Boston Celtics Top 25 Moments In Franchise History
By Bill Speros
2. The Green Turns To Red
When Red Auerbach died in 2006, long-time Celtics PR director Jeff Twiss hailed him as “He was a combination of General Patton and Winston Churchill. He had his opinion on most everything from letter openers to handball. And, he was the foremost authority on Chinese food… 24/7, 365 days a year.”
Thus was the complexity and basketball brilliance of the long-time Celtics coach, general manager and team president. Auerbach was hired by Celtics team founder Walter A. Brown in 1950 the Celtics had finished in last place. Brown was desperate to reverse the fortune of his fledgling franchise that was playing basketball “in a hockey town with a baseball team.”
Among the legends brought to Boston by Auerbach: Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, Larry Bird, Frank Ramsey, Tommy Heinsohn, Sam Jones, John Havlicek and Dave Cowens. With Auerbach at the helm as coach or in the front office, the Celtics won 16 championships, including nine during his last 10 years as coach. He retired as the winningest coach in NBA history with 938 victories (against 479 defeats) in his 20-year career. His victory cigar still burns metaphorically whenever the Celtics win. His statue sits in Boston next at the Fanueil Hall Marketplace.
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