BS: Basketball greats (e.g. Havlicek, RIP)

Subject: BS: Basketball greats (e.g. Havlicek, RIP)
From: keberoxu
Date: 26 Apr 19 - 02:10 PM

The Boston Celtics, that's Seltics-pronounced-with-an-S,
mourn the death of John Havlicek
who was one of the game's great players.

Boston Herald on John Havlicek

Could we open up this thread for
other legendary basketball players?

Subject: RE: BS: Basketball greats (e.g. Havlicek, RIP)
From: gillymor
Date: 26 Apr 19 - 04:14 PM

Hondo was one of my first b-ball heroes. If there was someone more "clutch" I can't think of him.

Subject: RE: BS: Basketball greats (e.g. Havlicek, RIP)
From: ChanteyLass
Date: 28 Apr 19 - 09:10 PM

On, no!
"Havlicek stole the ball!" I can hear Johnny Most shouting that into the mic. During the Cousy-Havlicek-Siegfried era, my parents took me to many games in the old Boston Garden. We almost always grabbed a parking spot on Causeway St. and walked a few blocks to No. Station. Our favorite seats were in the first row of the 2nd balcony--relatively cheap but we could look down and see the whole court. (I'm afraid of heights, so as soon as we got to our seats I'd lean as far back as I could with my toes curled up inside my shoes as if they were claws trying to dig into the floor, but after a while I'd begin to relax, and by the time the action really got going I'd lean over the railing--still seated, of course--and yell until my throat was sore. If we couldn't go to a game, we'd listen to Johnny Most on the radio. If the game was televised, we'd watch with the tv sound turned down and listen to Most on the radio. After I graduated from college, I lived and worked farther south in RI and couldn't get to games. Also, my mom passed away in my first year of teaching, so priorities shifted.
The Havlicek moment I remember best was a time when a player propelled the ball out of bounds and Havlicek jumped over the team's bench while the seated players parted to make way for him and he deflected the ball back toward the court. Sadly, he came crashing to the floor behind the bench and was hurt. All the way home, about an hour's drive, we listened to the radio to hoping to hear any news of his recovery. It was a relief to hear that he would return to the court after he recovered.

Subject: RE: BS: Basketball greats (e.g. Havlicek, RIP)
From: gillymor
Date: 29 Apr 19 - 05:52 AM

Wasn't there another Celt from that era named, I don't know, Russell or something who won 5 MVP's, 11 rings in his 13 year career and was player/coach for 2 of those chips.
My favorite Hondo play came during the last seconds of a playoff game when he threw an inbounds alley oop pass cross court to a back door cutting Bill Russell for an easy layup and the win. Not as consequential as his famous steal but a magical moment nonetheless.
The modern day Celts put the hurting on the favored Bucks yesterday in Milwaukee in the first game of their second round playoff series.

Subject: RE: BS: Basketball greats (e.g. Havlicek, RIP)
From: keberoxu
Date: 11 Jul 19 - 12:31 PM

Which leads right in to
the still-living Bill Russell.

Bill Russell given Arthur Ashe Courage Award

Subject: RE: BS: Basketball greats (e.g. Havlicek, RIP)
From: ChanteyLass
Date: 12 Jul 19 - 07:16 PM

Yes, Bill Russell was great.

Subject: RE: BS: Basketball greats (e.g. Havlicek, RIP)
From: ChanteyLass
Date: 14 Jul 19 - 03:46 PM

"My" first basketball great was Bob Cousy.

Subject: RE: BS: Basketball greats (e.g. Havlicek, RIP)
From: keberoxu
Date: 14 Jul 19 - 03:47 PM

Larry Bird?

Subject: RE: BS: Basketball greats (e.g. Havlicek, RIP)
From: gillymor
Date: 14 Jul 19 - 04:00 PM

This may be anathema to a Celtic fan but my very first b-ball heroes
were Jerry West and Elgin Baylor.

Subject: RE: BS: Basketball greats (e.g. Havlicek, RIP)
From: ChanteyLass
Date: 15 Jul 19 - 06:18 PM

Oh, yeah, Bird was another great, but by his time I'd stopped going to the games and taken on different responsibilities.
Gillymor, good for you for introducing players who weren't on the Celics team. West and Baylor were worthy opponents. I also remember "The Big O."

Subject: RE: BS: Basketball greats (e.g. Havlicek, RIP)
From: gillymor
Date: 15 Jul 19 - 07:15 PM

Yep, Baylor was Michael Jordan before Michael Jordan was Michael Jordan, then he hurt his knee in 63/64 and went from being a superstar to being "just" an all-star. Who knows what might have been?
The "Big O" was the first triple double machine and a hall of famer on both ends of the court.
Then there was the super smooth Kenny Wilkens.

Subject: RE: BS: Basketball greats (e.g. Havlicek, RIP)
From: gillymor
Date: 15 Jul 19 - 07:17 PM

That's Lenny Wilkens, dang kindle.

Subject: RE: BS: Basketball greats (e.g. Havlicek, RIP)
From: Mrrzy
Date: 15 Jul 19 - 07:43 PM

I remember Bird. He thought he had a moustache.

Subject: RE: BS: Basketball greats (e.g. Havlicek, RIP)
From: gillymor
Date: 15 Jul 19 - 07:54 PM

I wanted to mention that in 2017 ESPN produced an excellent 2 part documentary called "Celtics/Lakers: Best of Enemies" that follows the great rivalry from Cousy-Baylor through Magic-Bird with lots of great film and interviews with many of the participants. It airs occasionally on ESPN and ESPN2.