And I Walked Uphill In The Snow, Both Ways

First time posting … In the 60’s I lived and died with the Celtics. I would never miss a game, listening to Johnny Most, often with a transistor radio, under the pillow when I was should have been sleeping. I was listening when Havlicek stole the ball. It was Sunday and growing up in a very strict religious home … listening to basketball was on the restricted list for Sunday activity. My brother and I hid in the basement listening to the game. When Bill Russel hit the basket support we were devastated. I just knew that Chamberlain would get the ball and score. It was mind boggling … the Celtics don’t loose. When Havlicek stole the ball and Johnny Most went nuts, we totally lost it, yelling and screaming into pillows so we wouldn’t be heard breaking the sabbath. So once again it was confirmed in our minds, the Celtics really don’t loose. Hope it’s not too long a story but my brother and I will never forget it.

Always loved seeing Sam Jones abuse Chamberlain. I was at the Garden, sometime in the 60’s, and Sam Jones was on fire … long banks shots … couldn’t miss. Wilt finally got totally frustrated and chased him out to the the corner to block the shot. From my nose bleed seats all I could see was Chamberlain covering Sam so close couldn’t even see him. Never saw him shoot, just the ball coming out of the corner in a high arching shot … in retro 60’s lingo … swish as Sam informs Wilt “too late”. Didn’t hear him but it was all over the papers the next day.

Lots of memories but…..the Bob Cousy Day my wife(girl friend at the time)attended the game. Cooz was her favorite player.

I remember the goose bumps when Bob tried to speak and paused and that fella yelled from the balcony……. “We luv ya Cooz”.
There were no dry eyes at that point.

We were so lucky to watch all 16 championships and attended some of those great Laker matches with West & Baylor against Russell & Co.

The greatest sporting event I have ever been to was Hondo’s last game at the Garden. There was literally a 15 minutes standing ovation before the game even started. Then, there was another 5 minute standing ovation when they announced his name in the starting line-up. Then, another 5 minute standing ovation at half-time. Then, with 2 minutes left in the game against the Braves, Hondo scored 8 points and was stealing the ball and blocking shots all ove the court. Amazing!!! Can you imagine if he had played with Bird. The 81 comeback against Philly was the greatest comeback of all time until the Sox in 2004. Not only was Philly a great team but it was a great rivalry. Plus, we were down every game until the last 2 minutes of the game.

a couple of years back, i went to see the heat play the c’s. a couple of seats in front of me were these two drunks. the whole game they’re screaming for the c’s to put in mchale (who had been retired for a while by then).
as usual at that time, the c’s were down a bunch with a couple of minutes to go when people start filing out. the wiseguys ask them if they knew something they didn’t. Sure enough, the c’s came back and won the game in double ot.
Lesson: drink more at games

I used to watch Wayne Embry just pummel Chamberlain in the kidneys with his elbows. By the 4th quarter, Wilt would be wincing hard each time Embry would dig in. That’s when I learned about Eastern Conference Basketball, and how physical it was. My Dad wold get great seats from his employer -Stop & Shop – and we would sit right behind the hockey glass. I loved those trips with my Dad. The game was different then – you could hear the guys yelling and squeaking and hitting each other. Now, you are very removed from the physical action because the venues are so large. It was personal back then.

The first time I ever walked out onto the parquet was in ’85 when I was working for WEEI. The black rubber surrounding the basket was all chewed up. I wondered whether these guys actually took pieces out of it with their teeth, or they just broke their noses and pieces of it would just fall to the ground. I was amazed at how bad the floor was – up to a half an inch between squares. How cold these guys go to the floor and not be completely bloody from the edges.

Playoffs at the Old Garden were just something that, to this day, I can say I have never, and will never, experience suck an incredible feeling. First of all, there was no A/C, and in June, everyone was freely sweating. When you finally got to your seat, you could not converse with the person sitting next to you, even if you screamed at them, it was so loud. Lip reading was the only was anybody communicated. But everyone screamed and screamed. The electricity was overwhelming. And the sound would change to angry boos when Jack Nicholson would get up and jump around (I think he stopped coming because of the intimidation). And, you thought that was loud enough – the decibels would increase when Larry-ice-in-his-veins would suddenly be open and just take a sweet jumper and swish! You’d see the Lakers swarming down the court and Chief would get this mean stoic look, and you’d know that he would swat the ball away at the last minute.

