Red Auerbach

Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox basketball biography Arnold Jacob "Red" Auerbach (September 20, 1917 – October 28, 2006) was an American professional basketball coach and executive. As a head coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA), he led the Boston Celtics to an unprecedented championship run, winning eight consecutive NBA championships from 1959 to 1966.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Before coaching the Celtics, Auerbach was head coach of the Washington Capitols of the Basketball Association of America and Tri-Cities Blackhawks (now the Atlanta Hawks) of the NBA. At retirement, Auerbach held multiple NBA coaching records, with 938 wins and 9 championships.Template:Efn<ref name="pride">Template:Cite news</ref> After his retirement from coaching, he served as president and front-office executive of the Boston Celtics until his death. As general manager and team president of the Celtics, he won an additional seven NBA titles for a total of 16 in 29 years. This makes him the team official with the highest championship-winning rate in NBA history and one of the most successful team officials in the history of North American professional sports.<ref name="jockbio">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Auerbach introduced the fast break strategy as an offensive tool,<ref name="jockbio" /> still widely used in basketball today. Many aspects of Auerbach's fast break philosophy remain fundamental in today's game.

He coached numerous players who were inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> including Bill Russell, Larry Bird, Bob Cousy, John Havlicek, and Bill Sharman.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

He also played a key role in decreasing racial discrimination in the NBA. He made history by drafting the first African-American NBA player, Chuck Cooper, introducing the first African-American starting five,<ref name="color">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and hiring Bill Russell to be the first African-American head coach in North American sports in 1966.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Auerbach was also famous for smoking a cigar when he thought a victory was assured, a habit that became known as "the ultimate symbol of victory" during his time in Boston.<ref name="jockbio" />

In 1967 it was announced that recipients of the NBA Coach of the Year award would receive the "Red Auerbach Trophy." Auerbach was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1969.<ref name="pride" /> In 1970, Auerbach was named president of the Celtics, a role he held until 1997. In 2001, after spending four years as the team's vice-chairman, he returned to the team president role and served in that capacity until he died in 2006 at age 89.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 1980, Auerbach was named the greatest coach in the history of the NBA by the Professional Basketball Writers Association of America,<ref name="NYTimes">Template:Cite news</ref> and was NBA Executive of the Year in 1980.<ref name="pride" /> Furthermore, Auerbach was voted one of the NBA 10 Greatest Coaches in history, inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, and honored with a retired number 2 jersey at TD Garden, the Celtics' home.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Early life

Arnold Jacob "Red" Auerbach was born in Brooklyn, New York City, on September 20, 1917. Auerbach was one of four children of Marie and Hyman Auerbach. Hyman was a Russian-Jewish immigrant from Minsk, Russia, and Marie Auerbach, née Thompson, was American-born. Auerbach Sr. had left Russia when he was thirteen,<ref name="team" /> and the couple owned a delicatessen store and later went into the dry-cleaning business. Auerbach spent his childhood in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, playing basketball. Thanks to his flaming red hair and fiery temper, Auerbach was nicknamed "Red".<ref name="jockbio" />

During the Great Depression, Auerbach played basketball as a guard at P.S. 122 and Eastern District High School,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> where he was named "Second Team All-Brooklyn" by the World-Telegram in his senior year.

College career

After a season at Seth Low Junior College, Auerbach received an athletic scholarship to play for the George Washington Revolutionaries men's basketball team in Washington, D.C.<ref name="jockbio" /><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Auerbach was regarded as a standout basketball player. Auerbach was a three-time letterman, team captain, and led the team in scoring in 1940. Auerbach graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Education in 1940, and a Master of Education in 1941.<ref name="team" /><ref name=":0">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In those years, Auerbach began to develop the technique known as the fast break. On February 4, 1943, Auerbach appeared in a game for the Harrisburg Senators of the American Basketball League (ABL) and scored one point.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Coaching career

St. Albans School (1941)

In 1941, Auerbach began coaching basketball and teaching at the St. Albans School in Washington, D.C.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

File:Red Auerbach.jpg

Auerbach's Navy headshot, likely taken in late 1943.

