In 1956, Auerbach said: "We are about to have someone who will change everything."
Before this, he already had Roskutov, Sharman , Cousy, Ramsey and other players. In the summer of 1956, he drafted Tom Heinsohn and KC Jones. Reinhardt, who was entrusted by him to find a great center, gave an answer: a 206 cm tall guy with extremely imperfect offensive abilities. And the Minneapolis Lakers are pursuing him.
Auerbach decisively - just as he did repeatedly in the following decades - used his skills to get the young center. He may not have known at the time how much this would affect the direction of the times. And we will record this name on the historical timeline many years later, Bill Russell, No. 6 of the Celtics.
"We're about to have someone who's going to change all that."
This is Cousy's memory. He said he saw a tall, dark, and solid giant like a mountain. This guy follows every cutter like a giant spider, blocking shots as they come up - he often blocks 3 shots in the first 5 minutes of a game. In 2006, the NBA's shot-blocking leader had almost the same number per game - and then the ball fell into Cousy's hands. "Next, there is the famous Boston fast break."
And Auerbach said of Russell:
"He is special because he reacts extremely quickly and is smart; He doesn't get fooled twice in a row. He has perfect long arms and he loves to defend. Russell prefers his teammates to shoot."
Bill Russell averaged 22.5 rebounds per game in his career, and every block and rebound he made was the first shot of the Celtics' fast break. Auerbach told the young man on his first day on the team that he should focus on defending and grabbing rebounds. His scoring data would not affect the salary when he signed the contract. From that day forward, Russell became another Auerbach - a proud, fierce machine who cared little for anything but winning.
Whoopie Brown, the former Grizzlies head coach now in his 70s, said:
“Russell is a great backup and Auerbach can play The game he loves -- fast break, defense. Their game is organized, and you know, how difficult it is to maintain a good performance, so I feel like Auerbach has the ability to bring out the best in every player -- he knows how. Drive his players and make them helpful to the team, and it seems that this ability has been passed down through the changes of players.
This is a fateful meeting. Auerbach and Russell may not be as famous as they are today. In the winter of the 1956-57 season, Russell joined the team and the Celtics became a terrifying monster-all teams faced. Russell, who stood like a fortress, was attacked by the lightning-fast Sharman and Cousy, and was chased by Ramsey, Heinsohn and others, while Auerbach continued to roar and order his players from the sidelines. Brutally attacking the opponent without mercy.
Other teams in the NBA once jointly complained to the officials, believing that Russell's block was illegal ball interference. Of course, Auerbach refused to give in to them. Argument, and then win without any suspense. He knows the rules better than anyone else. He can take the rule book and slap it in front of the league officials, teach them with a thunderous roar, and teach them how to behave. A timid elementary school student.
In the summer of 1957, the Celtics reached the Finals and faced off against the Eagles, Russell. Petty, one of the strongest forwards in the history of the 10th NBA First Team, entered the seventh game of the game. The Celtics relied on Russell's 19 points and 32 rebounds and Heinsohn's 37 points and 23 rebounds in the Boston Garden. rebounded, narrowly defeated the Hawks 125-123, and won the first championship in their team's history. Auerbach's prediction came true. These young people poured champagne in the locker room to celebrate their first climb to the top. .
And none of them expected—and I suspect Auerbach didn’t expect either—that this was just the beginning of the Boston Garden curse. In the 1957-58 season, Hannum's Eagles regained the championship. But Coach Vulture soon discovered with great sadness that the NBA had entered the most crazy, absurd, and unbelievable period in history.
On that gray, shabby Boston Garden floor, year after year, Russell and his Celtics ran. Someone left. In the 1961 Finals, Sharman faced Lakers No. 44, future Lakers godfather and NBA trademark dribbling silhouette Jerry West. He won his fourth championship ring without giving West, Robertson, and Grier a chance to defeat him, and left the game as the calmest shooter of that era. In Game 6 of the Finals in 1963, the Celtics led the Lakers 112 to 109. LaRusso, West, and Baylor were chasing after him all over the court. Cousy leaned down and used his posture that was the envy of the world. Smith's legal dribbling movements, constantly slapping the ball, shuttling on the hardwood floor, escaping countless steals, allowed the Celtics to win their fifth consecutive championship. In the wave of people coming and going, the only things that remained unchanged were Auerbach's roar, his chatter to the referee, and the cigar he lit every time he won - it almost became a ritual for him.