Here is a great Celtic story for you. In 1986 a friend of mine use to sell interviews to small radio stations. Basically he had a press pass and went into the locker room after games, got some sound/interviews and sold them to smaller outlet that could afford a sports department. Well he invited me to a game to sit in the press box. It was the last game of the season and the C’s were getting ready to win their championship. While I was up there, Johnny Most walks by with a cigarette in his mouth and a very full plate of food. He just came from the press buffet table. After the game, my friend got me in the locke room with a press pass. There I saw Bird, McHale, Parish, Walton Etc. It was great. Here comes the fun part. I was a little intimidated and doing my best to be invisible in a very crowded locker room. There was wall to wall people. All of sudden, in a loud room I hear a scream. “What the Hell are you doing”? I look around and then I hear it again. “What the Hell are you doing”? To my amazement It was Me he was yelling at. I swear I was being quiet and low key. Out of all the people in the locker room he singled me out. As all the players, coaches, press, and people in the locker room are watching he comes flying over to me and tells me to
“Get the F### out of here”. I told him that I had a press pass, he said I don’t care what the F*** you have, your not working get the hell out of here. I didn’t want to make a scene so I quickly and quietly left the locker room with my tail between my legs. The last people I saw as I was booted out the door was Red and KC Jones staring at me trying to figure out what was going on. My friend later came out laughing and told me it was Jeff Twiss (PR/admin guy at the time)that kicked me out. So when I buy the Celtics from Wyc, the first person I will fire is Jeff Twiss.

Thought you would get a laugh out of that.

I go back all the way to 1965 and my recollections of that time was, that no matter how the game was going, you knew that, at some point, the Celts were going to turn up the defense and make a run. KC would pressure the ball and Russ would block shots while Satch would shut down his man.

Wilt and the Sixers(or Lakers) seemed impossible to beat in late 60s but the Celts did all but once.

The Cowens era was puncuated by a small team with lots of heart. You could count on Cowens’ intensity, Silas getting key offensive rebounds, Havlicek’s and Jo Jo’s clutch shooting, Chaney’s defense and Nelson’s savvy.

The Bird years was during the golden era of the NBA. There will never be teams that good again. The Celts, Lakers, Sixers, Bucks, Pistons and Rockets all were great teams. The frontline, including Walton and former All-Star Wedman had no peer.

Since I was born the year of the first championship, there were 16 in my first 29 years. Let’s hope to break the 21 year drought this season with the Big 3.

Had the bad luck of a late arrival to Logan from another business trip and was driving home on Route 1 to my home on the North Shore. No cable TV in my town then. Saw a sign outside a bar ‘Celtics Game Live’. Pulled in. No cell phone then to call my wife either. It was half time, place was jammed. Saw a pay phone to call my wife but also saw a guy get up in front row. He told me he was leaving, I sat down. My luck had turned. Celts vs Pistons. Great 2nd half. The joint was jumping. Bird stole the ball from Isiah, hit DJ with the pass and we win. Never hugged so many people I didn’t know. Went home on an absolute high, walked in and almost got hit with a rolling pin. ‘Where were you?…I thought your plane went down…I’ve got 3 babies here…you are so inconsiderate and on and on’. She still brings it up.
What year was that? 1987?

My 1st Celtic memory was Cousy’s half time retirement speech it was on TV and I believe that was rare it was at the Garden. Red lighting Cigars before the game was over to signify a win. Celtics always beating the Lakers and listening to Johnny Most. Everyone listened on the radio while the Celtics played at home and we played basketball outside in the winter.
The Celtics came over the border to NH a few times, 1966 Bill Russell’s 1st intra squad game he coached. Another game featured Jimmy Walker the number 1 pick in the NBA in 67 and other Colleges players vs various Celtics players, Jimmy scored 53 I believe and he was the 1st to dribble through his legs while KC Jones covered him.
Watching the Celtics on UHF channel 56 and Tommy was the announcer and Red at times called the game with him. Meeting Don Nelson and Wayne Embry at our State Championship dinner.
Going down at half time to see the players come and go from their respective locker rooms until the late 70’s or early 80’s.
Watching the fast break run time after time with Bill Russell starting it and they almost always scored. Hondo never got tired it was amazing. Cowens could do everything well with intensity and Jo Jo was a pure shooter and great defender. Watching Larry Bird’s 1st no look pass. Maxwell’s jump hook, Mchale’s 3 fakes and a easy shot. Chief out running everyone and he is a center. The new 3 stars will give the young people a thrill they will never forget. Go Celtics.

Those are GREAT stories (especially the last one, where you didn’t get kicked out!).