Roosevelt High School (1941–1943)

Auerbach coached basketball and baseball, and taught at Roosevelt High School in Washington, D.C. for two years.<ref name="team" /><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

United States Navy

Auerbach enlisted in U.S. Navy in June 1943. He served for three years as a Rehabilitation and Physical Training officer. He primarily served in a medical capacity at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.<ref name=":1" /> Auerbach coached the base team at Naval Station Norfolk in Norfolk, Virginia.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He was released from active duty as a Lieutenant (junior grade) in October 1946.<ref name=":1" />

Washington Capitols (1946–1949)

While with the U.S. Navy, Auerbach caught the eye of Washington millionaire Mike Uline, who hired him to coach the Washington Capitols in the newly founded Basketball Association of America (BAA), a predecessor of the NBA.<ref name="jockbio" />

In the 1946–47 BAA season, Auerbach led a fast break-oriented team built around early BAA star Bones McKinney and various ex-Navy players to a 49–11 win–loss record, including a standard-setting 17-game winning streak that stood as the single-season league record until 1969. In the playoffs, however, they were defeated by the Chicago Stags in six games.<ref name="team">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The following year the Capitols went 28–20<ref name="team" /> but were eliminated from the playoffs in a one-game Western Division tie-breaker.<ref name="jockbio" /> In the 1948–49 BAA season, the Caps won their first fifteen games and finished at 38–22.<ref name="team" /> The team reached the BAA Finals but was beaten by the Minneapolis Lakers, led by Hall of Fame center George Mikan. In the following season, the BAA and the rival National Basketball League merged to become the NBA, and Auerbach felt he had to rebuild his squad. However, owner Uline declined his proposals, and Auerbach resigned.<ref name="jockbio" />

Duke Blue Devils (1949)

After leaving the Capitols, Auerbach became assistant coach of the Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It was assumed that Auerbach would take over for head coach Gerry Gerard, who was battling cancer. During his tenure at Duke, Auerbach regularly worked with future All-American Dick Groat. Auerbach later wrote that he "felt pretty bad waiting for [Gerard] to die" and that it was "no way to get a job".<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Tri-Cities Blackhawks (1949–1950)

Auerbach left Duke after a few months when Ben Kerner, owner of the Tri-Cities Blackhawks, gave him the green light to rebuild the team from scratch. Auerbach traded more than two dozen players in just six weeks. The revamped Blackhawks improved but ended the 1949–50 NBA season with a losing record of 28–29. When Kerner traded Auerbach's favorite player John Mahnken, an angry Auerbach resigned.<ref name="jockbio" />

In 1950, Auerbach took a position as the athletic director of Kutsher's Hotel in the Catskills, NY. Kutsher's was the center of a summertime basketball league, and players from the New York City area would participate, playing for one of several local country clubs and hotels.<ref name="kutshers">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Boston Celtics (1950–1966)

Before the 1950–51 NBA season, Walter Brown, owner of the Boston Celtics, was desperate to turn around his struggling and financially strapped franchise, which was reeling from a 22–46 record.<ref name="team" /> Brown, in characteristic candor, said to a gathering of local Boston sportswriters, "Boys, I don't know anything about basketball. Who would you recommend I hire as coach?" The group vociferously answered that he should get the recently available Auerbach and Brown complied. In the 1950 NBA draft, Auerbach made some notable moves. First, he famously snubbed future Hall of Fame point guard Bob Cousy in the 1950 NBA draft, infuriating the Boston area. He argued the flashy Cousy lacked the poise necessary to make his team, taunting him as a "local yokel".<ref name="jockbio" /> Instead, he selected Bowling Green center Chuck Share with the first overall pick in the 1950 NBA draft. Auerbach used their second-round pick on Chuck Cooper, the first black player to be drafted by an NBA club.<ref name="AfricanAmerican1st">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> With that, Auerbach effectively broke the color barrier in professional basketball.<ref name="color" />

Entering the 1951 season, the core of the Celtics consisted of Hall-of-Fame center Ed Macauley, Auerbach's old favorite McKinney, and an unlikely addition, Bob Cousy. The point guard refused to report to the club that had drafted him, and because his next team, the Chicago Stags, folded - Cousy ended up with the Celtics. With Auerbach's fast-break tactics, the Celtics achieved a 39–30 record but lost in the 1951 NBA Playoffs to the New York Knicks. However, the relationship between Auerbach and Cousy improved when the coach help craft the young guard - an already outstanding dribbler and passer - become the first great playmaker of the early NBA.<ref name="jockbio" />