The Celts are like a machine that is out of control, like a bison that breaks into a china shop, like a man-eating plant that grows uncontrollably, like a train that has failed to brake. The Boston Garden has 5,000 empty seats all year round, but the 8,000 people present witnessed something incredible to the point of absurdity. Auerbach took his players on trains all over the United States to chase victory. They appeared on time in the finals every summer like disciplined students, and then defeated their opponents with tiresome procedures. "One time, we almost snuffed out that damn cigar," a Lakers head coach said. "I wish I could shove that cigar down that guy's throat," said another failed coach. "I'm willing to trade all my points for this last shot." said Lakers player Sevey, who missed the winning shot in Game 7 of the 1962 Finals. You can list such quotes for three days and three nights. In the eyes of others in the NBA, Auerbach is the devil, the embodiment of evil. He replicates wins and championships like a Frankenstein. Starting in the summer of 1959, it lasted for 8 consecutive years.
Boston people did not even understand the miracles they experienced around them. The Celtics conquered everything lonely. Auerbach is ruthless, unreasonable, and almost greedy in devouring his opponents. Russell, Jones, and Heinsohn are like parts of a machine, each performing its own duties and ravaging opponents year after year. They pass, collaborate, defend, shoot, control rebounds, hit key shots, win championships, and pour champagne. They want nothing but victory. They all became Auerbach.
I know the following log will bore you - but give it a look anyway. Because NBA players have spent 8 years in such a monotonous process - 8 years, or even the entire careers of many players.
In 1959, the Celtics got their revenge 4-0 and defeated the Hawks to win the championship. In 1960, it was the Eagles again. Russell scored 22 points and 35 rebounds in Game 7 of the Finals, winning the championship again. In 1961, the Celtics and Hawks met in the Finals for the fifth consecutive time, settling the battle 4-1. In 1962, the opponents changed. The Lakers stood opposite the Celtics and led 3-2 in the finals. But the Celtics continued their victory monotonously, defeating the Lakers 110-107 in overtime in Game 7 to win the championship. In 1963, after the Celtics defeated the Lakers 4-2 and won their fifth consecutive championship, Auerbach had become a public enemy throughout the United States, attracting the hatred of all opponents and fans. However, in 1964, he continued to stifle the suspense, defeating the Eagles 4-1 and winning his sixth consecutive championship. So much so that people began to discuss whether the Celtics would ever win the championship. In 1965, the Celtics nearly lost. In the Eastern Conference Finals against Philadelphia, Russell, the greatest center in history, faced Chamberlain.
In the last 5 seconds of Game 7, the Celtics led 110 to 109, and Chamberlain took advantage of Russell's mistake to intercept the ball. At this time, the young substitute white defender Havlicek stole the ball with lightning speed, ensuring the Celtics' victory. This steal became a unique and classic steal in history. Later in the finals, Auerbach did not let accidents happen and defeated the Lakers 4-1. In 1966, the Celtics were starting to tire. Auerbach announced before the playoffs that he would resign as head coach at the end of the season to concentrate on team management, and his successor Russell would become the first black head coach in a major American sports league. The high-spirited Celtics met the Lakers again in the finals. I don’t know how many times it was - in the seventh game, the Celtics narrowly defeated 95-93 and won their eighth consecutive championship
What kind of team is the dynasty that has won eight consecutive championships? ? Opening the record book, we can see many incredible numbers. What kind of era was the 1960s? Elgin Baylor scored 61 points in a game in the 1962 Finals. Chamberlain scored 100 points against New York on March 2, 1962, averaging 50.4 points per game that season. Oscar Robertson averaged a season triple-double record of 30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds and 11.4 assists in the same season. Elgin Baylor and Jerry West combined for an average of nearly 60 points per season for the Lakers. The Celtics rarely even have anyone averaging 25 points per game. Auerbach allowed no selfishness in his ranks, no arbitrariness - except for his own.
