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I’ve been giving a lot of thought to Arnold “Red” Auerbach lately.
With his death, the golden age of the NBA has passed.
I would be remiss as a longtime coach and a former employee of the CBA franchise, the Maine Lumberjacks, who were linked to the Boston Celtics, if I didn’t share a couple classic Red witticisms with readers today.
Red was an astute observer of a game which had changed markedly since his own basketball coaching days began in 1950.
Arguably the greatest coach in the history of professional sports, Red had a keen eye for change.
I asked the fiery redhead one day what he saw in the league’s future. As a point of reference, this conversation took place long before European stars dominated the pro hoop scene.
If you had the opportunity to speak with Red on the telephone, you had to realize that you were probably keeping him from some other activity.
The conversation began like this:
“Clock’s ticking, kid, you’ve got 20 minutes.”
Oh, my, I’m thinking. OK. Here goes.
At this juncture, I asked the author of all those titles – 16, to be exact – what he saw in the NBA as the greatest change.
“Europe,” he said bluntly. “Those guys will dominate the league someday.”
“How so?” I asked.
“Kids in Europe practice differently than kids in this country,” he went on to say. “High school players have two practices a day. The first session is devoted entirely to fundamentals: shooting, ball-handling, passing – that sort of thing.”
“They take a break, go to school – whatever.”
“Then they’re back at it in sessions similar to what are run in this country.”
“Over here,” he continued. “Every kid wants to face the hoop. There is going to be a time when back-to-the-basket players are non-existent in the United States.”
“Our league will be dominated by big, strong kids from Europe, who can shoot the lights out.”
Remember: This was some 20 years ago, long before present players such as Dallas’ Dirk Nowitzki from Germany and Memphis’ Pau Gasol from Spain were even thought of.
“Before this league (the NBA) is done, there will be franchises in Europe, too. The league will be international in its make-up.”
Yes, this guy was a prophet. He had a hand in putting black athletes such as Bill Russell into positions of prominence in professional basketball.
When asked about an all-black starting five – the Celtics were the first team to do so – he said he didn’t care a lick what color these kids were. He just wanted to win.
I count precious the time I spent with this guy. You always knew where you stood with him – yes, he could be blunt – but he was always a gentleman.
At age 89, Red’s heart finally gave out, a heart so big and so kind that sometimes the gruff exterior he displayed made others think less of him.
I loved the guy. He treated me with respect and dignity in large part because we both had something in common: We were lifers in a game that taught many valuable lessons to its participants.
Rest in peace, coach. There will never be another one like you.
BDN columnist Ron Brown, a retired high school basketball coach, can be reached at bdnsports@bangordailynews.net
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