-It’s been a day since legendary Boston Celtics coach and GM Red Auerbach passed away at the age of 89. It was Auerbach who gave the Celtics their identity by guiding them to nine championships during a Hall of Fame career on the sidelines. But even after retirement, he cameback to run the team and won six more titles upstairs to total a remarkable 15 throughout his illustrious career. Unprecedented stuff.

When I think Celtics, I recall watching Larry Bird, Robert Parrish, Kevin McHale, Dennis Johnson and Danny Ainge torment NBA foes and dominate basketball en route to championships. As a kid who was raised here in New York, I despised Bird and the Celts because they always owned the Knicks. And back then, even though those Knicks teams were terrible, it was much easier to root for them unlike the laughingstock they’ve become today under the gross mismanagement of Isiah Thomas and that buffoon owner James Dolan. But I’ll be honest about those Boston teams of the 80’s which Auerbach was the architect of. I might’ve rooted against them but had the ultimate respect for how great they were. Watching one of the ESPN Classic specials dedicated to Auerbach where Boston defeated the hated Lakers in seven back in 1984 to win their 15th championship, it’s amazing to see how well that team played under the toughest circumstances in a chaotic Boston Garden where temps climbed over 90 Degrees. Insanity to say the least. But if you watch how well they executed on both sides of the floor, it’s just breathtaking. It’s the kind of basketball which made the NBA the most exciting league at that time. Bird was poetry in motion. Some of the shots he made said it. Or the textbook passing they ran to get guys open. Ditto for the Magic Johnson-James Worthy and Kareem Abdul Jabbar Showtime Lakers.

That was basketball. Not the disorganized garbage we usually see now. But there are still a few teams (Detroit, San Antonio, Miami, Dallas, Phoenix) who can play the game and share the ball. It’s just that it’s become more of a one-on-one type clearout that’s more accustomed for the streets of NYC. There’s more selfishness to today’s games. And while there are unbelievable talents such as Kobe and LeBron and AI and Vincesanity and D-Wade, it’s not the same game I grew up watching. Maybe that’s why it’s even easier to appreciate what those Auerbach Celtics and Pat Riley Lakers brought to the table. Still the best teams I ever watched.

In conclusion, Auerbach had a great life and will be missed. Even with him gone, it’s been a positive impact just to see the kind of basketball his teams played. Red will be sorely missed but he’ll never be forgotten. And that is a great thing with the NBA season about to tip off tomorrow night.