To this day, people will recall those champion members of the Celtics dynasty—Sam Jones, who was good at hitting rebound shots, and Tom Heinsohn, who could hold up any forward in the league. , 8-time assist king Bob Cousy, sharpshooter Bill Sharman, 5-time league MVP Bill Russell, and the best sixth man in history Havlicek. These people have all entered the Hall of Fame and were selected as the 50 greatest players in the NBA on the occasion of the NBA's 50th anniversary. Some say they made Auerbach his success. But in fact, these players are not talented. Auerbach's vision is precise and unique, and he will never miss anything. His criteria for selecting players are not how many points the person can score or how many beautiful moves he can make. Auerbach needs someone who wants to win and is willing to sacrifice everything to win. Then he made hell for the players he chose. Even a superstar like Bill Russell would be scolded mercilessly by this short old man if necessary. It was under Auerbach's almost neurotic kneading and tempering that the Celtics won the championship year after year in a low-key and boring way.
John Havlicek recalled being so nervous that he was speechless when he went to the Celtics' arena for practice for the first time. At that time, Bill Russell, one of the greatest centers in NBA history, who had his hands full of rings, came over and patted the rookie on his shoulder to talk to him, and agreed to go buy a car with him after training. After that mysterious steal, Havlicek became known as the Celtics' sixth man. This is lauded by some as the first and best sixth man. He is the first completed product of Auerbach's sixth man strategy. But in other historical materials, people are told that Auerbach did not invent the sixth man style of play. He is just tirelessly promoting black superstars like Russell, sixth men like Ramsey, and Kevin Kay to media reporters who only know how to promote white stars like Cousy and Sharman. All Celtics players. Over time, no one on the Celtics felt neglected or biased. They realize they are part of a team and are deeply proud of their membership in the championship.
In the eyes of others, Auerbach is not so amiable and respectable. An interesting fact is that he was only elected NBA Coach of the Year once in 1965. In terms of his ability to quarrel with NBA officials and use the media to fuel the flames and engage in psychological warfare, the current Mavericks owner Cuban is like a primary school student compared to him.
When teaching some new coaches, he bluntly warned that they should stand as close to the technical stage as possible and make a dissatisfied voice to the referee as loudly as possible to influence the referee to the greatest extent. Because of his victory, stubbornness, brutality and unruliness, all those who fell at his feet longed to defeat him. However, one year has passed, two years have passed, three years have passed, and eight years have passed. The championship banners were hung one after another in the Boston Garden. Whenever someone comes to the Garden to compete, they can look up and see the symbols of those champions - the trophies of the supreme and those who have repeatedly conquered the world, and the dazzling scars of the disheartening defeats of all the strong men of that era.
In the summer of 1966, Auerbach kept his promise at the eighth consecutive championship ceremony and gave up the position of head coach to Bill Russell, and he became the general manager of the Celtics. Manager, began to retreat into the background. Turn around from the huge shadow that covered the NBA in the mid-1950s and quietly leave. It was like an old emperor handing over his scepter, and the kneeling people could only hear his footsteps, ringing lonely through the corridor, leading to the dark behind the scenes. The year Auerbach left, his successor Russell failed to continue the glory of the dynasty. Hannum, the former Eagles head coach who had been defeated by Auerbach many times, went to Philadelphia to coach Chamberlain, Cunningham and Grier. Chamberlain made a huge sacrifice. Before he could average 50 points per game in the season, he averaged only 24 points per game in the 1966-1967 season. But in the year when Chamberlain transitioned to Russell, the 76ers achieved an unprecedented record of 68 wins, and finally defeated the unbeatable Warcraft of the decade in the Eastern Conference Finals, and won the championship after defeating the Warriors in the Finals. In the seventh year of the 1960s, the champion was finally no longer the Celtics.
"They're playing exactly the kind of basketball we've been playing for the past ten years." KC Jones of the Celtics said.
Auerbach's departure and the Celtics' failure seem to be inevitable, and NBA teams that have been ruled by Auerbach's iron fist for ten years feel that the haze that has enveloped them has dissipated. The great Celtic tree seems to have scattered branches and leaves. Beginning in the fall of 1967, fans in various arenas in the United States sang to Russell and Auerbach, who occasionally traveled with the team—the guy they once wanted to eat his flesh and sleep on his skin: "Boston is over, Boston is over, the dynasty has been destroyed."