In the following 1951–52 NBA season, the Celtics obtained guard Bill Sharman. Sharman, who was drafted in the second round of the 1950 NBA draft, played his rookie season with the Washington Capitols. When the Capitols folded after the 1950 season, Sharman was selected by the Fort Wayne Pistons in the dispersal draft, and subsequently traded to the Celtics prior to the 1951 season. With the high-scoring Macauley, elite passer Cousy, and new prodigy Sharman, Auerbach had a core that provided high-octane fast-break basketball. Other notable players who joined the Celtics during these early years were forwards Frank Ramsey and Jim Loscutoff. For the next five seasons, the Celtics would make the playoffs every year but never won a title. The Celtics often choked in the playoffs, going 10–17 in the postseason from 1951 through 1956.<ref name="team" /> As Cousy put it: "we would get tired in the end and couldn't get the ball."<ref name="shouler">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> As a result, Auerbach sought a defensive big man who could get easy rebounds, initiate fast breaks, and close out games.<ref name="jockbio" />

File:Bill Russell and Red Auerbach 1956.jpeg

Auerbach sitting on the bench next to rookie Bill Russell during a game at Boston Garden on December 26, 1956. Bob Cousy can be seen in the background.

Before the 1956 NBA draft, Auerbach had already set his sights on defensive rebounding center Bill Russell. Via a draft-day trade that sent Macauley and rookie Cliff Hagan to the rival St. Louis Hawks (Kerner had moved the Blackhawks to St. Louis), he acquired a center in Russell. In the same draft, Auerbach also picked up the forward Tom Heinsohn and guard K.C. Jones, an additional two future Hall of Famers. Emphasizing team play rather than individual performances, and stressing that defense was more important than offense, Auerbach drilled his players to play tough defense and force opposing turnovers for easy fast-break points. Forward Tom Sanders recalled, "defense and conditioning were the best parts of those teams".<ref name="shouler" />

Anchored by defensive stalwart Russell, the tough Celtics forced their opponents to take low-percentage shots from farther distances (there was no three-point arc at the time); misses were then often grabbed by perennial rebounding champion Russell, who then either passed it on to elite fast-break distributor Cousy or made the outlet pass himself, providing their sprinting colleagues opportunities for an easy slam dunk or layup.<ref name="jockbio" /> Auerbach also emphasized the need for role players like Frank Ramsey and John Havlicek, who became two of the first legitimate sixth men in NBA history,<ref name="shouler" /> a role later played by Don Nelson. Auerbach's recipe proved devastating to the opposition. From 1957 to 1966, the Celtics won nine of ten NBA championships. This included eight consecutive championships— the longest championship streak in North American sports—and six victories over the Los Angeles Lakers of Hall-of-Famers Elgin Baylor and Jerry West in the NBA Finals. The streak also denied perennial scoring and rebounding champion Wilt Chamberlain a title during Auerbach's coaching reign.<ref name="feinstein">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Flowing from Auerbach's emphasis on teamwork, what was also striking about his teams was that they never seemed to have a dominant scorer: in the 1960–61 NBA season, for instance, the Celtics had six players who scored between 15 and 21 points per game, but none made the Top 10 scoring list.<ref name="shouler" /> In 1964, he sent out the first-ever NBA starting five consisting of an African-American quintet, namely Russell, Willie Naulls, Tom Sanders, Sam Jones, and K.C. Jones. Auerbach would go a step further in the 1966–67 NBA season when he stepped down after winning nine titles in 11 years and made Bill Russell player-coach. Auerbach also popularized smoking a victory cigar whenever he thought a game was already decided, a habit that became a popular tradition in the Boston area.<ref name="shouler" /> Furthermore, having acquired a reputation as a fierce competitor, he often got into verbal altercations with officials, receiving more fines and getting ejected more often than any other coach in NBA history.<ref name="shouler" />

File:Bill Russell and Red Auerbach 1966 Champions.jpg

Bill Russell next to head coach Red Auerbach after winning the 1966 NBA Finals.

All in all, Auerbach directly coached nine NBA championship teams and mentored four players—Russell, Sharman, Heinsohn, and K.C. Jones—who would go on to win an additional seven NBA championships as coaches (two each for Russell, Heinsohn and Jones, all with the Celtics, and one for Sharman with the Lakers). Thirteen players who played for Auerbach have been inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame—Macauley, Ramsey, Cousy, Sharman, Heinsohn, Clyde Lovellette, Arnie Risen, Andy Phillip, John R. Thompson (as a coach), Russell, K.C. Jones, Havlicek, and Sam Jones. Although Don Nelson played for Auerbach only during his last year as coach, his influence was profound: Nelson would later join Auerbach as one of the 10 Greatest Coaches in NBA history.<ref name="jockbio" /> Sharman, Heinsohn, and Russell would become three of only five people to be inducted into the Hall of Fame as both a player and a coach.

