For those who find watching recent Celtics teams painful, however many games they win, here is a reminder of the way it used to be:
The Celtics: A trip down Memory Lane
by Bob Jampol | Jun 25, 2023 | Newton | 11 comments
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Forgive me this brief respite from the weightier issues of local politics! I needed some cheering up.
Well done! WCVB/Mike Lynch put together a similar tribute reel that year, set to the theme from St. Elmo’s Fire. Alas it doesn’t seem to be on the web anywhere.
I love today’s Celtics too – and a few of them live in Newton – but from 1979 – 1987 was truly golden.
Tiny, Cornbread, Larry Legend, D.J., Chief, M.L., Gerald, Danny, Quinn, Jerry, Kevin, Big Bill and K.C. A magical era.
Thanks for the Sunday afternoon diversion, Bob.
Love it. I moved to Boston — or rather, returned to Boston, where I’d lived when I was an infant/toddler — just after the Celts won the 1981 title, so I figured that was a pretty good omen. Having followed the team from afar for so long, being in or near Boston (lived in Worcester from mid-’83 to mid-’85, but close enough) during those glory years of the ’80s was an absolute pleasure.
And yes, that 1985-86 team was something special, and for me that specialness goes beyond basketball: I had the pleasure of watching them win Game 6 of the Finals with my wife-to-be, in the apartment of one of my best friends from college.
I did a story on K.C. Jones a couple of years later, and our interview took place one afternoon in the old Garden a little before practice started. At one point, I thought, “Good God. I’m sitting with K.C. Jones in the Boston Garden, and there is practically nobody else around.” Fortunately, being reasonably professional, I got my head back in the game and the interview went fine.
I miss the Bird-era Celtics as well. They were my entry into Boston sports, with the victories and heartaches. IMO, they never really recovered from the death of Len Bias. Plus, from 1986 on, it seems like the sports gods decided that the Celtics had won enough – along with bad luck, bad management, the rise of other teams, etc.
I’m breathless every time I watch these clips. The unselfishness of the players, the unexpected runs and passes, the quick movements, and the ballet-like athleticism of the entire team are so special.
we need a post about the triple murder in Nonantum today.
@Bugek – I think I’ll hold off posting anything about that for the moment. So far there is very little public information available. We know nothing about the perpetrator(s), the motive(s) or nearly any other details. Any discussion now would inevitably be lots of fact-free speculation, which is never constructive and often destructive.
Fee free to ping me again about this once there is enough additional information to have a useful discussion.
How about a post but with comments closed. Quite a few neighbors still not aware this happened and anyone who was in the area who can remember seeing “anything” strange on sat morning should contact police
And also to remind residents to be vigilant incase it was truly random
Done
Great clips. Seems like most of them are Bird draws a double team, passes to open man, who then makes an extra pass to a more-open man. That extra pass is what distinguishes. They all start with Bird’s talent though; the team-first mindset and coaching don’t mean anything without that.
LeBron James orchestrating the historically inept 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers to an NBA title as their best player, de-facto coach, and effectively their GM as well, remains the most impressive singular feat by an NBA player IMHO.