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Oct 28, 2006 · Red Auerbach was the architect and mastermind behind one of the most dominant franchises in professional sports history, the Boston Celtics. The cigar-chomping Auerbach expertly steered the Celtics to eight straight NBA championships, a streak unmatched in NBA history.
The team reached the BAA Finals, but were beaten by the Minneapolis Lakers, who were led by Hall-of-Fame center George Mikan. In the next season, the BAA and the rival league National Basketball League merged to become the NBA, and Auerbach felt he had to rebuild his squad.
- Coached in First NBA Season
- Russell Trade Brought 11 Championships
- Drafted Bird A Year Early
- Known as Extremely Stubborn
- His Legendary Presence hovered
After leaving the service, Auerbach began his professional coaching career guiding the Washington Capitols in 1946–47, the initial season of the precursor of the NBA, the Basketball Association of America. In Auerbach's second season there, Washington reached the NBA Finals, losing to the Minneapolis (now Los Angeles) Lakers. Auerbach left Washingt...
One noteworthy asset Auerbach had in Boston was flashy guard Bob Cousy. But strangely enough, Auerbach bypassed him at first, drafting a bigger player. Cousy was a three-time All-American at Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, about 30 miles west of Boston, and would have been seen as a popular choice. Auerbach instead drafted 6-foot 11-inch ce...
Boston won two more titles in the mid-1970s with center Dave Cowens and guard Jo Jo White as the team's linchpins, then the Celtics fell into decline. Transient ownership aggravated the problem, which hit its nadir in 1979 under the ownership of John Y. Brown—no relation to Walter Brown. Brown meddled in the team's affairs and sarcastically address...
The cantankerous Auerbach clashed often with referees and amassed $17,000 worth of fines. He even brawled with Kerner, the Hawks' owner, during the 1958 finals and had other skirmishes with opposing players and fans. His trademark celebration involved the lighting of a victory cigar at the end of games, which critics saw as arrogant. "To the world ...
Auerbach eventually yielded operational duties and kept the title of team president, living in Washington. His presence, though, still loomed. The club stripped him of the president's title in the late 1990s when Rick Pitino became coach, general manager and president, but Auerbach got it back when Pitino left. In 2002 he approved the hiring of gen...
- Pat Heery
- Coach: Red Auerbach. The Celtics took off after the acquisition of Bill Russell (left) by Red Auerbach. HALL OF FAME INDUCTION: 1968. As Celtics head coach (1950-1966), general manager (1950-1984) and executive (1984-2006), he was part of 16 NBA titles.
- Center: Bill Russell. HALL OF FAME INDUCTION: 1975. If Auerbach was the architect, Russell—a five-time MVP who led the league in rebounding five times—was the foundation upon which the Celtics’ dynasty was built.
- Guard-Forward: John "Hondo" Havlicek. John Havlicek, shown in 1974 with teammates Jo Jo White, Dave Cowens and former teammate Tommy Heinsohn, enjoyed success on the court into the 1970s.
- Point Guard: Bob Cousy, the 'Houdini of the Hardwood' Bob Cousy was a star in the early years of the Boston Celtics' dynasty. HALL OF FAME INDUCTION: 1971.
Sep 16, 2024 · Under Auerbach the Celtics dominated the NBA, making the play-offs in each of his 16 seasons as coach of the team and winning eight straight championships from 1959 to 1966. Auerbach’s talented Celtics teams featured 11 future Hall of Famers, including Bob Cousy, John Havlicek, Bill Russell, and Bill Sharman.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Sep 22, 2023 · In 1980, Auerbach pulled off another one of the greatest trades in NBA history sending 1980 first overall pick Joe Barry Carroll and No. 13 pick Rickey Brown to the Golden State Warriors for the No. 3 pick and future Hall-of-Fame center Robert Parish.
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Jun 11, 2018 · For his work as a coach, Auerbach was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1969. The Professional Basketball Writers Association of America named him the greatest NBA coach of all time in 1980.