Mine doesn’t compare to that, but it’s my fondest anyway. It was 1981. I was stationed in Panama, and game 7 was NOT on Armed Forces TV (at least not live). It was on radio instead. Can’t remember if it was a Friday or Saturday night, but all my buddies went downtown (and downtown Panama City was a freaking blast back in the day… sleazy bars etc). Anyway, they were all downtown, and there I was in the barracks, listening to game 7 between the Celts/Sixers. We came back from 3 games to 1 down. We were down 3 to 1 the previous year and they closed us out. This time Bird won the game for us with a bank shot. As I recall it, those last three games that we won were epic 1 and 2 point battles, not won until the closing seconds.

What a rush that was. What elation I felt. I never even SAW the game until years later, but that Sixers/Celtics series in 81 was my best Celtics memory ever (of many, many, many). Beating the Lakers in 84 is a close second.

Another of my fondest was when we were in the exact same situation the following year. We went down 3-1 to the Sixers; came back to tie it 3-3 in their place. Everybody thought it was a done deal that we’d beat them at home, but it was not to be. When it was apparent that the Sixers would beat us, the Garden fans were chanting BEAT L.A. … BEAT L.A. Now, we HATED the Sixers back then, so for Garden fans to chant BEAT L.A., well, you know how just how hated the Lakers were. I just thought it was awesome that Celtics fans were actually cheering for the Sixers to beat L.A.

Anyways, good times. Man, the 80s were the glory years as far as my Celtic fandom is concerned. Could be why I had such disdain for the fools gold ECF team of 2002. Sure, I rooted for ‘em, but knew they were far from great. Thankfully, Danny took a blowtorch to that mess… and now we’re sitting pretty (seemingly).

1st time in the garden (’69?)hank finkel hits half-court hook shot @ the half-time buzzer…

never forget celebrating ‘76 championship @ eddie griffin’s…dancing drunk on the bar (underage).

or being the only celtic fan in baton rouge bar during clincher vs. lakers in ’84 and being asked to leave (for my own safety)@ halftime…

but best of all was larry to DJ against the pistons in the lounge @ hojos in burlington vt. (next to uvm).

perspective!
 

I lived in the same building (the tall towers right up the street from the Garden)as Bill Fitch the year the Celtics drafted McHale. The coach was always very personable and we would chat on those occassions when we were in the elavator together.

Shortly after the draft I ran into coach Fitch in the elevator. I told him they had drafted another big white stiff. He asked me if I had seen McHale play. Yes, I had. I saw him in the NIT in New York and a few games on television. He said that between Red and KC they had seen every game McHale played his senior year, and Fitch himself had every game on tape. They all loved him. I was not convinced, that’s why I teach history and not scout NBA players.

Well, in the 60’s, the Celtics would barnstorm New England playing intersquad games in many small gyms. I would go to see them at the CYO in New Bedford. Russell, Hondo, Sam Jones, all the greats saw them play for fun and to promote the team. In those days, you could buy playoff tickets to see Philly and Boston on the day of the game, so if we had a ride to Boston, we saw some of the best basketball ever played. The most memorable thing I saw was Wilt went after Sam Jones( I think it was 66) and Sam picked up a chair and was ready to hit Wilt with it if he came any closer. It was the greatest rivalry I ever saw, far better than the Lakers, the most intense sporting events I have ever seen and I doubt if I will ever see anything better.The Celtics would go on the road and play Philly in the Palestra( excuse the spelling) and even though the Celts came out on top most of the time, those Philly fans always expected to win and the place was brutal to play in. The announcer there (Zincoff) was the first to interject himself into the game as so many of them do now.He really got the crowd going with little expressions like every time Bailey Howell committed a foul, he called a Howell-Foul. Or if Wally Jones was hot he just screamed out his name for every basket. It was a long time ago, but it is one of those memories of a youngster that even as time erases and blurs some things, some things one never forgets.

Boy, so, so many great times. But here’s two-

1. My girlfriend at the time gave me 2 tickets to the last 76ers vs. Celtics game at the real GARDEN for Christmas the first year we were dating. We were living in NYC at the time, so we came up to Boston for the game. The tickets were Obstructed View because she got them late, and we were both pretty broke then. Anyway, we go to the game together and take our Obstructed View seats. The game is a total sell out. Of course, I’m looking around for any two seats that aren’t obstructed. The seats are so “Obstructed” that we begin to walk around hoping to find two seats anywhere. To my amazement I see two seats center court. Now, I swear, I couldn’t see an empty seat anywhere else- not even up top (I think there were only 4 more games left in the building). We timidly go over and ask the people sitting around them “Are these taken?” They say, “No.” We sit down center court, and see the entire game. Whoever owned these tickets never showed. The Celtics won, and I took it as a good omen that this girl I had just started seeing was pretty great, and good luck. We’re now happily married and have been together for over 12 years now.

