In Appreciation of… Red Auerbach

Red Auerbach (Courtesy: Boston Globe)

 

We are spending some time looking back over the Boston Celtics championship season… in an effort to truly appreciate the efforts of those involved.  Over the past two weeks, we’ve appreciated the team’s management, ownership, coach and players.  In our next to last installment of the fifteen part series, we appreciate the patriarch of our beloved franchise.

It’s odd that a championship that made things complete for so many people was missing one very important thing.  The presence of Red Auerbach. 

For the first time in Celtics history, Red was not around to watch and celebrate a title with the Celtics.  The man who built a little team in Boston into “The Celtics” didn’t get a chance to see the team built the same way he had built so many of his champions:  A shrewd trade or two, genius drafting, and a selfless commitment to winning that cast aside all pursuits of individual glory.  A lot of former Celtics said Red would have loved this team, and I have to believe that truer words cannot be spoken.

Yes, Red is gone, but don’t for a second believe that his influence isn’t felt by this team.  This sense of family that exists with the Celtics exists because of him.  The reason Bill Russell, John Havlicek and Bob Cousey can hang around the practice facility and dole out advice and tricks of the trade is because that’s the kind of family Red built.  The reason why EVERY guy who comes to town shows up in awe of those banners is because Red created a culture of winning here.  The reason why “Celtics Basketball” is a selfless brand of “I’ve got your back” swarming defense and “everyone touches the ball” offense is because Red insisted on it.

And it was all those things that made Red a cultural visionary… not just a basketball one.  In my view, he doesn’t get enough credit for destroying racial boundaries during the most heated era of American racial conflict.  Red Auerbach simply didn’t care what color anyone was.  All he asked was “can you play?”  Players played, regardless of creed or color.  Its a level of equality that still hasn’t been achieved in America.  He didn’t get a black player, or appoint a black coach, because a quota forced him too.  He did it because these were simply people… people who were best for the job.

The greatest test of a leader’s abilities is what happens AFTER he’s gone.  A good leader’s team may fall apart when he leaves, because the good leader can only motivate what’s in front of him.  A good leader wants to keep secrets to his success… just in case he has to lead someone else.  A good leader can come into a house and clean it up… but he doesn’t teach anyone else how to clean.  So when he leaves, it gets messy again.

The truly great leaders, however, build something.  The greatest leaders leave behind others who can also lead when he is gone.  They leave behind a plan, and people who are inspired to carry out that plan.  The greatest of leaders don’t care about themselves.  They care about their team, and those they are leading.  In basketball, there is no greater leader than Red Auerbach.  The Boston Celtics have been, and forever will be, Red Auerbach’s team, because everything the Celtics have done to get where they are right now is according to his plan.  And for that, Red, we appreciate what you’ve done to help us achieve the ultimate goal… another NBA title.

—

After Red passed, we put a special page together to remember him.  It includes my eulogy for him, and a lot of links and photos.  Click here to check it out.