However, in the spring of 1968, the entire United States found that their joy was in vain. The emperor's departure was nothing but an illusion. The old man was hidden in the darkness, listening behind the curtain, and continued to control the monster team he had built, expressionlessly and unstoppably approaching the throne.
The entire NBA's mood in 1967 was like seeing a sunny day after a long flood. However, in 1968, they discovered that dark clouds had once again filled the sky. The Celtics used their 10th championship in 12 years to tell people that the 76ers' miracle was just an accident. Then, in 1969, the aging Celtics, the hated Celtics, the Celtics overshadowed by Auerbach, used the most typical Auerbach way - the finals, Against the Lakers, Game 7, 108 to 106, settled. The 11th championship in 13 years ended the 1960s.
In 1969, Russell, who spanned the dynasty, retired after winning the championship, while Auerbach continued to smoke his cigars in the position of general manager, and used his keen eyes to discover players and weave team. In the chaotic 1970s, when no team defended its title, the Celtics won two more championships relying on Cowens, promoted by Auerbach, and Havlicek, whom he had trained for a long time.
Of course, this alone is not Auerbach’s handiwork.
In 1979, the 63-year-old man found the prince he needed to inherit the glory he had created. He, Auerbach, was the first anti-racist person in the history of the NBA to use an all-black starting lineup. In the 1979 draft, he selected a player who played at Indiana University for four years with the 6th pick. He was neither fast nor fast. White people who can’t jump high. According to his own statement, he has only seen this guy play one game.
This white man named Larry Bird was considered the greatest forward in NBA history when he retired, and Auerbach's insight made him hold the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th positions in 1979. Teams who drafted the pick regretted it - the only exception was Magic, who was drafted first by the Lakers that year - and he became a first-team member in his first year with the team. It happened again 17 years later, when Tim Duncan of the Spurs staged a similar example. Like Duncan, Bird led the team to a championship in his second year in the industry.
On June 9, 1980, Auerbach once again made a terrible deal - he had done similar cunning tricks many times in more than 30 years, which even saved his life. Earned the reputation of a "robber". He used the No. 1 and No. 13 picks that season to acquire the No. 3 pick and Robert Parish from the Golden State Warriors, and then selected University of Minnesota forward Kevin McHale with the No. 3 pick. From this moment on, the Celtics' troika of the 1980s came together. In one trade and one draft, Auerbach determined the Celtics' glory for the next ten years, as well as the suffering fate of the Lakers, 76ers, and Pistons. In the "Waterloo" volume of Hugo's "Les Misérables", Napoleon's cavalry rushes towards the British on Mount St. John. At that time, both Wellington and Napoleon were close to running out of fuel, and the advantage lay with the French. However, a deep ditch appeared in front of the cavalry, and the French cavalry who were caught off guard collectively fell into the ravine. This frustrated Napoleon's attack. Not long after, Prussian reinforcements appeared on the horizon.
Many times, it is not the moment when the tide turns that changes the situation. A horse continued to run after being injured, and finally collapsed unable to support itself. His fate was sealed when he was injured. A certain accident, the occurrence of a certain bad luck, will become an unknown turning point in life.
In 1986, Auerbach attempted to continue to contribute to the Celtics team led by Bird. He cleverly obtained a second overall pick and selected - we have to trust his vision - a talented player, Beas. Just a few hours after being selected, this genius, this child who was fantasized to be a future superstar, this figure who was supposed to win honor for the Celtics' future dynasty, died of cocaine poisoning.
Nothing can be more devastating to an old man than this.
Bird and McHale retired in the early 1990s, and Parish bounced around various teams, ending his career with the new dynasty Bulls in 1997 at the age of 43. After Bias' death, Auerbach, who was over 70 years old, finally began to look like an old man. In 1993, another bad luck struck when Celtics captain Lewis died suddenly in training.
Then came the relocation of the Boston Garden and the decline of the Celtics - by then, Auerbach had already left.
“I have no motivation to work anymore,” he said. In 1997, the 80-year-old Auerbach participated in the NBA's 50th anniversary event. Among the 50 greatest players of the NBA's 50th anniversary, 8 were from the Celtics - of course they were his disciples. But that's far from all.
