Just a quick note to observe the 79th birthday —- one day late — of the greatest Celtic of all the great Boston Celtics — Bill Russell, Number 6 — the greatest champion in all of American team sports.
Need I remind you? Eleven NBA championships in 13 years with the Celtics between 1956-57 and 1968-69. The first of only two misses came in 1957-58 when the St. Louis Hawks of Bob Petit and Cliff Hagan beat the Celtics in six games in the finals because of an ankle injury to Russ. You know who was a member of that Hawks’ team? Frank Selvy, who a few years later, as a Los Angeles Laker would miss the wide open 15-foot jump shot in Game 7 in Boston Garden that could have deprived Russell & Company of a championship. Thanks, Frank.
The other year the Celts didn’t fly a banner was 1967, the year the Philadelphia 76ers, led by Wilt Chamberlain, Wally Jones, Hal Greer, Luke Jackson and Chet Walker ousted the Celts in the Eastern Conference finals in five games.
So toast one to the amazing, remarkable, unparalelled William Felton Russell, the Greatest Celtic of them all, with no aplogies required for Bob Cousy, Larry Bird, John Havlicek, Kevin McHale, Dave Cowens or anyone else!!!!!!!!!!
And……a belated happy 45th birtday — one day late — to one of the luckiest men in the world, Josh Brolin, husband of the luscious Diane Lane. He’s 45.