Before the 1965–66 NBA season, Auerbach announced the coming year would be his last as coach, stating to the rest of the league, "This is your chance to take your last shot at me." After losing Game 1 of the 1966 Finals to the Lakers in overtime, he publicly named his successor, center Bill Russell. The Celtics won the series in seven games, sending Auerbach out on top.

Executive career

Boston Celtics (1966–2006)

Russell took over as a player-coach for the 1966–67 NBA season, becoming the first African-American head coach in the four major North American professional team sports.<ref name="jockbio" /> While his pupil led the Celtics to two additional titles in 1968 and 1969, Auerbach rebuilt the aging Celtics with shrewd draft picks, namely future Hall-of-Famers Dave Cowens and Jo Jo White, as well as Paul Westphal and Don Chaney. With ex-player Tom Heinsohn coaching the Celtics and led by former sixth man John Havlicek, Auerbach's recruits won the Atlantic Division every year from 1972 to 1976, winning the NBA title in 1974 and 1976. Auerbach also signed veteran forward/center Paul Silas and ex-ABA star Charles Scott.<ref name="team" />

However, Auerbach could not prevent the Celtics from going south at the end of the 1970s. He traded away both Silas and Westphal because they wanted salary increases that would have made them higher earners than the best player on the Celtics (Cowens), which was not acceptable to Auerbach. While the Westphal trade to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Charlie Scott was considered a success due to the Celtics' 13th title in 1976, Auerbach later admitted he erred in letting Silas go, even after Cowens personally begged him to give Silas a new deal. When Havlicek retired in 1978, the Celtics went 61–103 in two seasons.<ref name="team" /> In the summer of 1978, after the worst in a string of contentious clashes with several different owners after Walter Brown's passing in 1964, Auerbach hopped into a taxi to take him to Logan Airport, where he was to board a flight to New York to consider a lucrative contract offer from Knicks owner Sonny Werblin. However, the cab driver pleaded with him to stay, emphasizing how much Bostonians loved him and considered him family.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Soon after, heading a team press conference, and with his typical bravado, Auerbach puffed on his trademark cigar and stated, "I'm not going anywhere. We're going to sign Larry Bird, and we're going to be on top again." Despite knowing that Bird, a talented young player from unheralded Indiana State, had a year of college eligibility remaining, he had drafted Bird as a junior eligible in the 1978 NBA draft. He waited for a year until the future Hall of Fame forward Bird arrived, finally setting aside his team salary rules when it became clear that his choices were paying Bird a record-setting rookie salary or watching him re-enter the 1979 draft. Bird then became the highest-paid Celtic as a rookie, with a $650,000-per-year deal. Auerbach knew the brilliant, hard-working Bird would be the cornerstone of a new Celtics generation.<ref name="jockbio" />

In 1980, Auerbach pulled off what became known as "The Steal of The Century".<ref>Template:YouTube</ref> He convinced the Golden State Warriors to trade him a #3 overall pick and future Hall-of-Fame center Robert Parish in exchange for two picks in the 1980 NBA draft: #1 overall Joe Barry Carroll and the #13 pick Rickey Brown. With the #3 pick, Auerbach selected the player he most wanted in the draft, Kevin McHale, who would also be inducted into the Hall of Fame. The Parish-McHale-Bird frontcourt became one of the greatest in NBA history. Auerbach also hired head coach Bill Fitch, who led the revamped Celtics to the 1981 title.

In 1983, Auerbach named former Celtics player K.C. Jones as the coach. Starting in 1984, Jones coached the Celtics to four straight appearances in the NBA Finals, winning championships in 1984 and 1986.

Auerbach, as a part-time side gig, was the color analyst on NBA and college basketball games for TBS sports from 1982 to 1987.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Turner's 'Dream Game' Was a Rude Awakening – The Washington Post</ref>

In 1984, after he relinquished his general managing duties to Jan Volk, Auerbach focused on continuing as president and later vice-chairman of the Boston Celtics.<ref name="team" /> In a surprising move after winning their 15th title, he traded popular guard Gerald Henderson, the Game 2 hero in the Finals against the Lakers, for Seattle's first-round draft pick in 1986. Two years later, after the Celtics defeated Houston in the finals for their 16th championship, he used the second overall pick in the 1986 draft, the pick acquired from Seattle, to take college prodigy Len Bias from Maryland, arguably the most brilliant coup in Auerbach's stellar career. With the team's star players still in their prime, the defending champions appeared set to compete at the top for years. However, tragedy struck just two days later, when Bias died of a cocaine overdose. Several years later, Celtics star player Reggie Lewis died suddenly in 1993. Without any league compensation for either loss, the team fell into decline, not seeing another Finals appearance in Auerbach's lifetime.<ref name="team" />

