Red Auerbach, died Saturday

[saint0917]

WASHINGTON -- His genius was building a basketball dynasty in Boston, his gift was straight talk, his signature was the pungent cigar he lit up and savored after every victory.

Red Auerbach, the Hall of Famer who guided the Celtics to 16 championships -- first as a coach and later as general manager -- died Saturday. He was 89.

Auerbach died of a heart attack near his home in Washington, according to an NBA official, who didn't want to be identified. His last public appearance was on Wednesday, when he received the U.S. Navy's Lone Sailor Award in front of family and friends at a ceremony in the nation's capital.

Legendary Celtics coach Auerbach dead at age 89 (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2642131)

[Go...gate]

He will be missed. His playbook was elegantly simple and the Celtics were always fun to watch when he coached. They also played great team defense, which you don't see much in the NBA anymore.

[UNHWildCats]

The celtics will wear a black shamrock with "Red" in green lettering all season in honor of Red.

[Pards Rule]

I used to HATE seeing him light that cigar up - particularly when the Celts beat the Sixers...But time dulls intensity and I felt sad reading about the death of a legend in Sundays paper. And what classic battles the Celts-Sixers gave the NBA in the late 70s - early 80s...So much intensity that Bird and Erving got into it once!

[HIU 93]

"The greatest manager of men I have ever had the pleasure of knowing."- Legendary coach John Thompson on Red Auerbach.

[UNH_Alum_In_CT]

I don't follow the NBA much these days, but I thought I heard that the Celtics were going to have a dance team at games this year. And IIRC they are the last NBA team to do so. I for one am happy that Red didn't have to see this occur at the Garden! Old school!!!

Not that we got to see too many games "way back when" because only a game of the week was televised before the playoffs, but THE game was the entertainment in those days. And I am so lucky to have seen some of the Celtics-Philly and Celtics-Lakers battles of the late 60's. And I'll never forget packing the living room in the dormitory (only TV in the dorm during those days) to watch the Celtics battle the Knicks (Reed, Lucas, Frazier, Bradley, etc.) with the NY-NJ kids greatly outnumbered by all us New Englanders. And during the ensuing years to watch the Cowens-Jabbar battles then the Larry-Doctor-Magic battles.

And to think that today I can't even watch one quarter of an NBA playoff game today without going to the remote at the first commercial! : smh : : smh : : smh : And that's a best case scenario!! :(

Old school as well and darned proud of it. And thankfully I-AA and AGS have more than filled the void!! xsmileyclapx xsmileyclapx

[ngineer]

I don't follow the NBA much these days, but I thought I heard that the Celtics were going to have a dance team at games this year. And IIRC they are the last NBA team to do so. I for one am happy that Red didn't have to see this occur at the Garden! Old school!!!

Not that we got to see too many games "way back when" because only a game of the week was televised before the playoffs, but THE game was the entertainment in those days. And I am so lucky to have seen some of the Celtics-Philly and Celtics-Lakers battles of the late 60's. And I'll never forget packing the living room in the dormitory (only TV in the dorm during those days) to watch the Celtics battle the Knicks (Reed, Lucas, Frazier, Bradley, etc.) with the NY-NJ kids greatly outnumbered by all us New Englanders. And during the ensuing years to watch the Cowens-Jabbar battles then the Larry-Doctor-Magic battles.

And to think that today I can't even watch one quarter of an NBA playoff game today without going to the remote at the first commercial! : smh : : smh : : smh : And that's a best case scenario!! :(

Old school as well and darned proud of it. And thankfully I-AA and AGS have more than filled the void!! xsmileyclapx xsmileyclapx

Very true. If I watch the last 5 minutes of a game I feel like I've seen the whole thing. I miss the 'old days' when it comes to the NBA.

[Pards Rule]

As a kid I distinctly recall my father - a big Knicks fan and a bigger Bill Bradley fan - going up on the roof to turn the TV antenna toward NY (we lived in suburban Philly) to catch the Knicks-Lakers championship one year. This was before national TV televised all the games in a championship. The pic was blurry and skipped (bottom to top) but he could make out what was happening. Do I date myself!!