A Legend Passes

I just finished reading the George Vescey column on the passing of Red Auerbach. It’s a great read if you can get a hold of the NY Times from Monday. Auerbach was still a daily name in basketball in the early 70’s when I became obsessed with basketball. Part of my obsession was pouring over a book entitled simply “NBA Statistics and Records” – I checked and rechecked that book out so often from the Lane County Library I thought they might just give me the book. They did not give me the book but I discovered the copy machine at 5 cents a page. I copied the pages for all the greats including Celtic legends Bill Russell, K.C. Russell, Bob Cousy, John Havlicek, and Jo Jo White, among so many others. I was actually a Milwaukee Bucks fan (I loved Lew Alcindor and the Big O – what self respecting black-top playing12 year old wouldn’t?) but I loved the lore that was Red Auerbach. And although I had no idea what a cigar meant - when I saw those pictures of Red with a big one – I knew that was about a lot of NBA championships.

There is a great story in Vescey’s column (apparently hijacked from John Feinstein’s Auerbach book about Red’s drafting of Bill Russell. Now of course we know Russell was the cornerstone of every Celtic championship from 1956 until 1969 (in case you are counting that is 11 championships in 13 years!). But Red knew in 1956 that he would be good, so when draft day approached, he traded two popular Celtic stars to move up in the draft. However Rochester still had the #1 draft pick – so Red convinced the Celtic owner, who also happened to own the popular dancing show the Ice Capades, to offer Rochester a week of free Ice Capade shows at the Rochester Gym if Rochester would not draft Russell in the #1 spot. I guess you could say if it were not for the popularity of ice dancing, Bill Russell may have never become the basketball legend he is. Now how come that kind of stuff doesn’t happen today?

Oh our game report – we had an easy game and after 20 years one of those now and then is fine by me. We won 4-0 on lovely goals by Julie, Erin and Michele, who blessed us with two beauties. Michele had a particularly nice game – and my theory is that the size of the field was directly proportionate to Michele’s ability to keep the ball right at her feet and do her usual Tasmanian devil twirling tricks. Both of her goals were on drop passes from the forward line which tells me that Michele is always in the right place at the right time and that we should do that play more often!

Kate came to cheer us on and it is always nice to see her on the field – and we eagerly await the day she is back in uniform and with us on the pitch. Kate, I came across this pic from Sonohomish a couple of years back. A lovely day.

I will never complain about the weather, the game, the refs, the opponent (unless it is Escape) ever again knowing how badly Kate wants to be playing. When I find myself watching (are you watching or are you playing?) I kick myself knowing I am lucky to be able to head the ball, make a pass, venture a tackle and take a run down the field.