In an interview, Auerbach confessed that he lost interest in big-time managing in the early 1990s, preferring to stay in the background and concentrating on his pastimes, racquetball and his beloved cigar-smoking. He would, however, stay on with the Celtics as president until 1997, as vice chairman until 2001, and then became president again, a position he held until his death,<ref name="shouler" /> although, in his final years, he was weakened by heart problems and often used a wheelchair.<ref name="tribute">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Personal life

File:RedAuerbach.jpg

Auerbach was honored on October 25, 2006, three days before his death, for his service in the Navy during World War II.

Auerbach was one of four children of American-born Marie Auerbach and Russian Jewish immigrant Hyman Auerbach in Brooklyn. His brother Zang Auerbach, 4 years his junior, was a respected cartoonist and portraitist at the Washington Star.<ref name="feinstein" /> Zang also helped create the iconic Boston Celtics leprechaun logo.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He married Dorothy Lewis in the spring of 1941. The couple had two daughters, Nancy and Randy.<ref name="shouler" /> They also helped raise Nancy's daughter Julie.

Auerbach loved smoking cigars. In the 1960s, some Boston restaurants displayed signs stating, "No cigar or pipe smoking, except for Red Auerbach".<ref name="shouler" /> In addition, Auerbach was well known for his love of Chinese food. In an interview shortly before his death, he explained that since the 1950s, Chinese takeout was the most convenient nutrition: NBA teams used to travel on regular flights and had a tight schedule, so filling up the stomach with heavier non-Chinese food meant wasting time and risking travel-sickness. Over the years, Auerbach became so fond of this food that he even became a part-owner of a Chinese restaurant in Boston.<ref name="feinstein" /> Despite a heart operation, he remained active in his 80s, playing racquetball and making frequent public appearances.

Despite his fierce nature, Auerbach was popular among his players. He recalled that at his 75th birthday party, 45 of his former players showed up;<ref name="shouler" /> and when he turned 80, his perennial 1960s-era foe Wilt Chamberlain showed up, a gesture Auerbach dearly appreciated.<ref name="feinstein" />

In an interview with ESPN, Auerbach stated that his all-star fantasy team would consist of Bill Russell—who in the former's opinion was the ultimate player to start a franchise with—as well as Bob Pettit, Elgin Baylor, Oscar Robertson and Jerry West, with John Havlicek as the sixth man. As for the greatest basketballers of all time, Auerbach's candidates were Russell, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Michael Jordan. Auerbach made multiple such "all-time" rankings over the years, with his last one being in June 2006, months before his death. Auerbach talked about his fictional team with journalist Ken Shouler which featured the following: Abdul-Jabbar, Chamberlain, and Russell at center; Bird, Erving, Pettit, and Baylor at forward; and Robertson, Jordan, Havlicek, Johnson, and Cousy at guard.<ref name="shouler" />

Auerbach was elected to the American Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1991. In 1993, Auerbach received an honorary Doctor of Public Service from George Washington University.<ref name=":0" />

Death

Auerbach died of a heart attack on October 28, 2006, at the age of 89.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> NBA commissioner David Stern said, "The void caused by his death will never be filled" and players Bill Russell, K.C. Jones, John Havlicek and Larry Bird, as well as contemporaries like Jerry West, Pat Riley, and Wayne Embry universally hailed Auerbach as one of the greatest personalities in NBA history.<ref name="tribute"/> Bird stated, "Red shared our passion for the game, our commitment to excellence, and our desire to do whatever it takes to win." Auerbach was survived by his daughters, Nancy, Randy, Julie, and Julie's children Peter, Hope, and Noelle. Auerbach was interred in Falls Church, Virginia, at King David Memorial Gardens within National Memorial Park on October 31, 2006. Attendees included basketball dignitaries Bill Russell, Kevin McHale, Danny Ainge, and David Stern.Template:Citation needed

During the 2006–07 NBA season, NBA TV and NBA.com aired reruns of Auerbach's four-minute instructional videos known as "Red on Roundball" previously aired during NBA on CBS halftime shows in the 1970s and 1980s, and as a testament to his importance in the Boston sports world, the Boston Red Sox honored Auerbach at their April 20, 2007 game against the New York Yankees by wearing green uniforms and by hanging replicated Celtics championship banners on the "Green Monster" at Fenway Park. Boston won 7–6.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Before Boston's season opener against the Wizards, his signature was officially placed on the parquet floor near center court, thereby naming the court as "Red Auerbach Parquet Floor". The ceremony was attended by his daughter Randy and Celtics legends. The signature replaced the Red Auerbach memorial logo used during the 2007 season.

