Boston Celtic Legacy: The Ainge Impact

Most people who follow professional sports know that the Boston Celtics have won a total of sixteen championships during their stay in Beantown.

And I would rack up most of the credit to the visionary architect Red Auerbach. He was the coach and then general manager of the famed Celts, famously smoking a cigar upon adding ring after ring in the the 1960s, all the way to the last three of the 1980s.

Bird was the word.

But let me advance two other names that Auerbach foresaw that perhaps have forever changed the game:

Bill Russell and Danny Ainge. Among many other great players, of course, such as Havlicek and Cousy, KC Jones and Dave Cowens, Parrish and McHale...

Red made the big man, nemesis of the late great Wilt Chamberlain, his player coach. Bill Russell. Goateed court wizard. 11 rings.

Player. COACH.

Wow. I call that trust and foresight, visionary madness and greatness.

11 rings later, it proved prescient indeed.

And don't forget: Russell was a black man in Boston in the 1950s and 1960s. Think about that.

Fascinating. A real historical hallmark of our nation, in my opinion.

And what about Danny Ainge?

Surely Larry Bird was the keystone of the Boston renaissance of the 1980s.

But the last two had a lot to do with the feisty 6'5" former BYU guard and Toronto Blue Jay outfielder, Danny Ainge.

He was a perfect compliment to the best front line of all time.

He had the heart and will of a champion.

As he has now proved as the heir apparent to the late great cigar smoking Red.

And ironically, as life so often turns, Ainge is a teetotalling tobacco eschewing Latter-day Saint, i.e. Mormon.

And he is stormin' with KG, Paul Pierce and Jesus Shuttleworth, and a host of other role players.

Can he add number 17?

Or is it up to Kobe and Phil?

Phil wants 10. LA/Minneapolis have 14 in all.

Kobe has three. Bird has three. Ainge has two.

What drama.

I love the NBA.

Clinch.