2. 1984 Game 7: Back then someone had the great idea to let Tommy be the color guy for CBS’ broadcast of the Finals. It was a riot. Can you imagine Tommy having to be impartial for an entire Celtics/Lakers Finals culminating with a Game 7 in Boston? It was just too much for him. When the Celtics won the series he couldn’t hold it in any longer. He started tripping over his words and stuttering about how great a series and how great the Celtics were. Dick “Laker Homer” Stockton was his play by play guy. I was always amazed that they didn’t kill each other during the games. I think that was Tommy’s last year on National TV.

Good work, Jeff. We now have the board names of all the older guys. Masterful. Let’s sell them to AARP and split the money.

Doh! My name’s here….. nevermind.

I’d like to add something, but my time is short. No, I don’t mean it that way.

Nice reads all. Thanks for sharing.

T

The night Larry Bird scored his 20,000th career point. It should have happened the night before, on the road, but the game was postponed because the ice beneath that opposing arena was making the hardcourt too slick.

In any case, my Dad and I were sitting along the baseline – best seats we’d ever had. Larry didn’t have a great game – I think he needed 14 or 16 points for the milestone – and it took until the second half. But when it happened, the Garden went crazy — I can still hear LARRY, LARRY, LARRY…..

Great stuff keep it coming

1956: Russell’s first game was televised. He didn’t start (the Celts had opened fast with Arne Risen at center) and scored 4 points if I remember correctly. Red was interviewed after the game and predicted that Russ would be a major factor.

December 1956 or January 1957. I was in Madison Square Garden when Russ made his New York debut. The Knicks opened a big lead, the Celtics closed, but the Knicks won by more than ten.

1957: Double headers were still common. I watched Russ battle Wilt in their first Madison Square Garden encounter. Wilt outscored Russ by something like 50 to 20. By the way, the Celtics won.

i’ve seen a few thousand celtic games-tv, live at msg, 69th street armory,kiel auditorium. i prefer the game to come more than the game that was.but here’s 2- i saw johnny havlicek covering dr j in the playoffs during hondo’s last season. he stuck to him like glue up and down the court. dr. j was at or near his prime and he couldn’t shake him. john was the best conditioned athlete and the most underrated superstar. everyone talks about his relentless o, but he was better than bowen on d. my other was watching the cousy-led c’s pre and post russell. the most charismatic c was red. in the middle of the game, no matter what was happening, you were riveted on red- screaming at the refs ( sid borgia, in particular ), up and down the bench. on top of every play and player- the obnoxious maestro.

Maybe it was being a Celtics fan in NYC, but two different times I got Bill Russell’s autograph, and he was reputedly stingy in giving it out. In fact one time, I had no pen and he asked another kid if he could borrow it, to autograph my program. This was in MSG at 8th Ave. and 50th Street.
We also used to go to doubleheaders there: Boston-Philly in the first game and NY-whocares in the second. Tickets were $5 on the side and $2.50 under the baskets, and sometimes they’d open the end seating down to the court, so we’d sit right at the corner of the court.

The greatest C’s blowout I ever saw occurred in MSG when they played the Hawks and it was 39-38 after one period. Just before halftime, the score was something like 75-41! Someone on the Hawks, who no longer had any speed, grabebd Braun, I think, who was on the Celtics. Braun was the only slow player on Boston.

Fun times, expecting Boston to be world champs EVERY single year!

My favorite Cousy pass was the one when he cut under the rim, faked a reverse layout, but funnelled the ball with his left hand, back to Heinsohn, who laid it in, uncontested.

Pegleg (who remembers Togo Palazzi)

hey pegleg- are you a stuyvesant boy?

Us old people posting our Golden Memories. Oh we’re getting even older. But wait. I lived through 10 championships. Oooooh Yeah. You “youngins” are in for a treat.

Nazzbo,
No, Bayside High School, class of ’60.

peleg- stuyvesant, class of 62. i always was a c’s guy rather than a knicks guy, i think mostly because of red, the brooklyn guy.

Pegleg…..Re Togo Palazzi. I remember him as he was a Holy Cross graduate and played first for the Celts.

I attended a double header @ the Garden and Togo was playing for the Syracuse Nationals.

Togo set a Boston Garden scoring record for one quarter by pouring in 23 points in that game(1958). This record was later broken by some guy named Bird.