Writing

Auerbach was the author of seven books. His first, Basketball for the Player, the Fan and Coach, has been translated into seven languages and is the best-selling basketball book in print.<ref name="jockbio" /> His second book, co-authored with Paul Sann, was Winning the Hard Way. He also wrote a pair of books with Joe Fitzgerald: Red Auerbach: An Autobiography and Red Auerbach On and Off the Court. In October 1991, M.B.A.: Management by Auerbach was co-authored with Ken Dooley. In 1994, Seeing Red was written with Dan Shaughnessy. In October 2004, his last book, Let Me Tell You a Story, was co-authored with sports journalist John Feinstein.

Legacy

Template:More citations needed section Among Auerbach's accomplishments during his 20-year professional coaching career were eleven Eastern Division titles (including nine in a row from 1957 to 1965), eleven appearances in the finals (including ten in a row from 1957 to 1966), and nine NBA championships. With 16 NBA championship rings in 29 years (1957–86) as the Celtics coach, general manager, and team president, Auerbach is the most successful team official in NBA history.<ref name="jockbio" /> He is credited with creating several generations of championship Boston Celtics teams, including the first Celtics dynasty with Bill Russell, which won an NBA record eight titles in a row (1959–66). As Celtics general manager, he created championship-winning teams around Hall-of-Famers Dave Cowens and John Havlicek in the 1970s and Larry Bird in the 1980s.<ref name="jockbio" />

In addition to coaching, Auerbach was a highly effective mentor; several players coached by Auerbach became successful coaches. Bill Russell won two titles as Auerbach's successor, Tom Heinsohn won a pair of championships as a Celtics coach in the 1970s, K.C. Jones led the Celtics to two further titles in the 1980s, and Bill Sharman coached the Los Angeles Lakers to their first title in 1972. In addition, prototypical sixth man Don Nelson had a highly successful coaching career and joined his mentor Auerbach as one of the 10 Greatest Coaches in NBA history. Outside the NBA, former Auerbach pupil John Thompson became a highly successful college coach with the Georgetown Hoyas, leading the team to the 1984 NCAA championship and mentored Hall of Fame players Patrick Ewing, Dikembe Mutombo, Alonzo Mourning, and Allen Iverson.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Throughout his coaching tenure in Boston, Auerbach served several other roles including, but not limited to, general manager, head of scouting, personnel director, and travel agent.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In the early off-seasons, he would take the Celtics on barnstorming tours around New England, promoting the still fledgling NBA. At the end of every season, regardless of their on-court success, he approached owner Brown and asked, "Walter, are our last paychecks going to clear?" to which Brown would always positively respond, and they would. Despite Brown's close association with the NHL's Boston Bruins, whose owners also possessed the Boston Garden, the Celtics were fleeced on concessions and profits as tenants. During this era, when most team owners not only thought of but also treated their players as cattle, athletes from all four major professional sports leagues were fighting for their rights and economic fairness. As Auerbach represented the management of the Celtics, team members frustrated with their salaries had only him to complain to, or about, in their role in the players' union. These interpersonal dynamics are construed as follows by journalist David Halberstam:<ref>Halberstam. pg. 343</ref>

The hard core of the union came from the Celtics. That was not surprising; Red Auerbach went after the players of the highest intelligence and character, and then of course paid them horribly. That made the Celtics a mass of contradictions. They had a great team spirit, personal loyalty to each other, respect and love for Auerbach, who had created this unique institution and honored each of them by making him a part of it, and then of course great anger at him for paying them so little.{{#if:|{{#if:|}}

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Template:Peacock section Auerbach was known for his firm stance in contract negotiations, typically starting discussions with what he considered a fair offer and maintaining his position throughout the process.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In the summer of 1984, Auerbach signed former finals MVP Cedric Maxwell to a guaranteed contract to stay with the Celtics. Auerbach faced a setback when Maxwell arrived that fall out of shape and, suffering from injuries, contributed little as the team was defeated by the Lakers in the 1985 Finals. Two key events followed: Auerbach traded Maxwell to San Diego in exchange for former MVP Bill Walton, who played a significant role in winning its 16th title in 1986, the last championship during Auerbach's tenure. Second, Maxwell remains a respected figure within the Celtics organization, with his number retired alongside other notable players.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In Auerbach's honor, the Celtics retired a number-2 jersey with his name, recognizing his significant contributions to the franchise, second only to founder Walter Brown, who is honored with the number-1 'BROWN' jersey.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

File:Celtics2.png

In 1985, the Boston Celtics retired the #2 jersey with Auerbach's name.