In the 1961 Finals, Sharman faced West of the Lakers. Ten years later, Sharman became the head coach of the Lakers and led Chamberlain and West, who were defeated by the Celtics, to a record of 69 wins, enabling the Lakers to win their first championship after moving to Los Angeles. ——It sounds ironic, but the person who led the Lakers to the championship was actually a man who defeated them many times.
In Game 7 of the 1969 Finals, the Celtics relied on a mid-range shot from guard Don Nelson to defeat the Lakers and win their 11th championship in 13 years. And Don Nelson is now one of the greatest coaches in NBA history. Like Auerbach, this old man is aggressive, high-spirited, competitive, and never stops.
The head coach of the Suns, Westphal, who played against the Bulls in the Finals in 1993, was born in the Celtics; in 1995, as the general manager of the Wolves, he selected Garnett with the fifth pick to lead the Wolves. McHale, the soaring general manager, was a meritorious forward of the Celtics in the 1980s; Dave Cowens, who led the Hornets to the best performance in team history in the 1996-97 season and almost became coach of the year, was hand-picked by Auerbach to replace him. Russell was the backbone of the Celtics in the 1970s; coach KC Jones, who won four championships, was Auerbach’s first-generation disciple; Larry Bird won the title of the year when he became head coach for the first time in the 1997-98 season. The title of best coach...
Auerbach's shadow is all over the league. More than a decade after he retired from the NBA stage, you can still feel his presence. From coast to coast, his disciples imitated him and emulated a certain Celtic spirit. Something stubborn and unchangeable by time is spreading silently. On the last Saturday of October 2006, the old man put out his cigar forever. Different from his glorious retirement exactly forty years ago in the summer of 1966, this time, this huge shadow, the evil emperor, the dark old man is really like the people who feared him and cursed him forty years ago. As he said, he left this world that he had conquered and was tired of.
It is said that when Heisenberg proposed the uncertainty principle, he once set an epitaph for himself. "He's lying here somewhere." To borrow the format, Red Auerbach, Cardinal, Cigar Coach, Old Freak. No matter what you call him, perhaps the most fitting tribute to him is to have his tombstone erected in the Boston Garden under 16 championship banners. On the tombstone write "He lies somewhere in the garden". Or, to use the famous saying of the Lakers head coach who he defeated countless times: "I wish I could stuff that cigar down his throat."
In 1994, the Lakers and Celtics, these two teams The most common guest in the history of the NBA Finals played the final game in the Boston Garden where 16 championship banners have been hung. The Celtics then moved to North Shore Bank Arena. Imagine a hand covered with rings quietly closing the door and saying goodbye to the past golden years. At that time, Red Auerbach was shrouded in cigar smoke, living in the terrifying video tapes of the Boston Celtics, and living in the biographies diligently written by NBA experts. While walking on the street, no one would know that the 175-centimeter-tall old man they passed by was advertised on various large posters all over the United States as the most terrifying player in the history of the best basketball league in the world. ruler.
On November 1, the day the NBA's 2006-07 season began, Auerbach was buried in Washington. Those imperial superstars - Bob Cousy, Bill Russell, Kevin McHale - watched the old man who had yelled at them all their lives buried in the dark earth. There were about 150 people at his funeral - fitting of his career. You know, when he led Boston tirelessly to win championships year after year, the Boston Garden was barely ever full.
Many people will forget everything about Auerbach in Washington. In 1946, when the descendant of Russian immigrants turned 29, the world around him experienced World War I—when he was an infant—the Great Depression and World War II. It was a colorful, swirling, disillusioned and rebuilt year, a time when a lost generation was growing old, when Europe was still in ruins, and Americans had gone through the war and wanted to have some fun. At that time, the NBA was still a basketball without a 24-second time limit, a narrow three-second zone, all-white athletes, and no three-pointers. Falkes won the scoring title with an average of 30 field goals per game and less than 24 points per game. alliance.
And that’s how Auerbach started. He began his coaching career with the Washington Capitols. At that time, he had already revealed part of the character that would later become a Boston legend - a Jewish man who was sensitive to money, energetic, rough and realistic. The Washington Congress team is a strong team - of course we in China 60 years later have no perception of this - but in Auerbach's three years in Congress, Washington won the first place in the regular season division twice and the regular season championship once. .
In the 1948-49 season, the Congressional team even reached the finals. There, Auerbach met his lifelong nemesis. The Minneapolis Lakers relied on George Mikan, the first super center in NBA history, to defeat the Congress team.
