Don’t Look Back, Part I

The very first thing I did when I bought “100 Things Celtics Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die” was check the date on the inside cover. I wanted to see when it was written because that would tell me whether or not it included my saddest moment as a Celtics fan: game seven of the 2010 NBA Finals.

As you can see, I haven’t stopped thinking about that game even four years later. I try not to – it hurts too much – but I can’t help it. It’s intrinsically human; even after all the wonderful moments in our lives, we always think about what could have been and tend to dwell on missed opportunities.

For those who might not know what happened in 2010, here’s a brief summary: after Kevin Garnett missed the 2009 playoffs due to an injury on his right knee, the Celtics met their biggest rival, the Los Angeles Lakers, in rematch of the 2008 NBA Finals which the Celtics won in 6 games). They were up by as many as 13 points in the third quarter of the deciding seventh game, but were unable to close the deal and the Lakers won the championship on their home court.

The Celtics’ roster that season was extremely deep. Six of their players were current or former NBA All-Stars. Rajon Rondo emerged as a dominant force after having played a complementary role in the 2008 championship. Rasheed Wallace was a dependable veteran with championship experience. Nate Robinson, Glen Davis, and Tony Allen provided youth and energy off the bench. Despite a rocky regular season that ended with the team posting a 50-32 record (after winning 23 out of their first 28 games), they began the playoffs on the right track when they eliminated Dwyane Wade’s Miami Heat in five games.

After beating the Heat, the challenge that lay ahead was seen as an insurmountable one by many observers. Every single basketball analyst at ESPN predicted the Celtics would fall to the Cleveland Cavaliers, who boasted the league’s best record and its Most Valuable Player, LeBron James. Against all odds – and without the luxury of home court advantage – Boston beat Cleveland in six games and moved on to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they defeated the Orlando Magic to set up the rematch with the Lakers.

Basketball fans around the world rejoiced. We had been waiting for this for two years, and now that Garnett was back, it was on. The teams were evenly matched, and their historic rivalry only added to the drama. Would Kobe Bryant get his revenge, or would the Celtics embarrass him again? We couldn’t wait to find out.

To be continued…

The Boston Celtics…book review? Yes!

Although I have written book reviews before, I never thought I’d do one for this blog. As John Lennon would say, I should’ve known better. Last night at Barnes & Noble, I came across a title that drew my attention: “100 Things Celtics Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die.” I bought it immediately and started to read it before I even left the store.

The book is a fun, concise, and educational read divided into 100 chapters dedicated to different people and moments that shaped Boston Celtics history. Its author, Donald Hubbard, is a Boston-area attorney who has also written books about the Red Sox and the Patriots.

Chapter 35, “Race”, was particularly interesting. In just two and a half pages, Hubbard explains the C’s complex relationship with the subject. In 1950, they became the first team in NBA history to draft an African-American player, and in 1966, the first one to hire a black coach. On the other hand, in a league that was 75% black in 1986, their roster fielded eight white players and only four blacks, giving off the impression that they deliberately avoided recruiting African-Americans.

Chapter 30, “Other Steals” is also a great one. It lays out how the creative (and business-savvy) basketball minds in the Celtics front office were able to pull off moves that greatly benefited the team. Even though most basketball fans know these stories, reading how Red Auerbach landed both Robert Parish and Kevin McHale on the same day and reliving the Kevin Garnett trade will put a smile on anybody’s face.

Speaking of KG, I was slightly disappointed by the brevity of chapter 37, “Garnett.” Hubbard does a relatively good job of summarizing his accomplishments, but he leaves out the most important stat of Garnett’s career: he holds the NBA record for most seasons averaging over 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists per game, a testament to his versatility. This is particularly noteworthy for Celtics fans because the man whose record he broke is none other than Larry Bird.

In the grand scheme of things, this is a minor quibble. If your interest in the game of basketball and the Celtics franchise is more than a passing one, then this book is indispensable, because it sums up almost every important event in the team’s history in 260 easy-to-read pages.