His story is portrayed in the 2006 documentary The First Basket. It focuses on the history of Jews in Basketball. He is also featured as an interview subject for the film.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> A statue of him with his signature cigar is located in Boston's Quincy Market.

Coaching pioneer

From the early stages of his career, Auerbach emphasized the fast break strategy, which involved a quick outlet pass to fast-moving guards who attempted to score before the opposing team could re-establish its defensive position.<ref name="jockbio"/> Further, Auerbach moved the emphasis away from individual accolades to teamwork.<ref name="team"/> He also invented the concept of the role player and the sixth man,<ref name="jockbio"/><ref>Creator of the Sixth Man Talks About Game's Best</ref> stating: "Individual honors are nice, but no Celtic has ever gone out of his way achieving them. We have never had the league's top scorer. We won seven league championships without placing even one among the league's top 10 scorers. Our pride was never rooted in statistics."<ref name="team"/>

While Auerbach was not known for his tactical bandwidth, famously restricting his teams to just seven plays,<ref name="team" /> he was well known for his psychological warfare, often provoking opposing players and officials with unabashed trash talk. For his fiery temper, he was ejected more often and received more fines than any other coach in NBA history.<ref name="shouler" /> Age did nothing to diminish his fire; in 1983, after star Larry Bird was ejected from a preseason game against Philadelphia at the Garden along with the Sixers' role player Marc Iavaroni, Auerbach stormed onto the court and after taking the officials to task, screamed nose-to-nose with the 6'10" 260-pound Moses Malone. Concerning his own team, Auerbach was softer. Earl Lloyd, the first black player to play in the NBA, said: "Red Auerbach convinced his players that he loved them... so all they wanted to do was please him."<ref name="shouler"/>

No color barrier

Auerbach was recognized for selecting players based on talent and motivation, regardless of skin color or ethnicity.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 1950, he made NBA history by drafting the league's first African-American player Chuck Cooper. He constantly added new black players to his squad, including Bill Russell, Satch Sanders, Sam Jones, K. C. Jones, and Willie Naulls. In 1964, these five players became the first African-American starting five in the NBA. When Auerbach gave up coaching to become the Celtics' general manager in 1966, he appointed Bill Russell as his successor. Russell became the first black NBA coach and was the first black coach of a professional sports organization since Fritz Pollard in 1925.<ref name="color"/> As the Celtics' general manager in the 1980s, Auerbach fielded an earnest, hardworking team derided as being "too white".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> While the 1980s Celtics were not predominantly white or black, the NBA at the time was predominately black. White players like Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Danny Ainge, and Bill Walton played alongside Tiny Archibald, Dennis Johnson, Robert Parish, and Cedric Maxwell to bring three more championships in the 1980s under coaches Bill Fitch (white) and Jones (black).

Arnold "Red" Auerbach Award

To honor Auerbach, the Celtics created the Arnold "Red" Auerbach Award in 2006. It is an annual award to the current Celtic player or coach who "best exemplifies the spirit and meaning of a true Celtic."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

NBA Coach of the Year Award

The NBA gives out an annual Coach of the Year Award to honor the league's best coach as voted by a panel of sportswriters. The trophy is named the Red Auerbach Trophy,<ref>The Jewish Coaches Association also presents an identically named "Red Auerbach Trophy," to the most outstanding Jewish-American basketball coach of the year.</ref> which depicts a figure of Auerbach sitting on a bench.