I don’t know what the 175cm Auerbach thought when he saw the 208cm McCann dominating the basketball court and ravaging the Congressional team. It was the first time Auerbach came close to the pinnacle of success—even though the NBA championship didn't attract the attention of the media in more than a hundred countries as it does now—but he was soundly defeated. A perfect, titan-like giant who led the Lakers to defeat Auerbach. This is like a meaningful prophecy and foreshadowing.
George McCann did not wait for the day Auerbach defeated him to retire. In the cold Minneapolis arena, the giant shadow gave Auerbach some instructions. Lakers head coach Kundla is the first famous coach in NBA history. Some public opinion believes that he is not talented and can only win five championships by relying on famous players such as McCann and Pollard. But Auerbach's evaluation of Kundla is: "Many teams that are strong on paper, they get nothing. And Kundla, he made the Lakers a strong team, and he completed a great job for it." Work."
Remember the key word in this passage, which is the most important part of the praise Auerbach gave his opponents after a few losses: the team. 24 seconds
In 1950, the Celtics invited Auerbach, and the 33-year-old reluctantly accepted Bob Cousy - the Celtics lost him in a lottery He got a high center and a 185cm white guard who is famous for his acrobatic dribbling and exquisite delivery. Auerbach said this: "I'm not trying to disparage anyone, whether it's Cousy or anyone else. I'm all about ability, and Bob hasn't proven it to me yet. I would never make that decision just because he's local." Choice. Cousy's fancy style of play can't bring more than 12 viewers. What really attracts viewers is a team that always wins..."
This is his consistent language style, simple, direct, authoritarian and even brutal. From this year on, for a very long time, there was only the voice of this dictator in the Boston Garden.
In the summer of 1954, George Mikan retired and the Lakers dynasty ended. It was in the fall of this year that the NBA began to implement a 24-second time limit. The big, slow centers were limited. Auerbach grasped this keenly. The calculating minds of the Jews judged the future direction of the world before anyone else. The Celtics have two white guards who are 185 centimeters tall, Bob Cousy, who has eight assists, and Bill Sharman, the marksman who has won seven free throw shooting percentages in 11 years: they are condensed with Kyle. The philosophy of a certain man - or rather Auerbach - transmission, wisdom, projection.
Auerbach understands the game of basketball better than anyone of his generation - this 175cm tall white man roars and curses on the sidelines, driving his horse like an angry knight, while Cousy , Sharman ran toward the opponent's basket like lightning in his roar. Cousy's presence endeared the Celtics to the audience, but Auerbach's roar would obviously offend some viewers. And when audiences in the 1950s saw that this coach had rebelliously selected black athletes from the draft and ordered these blacks to compete against whites, they could only be dumbfounded. Martin Luther King did not issue the anti-racial discrimination declaration "I Have a Dream" until 1968, but more than ten years ago, Auerbach had already appointed black people despite the world's disapproval. To this Jew, perhaps nothing was more important than reality and numbers. There was never any color distinction in his eyes. Like a businessman, a chess player, a general, a jigsaw puzzle kid, he weaves a team as powerful as the all-conquering Lakers that Kundla once led.
That was the 1950s.
The Soviet Union was planning a manned spacecraft, Eisenhower continued to provide aid to Europe, Elvis Presley released his first record, Hemingway won the Nobel Prize for Literature as a representative of the "lost generation" in World War I, and Americans began to watch black and white televisions . And Auerbach, this stubborn middle-aged guy, abandoned his wife and two daughters in Washington, sleepless and foodless, and worked tirelessly to plan his dynasty dream. His fanaticism can surprise fans, referees and NBA officials. He saw the opportunity, practiced it, believed in himself, and made the Celtics a part of his will.
He only cares about winning and the numbers on the win-loss table.
The Celtics began to metamorphose into a terrible plant. They were silent, tenacious, and vigorously growing, just like their jerseys. The Boston Garden became a giant forest of monsters, and Auerbach was the demonic leader there. He aggressively scolded referees and opponents, angrily waved his fists at professional players who were a head taller than him, uttered curse words, encouraged his players at any time, and danced around directing the Celtics' offensive wave. and, making prophecies of victory.