Northeastern University - Cauldron Yearbook (Boston, MA)

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The Boston Celtics - pride and tradition The Boston Celtics were presented with a trophy by Mayor Kevin White at City Hall ceremonies early in 1974 following their successful bid to recapture the NBA championship, their 12th such crown. From left of photographer are General Manager Red Auberback, Celtics captain John Havlicek, forward Paul Silas, a pained broadcaster Johnny Most and assistant trainer Frank Challant. When you think of a National Basketball Association Champion- ship, there is no need to look any further than the city of Boston and its pride and joy, the Celtics. Twelve times in the last 18 years the Celtics have been the best in basketball, and it all culminated on May 12, 1974 when the Celts cap- ped a five-year rebuilding program with a seventh game victory over the Milwaukee Bucks that gave them that 12th title. The man totally responsible for rebuilding the team that lives on pride is Red Auerbach, the super- lative general manager of the world champions who also coached the first nine championship teams. Auerbach took a team that won its last championship in 1969, then finished with the fourth worst record among 14 teams in the 69- 70 season and built it back into a champion in five years. The start of Auerbach ' s rebuild- ing actually began in 1968, when the Celtics drafting last as the world champions, plucked defen- sive genius Don Chaney from Houston out of the college draft. The following year Auerbach came up with yet another blue chipper in 13

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The moderation of a Mayor White lannella as sure candidates. WHDH radio personality Avi Nel- son, a foe of forced bussing who supposedly has strong support from Boston republicans, may also enter the race if he feels his chan- ces for a successful run against Congressman John Joseph Moakley next year remain slim. The moderation of a Mayor White may be replaced with something else by the people who finally de- cided that moderation is not the answer. — J. E. Briand School Committee members John McDonough, John Kerrigan, and Paul Ellison, below, leave Federal District Court in 1974 after being charged with contempt for not submiting a plan for school integration. Above left, State Rep. Raymond Flynn of South Boston speaks to an anti-busing crowd while City Councilor Louise Day Hicks, above right, speaks against the forced busing. 12

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Jo Jo White, a pereninial NBA All- Star, from Kansas. But the following year Auerbach chose the player who has made the Celtics what they are today, the best team in basketball. Dave Cow- ens joined the Celtics from Florida State for the 1970-71 season and immediately his impact was felt. The big redhead was the missing link the Celtics needed to become a champion. It took him a year to learn the NBA, as the Celts finished with a 44-38 record, an improve- ment from the previous season, but still out of the playoffs. Cowens, thought by almost everyone to be too small to play center in the NBA at 6-9, finished seventh among league rebounders with 1216 rebounds for a 15 per-game aver- age. He pitched in 17 points a game and was a landslide choice for Rookie of the Year honors. The Celtics, led by Capt. John Havlicek, finished second in team offense during that season, aver- aging 117. 2 points per game. Only Milwaukee, the world champions that season, scored more than Bos- ton, averaging 115.1 points per contest, finishing 13th among 17 teams. Havlicek finished second among, league scorers, averaging 28.9 points in 81 games. The following year, 1971-72, the Celtics raced to a 52-26 regular season record, the best in the East and the fourth best in the NBA. Back in the playoffs after a two- year absence, the Celtics elimi- nated Atlanta, four games to two, but then ran into a red hot New York Knickerbocker team and were eliminated in five games. The team offense slipped as the club finished third in scoring with a 115.6 per-game average while Hav- licek also fell a notch, finishing third with a 27.5 average. Cowens climbed to fifth among NBA centers in the rebound department, picking off 15.2 a game. His scoring also increased, as the redhead aver- aged 18.8 points per-game. White, in his third year with the team, averaged 23.1 points and joined Havlicek and Cowens on the Eastern All-Star team. It was White ' s second straight All-Star ap- pearance as he was beginning to gain the reputation as one of the game ' s top guards. Who will ever forget the 1972-73 season? The Celtics completely tore up the league and finished with the second best record in NBA history. Their 68-14 record that season was just one game off the Los Angeles Lakers 1971-72 record of 68 wins and 13 losses. One month before that season began, Auerbach made a move to strengthen the team that was raved about in NBA circles, but was just another typical Auerbach move. He obtained Paul Silas from Phoenix for the rights to Charlie Scott, who had signed with the rival American Basketball Association and then jumped to the Phoenix team. Auer- bach owned the NBA rights to Scott and demanded remuneration in the form of Silas when Scott signed to play with the Suns. All Silas did was fit perfectly into the Celtics style of play, just as if he had been a Celtic all his life. He made Cowen ' s job a lot simpler as the tandem immediately became the most feated rebounding duo in the NBA. Cowens finished third among NBA rebounders with 16.2 a game, while Silas backed him up with a 13 per-game and was the ninth best rebounder in the league. Led by Havlicek (23.8), Cowens (20.5), White (19.7), Silas (13.3), Chaney (13.1), and the always steady Don Nelson (10.8), the Cel- tics finished second in NBA scoring with 112.7 points a game, just one- tenth of a point behind Houston. The Green Machine was sixth in points allowed, giving 104.6 up on a game. The Celtics entered the playoffs as heavy favorites and whipped At- lanta four games to two. This was Boston Celtic center Dave Cowens catches an elbow in the head while going up for the basket in a game with the Washington Bullets. 14