Interesting article on Race, Celtics

[Michael Anthony]

I never really understood the racial issues surounding the Celtics (I was born in 1981), and this article provides some interesting context:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/print?id=4985885&type=Story&imagesPrint=off

[Bahku]

There is no question that Boston has been, (like most other places in the US), a city with a racially charged background. However, it should also be noted that Red Auerbach, (via the Celtics, Bill Russell, etc.), did as much as anyone in his era to overcome the racial barriers in sports, and took a huge amount of criticism and grief in his efforts to integrate the NBA and bring African-American, (and other minority), athletes into the world of professional sports.

[GreenFaith1819]

Michael Anthony..Thanks for the post. Nice Article.

Congrats to Bahku on "2500". Well-earned and deserved, my Man!

This article really brought back memories for me. Race was certainly an issue back then, even though I was too young to fully understand it.

Many of my classmates growing up would question me directly as to why I like The Boston Celtics..even shunning me to a point. Just like the article stated, The Lakers were the much more attractive team to them, I guess, because of race.

I told them that yes, I love my Hue, yes, I loved the Celtics, and yes, Larry Bird was my favorite player. I loved Cedric Maxwell, Robert Parish, DJ, Gerald Henderson also, but I loved the way Larry Played The Game. And his games VS Magic and LA I miss to this day.

I remember the Spike Lee movie, "She's gotta Have It"...where one of the players began questioning the other about Basketball and why he liked Bird. That movie was a good one.

Now fast-forward to the here and now, and this is yet another reason why Paul Pierce is tremendously under-rated as a player, I think - not by Celtics Fans, but in general. He has had to carry some of this burden (of filling Bird’s Shoes), I think, through the losing years, and I believe he has handled it gracefully.

Now this is another reason why I loved Antoine Walker in Green…he carried most of the Post-Bird burden, I believe, and carried it well. I would’ve loved to see him win a ring in Green.

Now Pierce has had some moments, but he has Never held the Team hostage, like some players from other teams done in recent memory. He has won a ring here, which was the first one since those days of the 80's (and I believe he isn’t done ).

This article is one more reason why I am loving my Desktop right now, courtesy of Celtics.com desktops - I have the one "Boston is a Brotherhood", with Larry, Chief, and McHale alongside Ray, Pierce, and KG.

This is Your Time now, Pierce, KG and Ray (With Rajon and Perk coming up soon). Continue to forge your destiny. One more ring this year will keep LA at bay forever, and further cement Pierce's Legacy as a Captain and Player for The Boston Celtics.

And just like the Big Three of old, he will have Two special Teammates that complimented him as a player and will allow him to ride off into the sunset as a Champion.