Did Bird decide to stay in college, or was that always the plan, and Red and everybody else knew it, and Red had the genius idea to draft him a year early? Most execs wouldn't wait for the return on investment of a high pick - Red saw Larry Legend in the 3 year college player from French Lick, and decided he could wait a year for a legend.
Larry was a 5 year player. Went IU and quit. Year later went to ISU. Was available in 78 as his high school class graduated from college in 78. Celtics drafted him in 78 and had to sign him before 79 draft, otherwise Larry might not have been a Celtic. Red was smart and the rest is history.
The dark moment was when Russell and both Jones retired and Bailey Howell went MIA. 1970- . Then the drafted JoJo White and Cowens to go with Havlicek and Nelson and they had a team again.
I had no idea either that Dave Cowens was the last player coach in the NBA. I was also surprised to know that Larry Bird was drafted in 1978 and not 1979. I’m in Western Canada and started following the NBA in the 1979-80 season. Bird and Magic Johnson were the star rookies. The three point shot made it’s debut and the first successful attempt was by Chris Ford with Boston who ironically would later become the Celtics coach.
"You're welcome," says the ABA, which invented the 3-point shot and proved its greatness at adding excitement to the game. The ABA also gave the game Julius Irving, Dan Issel, David Thompson, George Gervin, Artis Gilmore, Bobby Jones, George McGinnis. Without the ABA, the NBA would be as dull as the color of its basketball.
Any other franchise can go three seasons without a dominant team between league titles and it's called a retooling period. For the Celtics, it was gloom. A Time magazine feature in 1978 on the fabulous NBA champs the Portland Trailblazers said, "Celtic pride has gone west..."
Every franchise has its dark moments followed by their time to shine, the thing is there are those teams which seem to live in the dark ages forever, they never peak nor do they play for titles. And every major professional sport has its shining and dark knights.
Did Bird decide to stay in college, or was that always the plan, and Red and everybody else knew it, and Red had the genius idea to draft him a year early? Most execs wouldn't wait for the return on investment of a high pick - Red saw Larry Legend in the 3 year college player from French Lick, and decided he could wait a year for a legend.
Larry was a 5 year player. Went IU and quit. Year later went to ISU. Was available in 78 as his high school class graduated from college in 78. Celtics drafted him in 78 and had to sign him before 79 draft, otherwise Larry might not have been a Celtic. Red was smart and the rest is history.
@@73Trident Ah thanks, that closes the gap I had - the 4 yr after HS deal. Must have been weird playing that last year as a drafted Celtic.
They won 74 and 76 championships. There was no dark moments, that's more like the Knicks franchise since 73.
The dark moment was when Russell and both Jones retired and Bailey Howell went MIA. 1970- . Then the drafted JoJo White and Cowens to go with Havlicek and Nelson and they had a team again.
I had no idea either that Dave Cowens was the last player coach in the NBA. I was also surprised to know that Larry Bird was drafted in 1978 and not 1979. I’m in Western Canada and started following the NBA in the 1979-80 season. Bird and Magic Johnson were the star rookies. The three point shot made it’s debut and the first successful attempt was by Chris Ford with Boston who ironically would later become the Celtics coach.
"You're welcome," says the ABA, which invented the 3-point shot and proved its greatness at adding excitement to the game.
The ABA also gave the game Julius Irving, Dan Issel, David Thompson, George Gervin, Artis Gilmore, Bobby Jones, George McGinnis.
Without the ABA, the NBA would be as dull as the color of its basketball.
It all started when they traded Paul Silas for Curtis Rowe. With that trade, they lost alot of their mental toughness.
Any other franchise can go three seasons without a dominant team between league titles and it's called a retooling period. For the Celtics, it was gloom.
A Time magazine feature in 1978 on the fabulous NBA champs the Portland Trailblazers said, "Celtic pride has gone west..."
Their stars just got old. It's that simple.
Darkest days of the Celtics were the 90s and early 2000s
Yeah true. In the beginning of the video I mentioned that this late 70s time period for the team was “one of their darkest”.
Every franchise has its dark moments followed by their time to shine, the thing is there are those teams which seem to live in the dark ages forever, they never peak nor do they play for titles.
And every major professional sport has its shining and dark knights.