, 1973
It brought back memories of Auerbach’s Celtic battlers of the past, of Russell breaking Jim Krebs’ jaw, of Loscutoff decking Dick Schnittker with one punch, and of Brannum flattening Dolph Schayes.
Red Auerbach: An Old Friend’s Telling You to Hang ‘Em Up, 1979
Heed those words, Red. Sit back, light up a cigar and relax. You don’t need the aggravation anymore.
Bill Sharman: The Shooter, 1965
What made Sharman’s shooting so remarkable was its purity. He shot with almost robot-like precision, his style so polished and precise that it seemed like an illustration for a book on how to play basketball.
Danny Ainge Tells His Side of the Baseball Story, 1982
“My gut feeling has always been to honor my contract. But should I do it if it’s only a matter of money?
From Way Downtown 