NBA coach statistics

Template:NBA coach statistics legend Template:NBA coach statistics start |- | align="left" |Washington | align="left" |Template:Nbay |60||49||11||Template:Winning percentage||align="center" |1st in Eastern||6||2||4||Template:Winning percentage | align="center" |Lost in BAA semifinals |- | align="left" |Washington | align="left" |Template:Nbay |48||28||20||Template:Winning percentage||align="center" |2nd in Western (tie)||-||-||-||Template:Winning percentage | align="center" |Lost division tiebreaker |- | align="left" |Washington | align="left" |Template:Nbay |60||38||22||Template:Winning percentage||align="center" |2nd in Eastern||11||6||5||Template:Winning percentage | align="center" |Lost in BAA Finals |- | align="left" |Tri-Cities | align="left" |Template:Nbay |57||28||29||Template:Winning percentage||align="center" |2nd in Eastern||3||1||2||Template:Winning percentage | align="center" |Lost in Division semifinals |- | align="left" |Boston | align="left" |Template:Nbay |69||39||30||Template:Winning percentage||align="center" |2nd in Eastern||2||0||2||Template:Winning percentage | align="center" |Lost in Division semifinals |- | align="left" |Boston | align="left" |Template:Nbay |66||39||27||Template:Winning percentage||align="center" |2nd in Eastern||3||1||2||Template:Winning percentage | align="center" |Lost in Division semifinals |- | align="left" |Boston | align="left" |Template:Nbay |71||46||25||Template:Winning percentage||align="center" |3rd in Eastern||6||3||3||Template:Winning percentage | align="center" |Lost in Division finals |- | align="left" |Boston | align="left" |Template:Nbay |72||42||30||Template:Winning percentage||align="center" |3rd in Eastern||2||0||2||Template:Winning percentage | align="center" |Lost in Division finals |- | align="left" |Boston | align="left" |Template:Nbay |72||36||36||Template:Winning percentage||align="center" |4th in Eastern||7||3||4||Template:Winning percentage | align="center" |Lost in Division finals |- | align="left" |Boston | align="left" |Template:Nbay |72||39||33||Template:Winning percentage||align="center" |2nd in Eastern||3||1||2||Template:Winning percentage | align="center" |Lost in Division semifinals |-! style="background:#FDE910;" | align="left" |Boston | align="left" |Template:Nbay |72||44||28||Template:Winning percentage||align="center" |1st in Eastern||10||7||3||Template:Winning percentage | align="center" |Won NBA Championship |- | align="left" |Boston | align="left" |Template:Nbay |72||49||23||Template:Winning percentage||align="center" |1st in Eastern||11||6||5||Template:Winning percentage | align="center" |Lost in NBA Finals |-! style="background:#FDE910;" | align="left" |Boston | align="left" |Template:Nbay |72||52||20||Template:Winning percentage||align="center" |1st in Eastern||11||8||3||Template:Winning percentage | align="center" |Won NBA Championship |-! style="background:#FDE910;" | align="left" |Boston | align="left" |Template:Nbay |75||59||16||Template:Winning percentage||align="center" |1st in Eastern||13||8||5||Template:Winning percentage | align="center" |Won NBA Championship |-! style="background:#FDE910;" | align="left" |Boston | align="left" |Template:Nbay |79||57||22||Template:Winning percentage||align="center" |1st in Eastern||10||8||2||Template:Winning percentage | align="center" |Won NBA Championship |-! style="background:#FDE910;" | align="left" |Boston | align="left" |Template:Nbay |80||60||20||Template:Winning percentage||align="center" |1st in Eastern||14||8||6||Template:Winning percentage | align="center" |Won NBA Championship |-! style="background:#FDE910;" | align="left" |Boston | align="left" |Template:Nbay |80||58||22||Template:Winning percentage||align="center" |1st in Eastern||13||8||5||Template:Winning percentage | align="center" |Won NBA Championship |-! style="background:#FDE910;" | align="left" |Boston | align="left" |Template:Nbay |80||59||21||Template:Winning percentage||align="center" |1st in Eastern||10||8||2||Template:Winning percentage | align="center" |Won NBA Championship |-! style="background:#FDE910;" | align="left" |Boston | align="left" |Template:Nbay |80||62||18||Template:Winning percentage||align="center" |1st in Eastern||12||8||4||Template:Winning percentage | align="center" |Won NBA Championship |-! style="background:#FDE910;" | align="left" |Boston | align="left" |Template:Nbay |80||54||26||Template:Winning percentage||align="center" |2nd in Eastern||17||11||6||Template:Winning percentage | align="center" |Won NBA Championship |-class="sortbottom" | align="left" |Career |||1417||938||479||Template:Winning percentage||||168||99||69||Template:Winning percentage Template:S-end

See also

• The First Basket
• List of select Jewish basketball players
• List of NBA championship head coaches
• Statue of Red Auerbach

Notes

• Obituary (January 19, 2007), Jewish Chronicle, p. 45
• Halberstam, David. The Breaks of the Game. Random House. 1981

External links

• Template:Basketballhof
• Info page from Boston Celtics official site
• Template:Find a Grave
• Coaching statistics at basketball-reference.com
• [https://www.imdb.com/{{#if: 0041728

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