“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.”
Tag Archives: Red Auerbach
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.
Never a Dull Moment with the St. Louis Hawks, 1958
Kerner comes to a basketball game looking, fittingly, likes the best-dressed man in the hall. He leaves looking more like Emmett Kelly, the clown.
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?
Player Bill Russell Takes a Look at Coach Bill Russell, 1968
“I’ll repeat what I said before about this job,” says Russell. “The best player I’ve got is me.”
Bill Russell’s Biggest Challenge, 1967
The success or failure achieved by Russell, his team, and the NBA in picking their precarious way along that path will, justifiably or not, affect the future ambitions and lifetime careers of Black athletes in baseball, football—indeed, in all sports.
Bob McAdoo: Was He a One-Man Basketball Revolution? 1975
McAdoo is dangerous near the basket, but he also gets a lot of points on 15 and 20-foot jump shots, which he unleashes with a noticeable snap of the wrist, rather than a pushing maneuver.
From Way Downtown 