Two other major events that are glossed over are the tragic deaths of rookie Lenny Bias (cocaine OD) and star Reggie Lewis (officially: heart irregularity)). I don't feel any Celtic history is complete without a more detailed analysis of these events, because they greatly affected the team's future. Sure it is bad news, and the idea here is to keep things upbeat and stress the championships won. But a "complete history" should live up to its name.

Lenny Bias was to be the shot in the arm of youth the aging '86 champs would need to defend their title. Add the "what-ifs" of a healthy Walton and Wedman and the `87 Celtics may very well have won 70 games. Instead, they won 59 and went to 6 games with the Lakers in the Finals, and were within one Magic baby hook of changing the series around. The documentary included in this box about that season is inspiring- the starting five had numerous injuries but trudged on. But it was also a marker of things to come.

It is apparent the Celtics had too many stiffs on the bench in 87 and 88, the last two Bird years the team was in true title contention. The fact is the team had no cards to play with- all the money had been put on the Bias pick. KC Jones had to run his starting five of Ainge, DJ, Chief, Bird and McHale into the ground because there was no one else to go to reliably. In retrospect you wonder why they never got one more key player somewhere to help out. Bird for example may very well have been able to play longer.

Unfortunately the Celtics have lost their touch and luck of the leprechaun for getting incredible talent. The parade of nonde???? and underachieving people- both coaches and players-since 1988 is unfortunate. When will Celtics ball be magic again? They used to own Boston!

所有跟贴: