The Latest
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The end of a dynasty . . . and what a way to go
This journey through time with the #86Celtics started back in January, when Red Auerbach used his magic conch shell to assemble a legendary starting five and their Hall of Fame sixth man. From there it moved on to investigate the truth behind the most ruthless trash-talking story you’ve ever heard. We saw the #86Celtics fight through their two most frustrating...
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'86 Celts missed a sweeping opportunity against Lakers
It’s fitting that this week’s #86Celtics story is about a disappointing performance by the Lakers. Then again, it would’ve been fitting at any point this season. Or last season. Or the season before that. But recent Lakers’ disappointment is different from what they experienced 30 years ago. Back in 1986, the Lakers were the defending champs. They won 62 games...
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The #86Celtics: Simply Perfect
Last time on #86Celtics we talked about Michael Jordan’s 63-point effort at the Garden, and that was fun but at the same time everyone knows about Jordan’s 63-point effort at the Garden. That performance will live on forever and never slip through the cracks of history. On the other hand, there’s the third quarter of Game 5 of the...
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The #86Celtics: God falls in the Garden
Growing up in Boston in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Michael Jordan’s 63-point night at the Boston Garden was taught and talked about like an #86Celtics archetype. After all, those Celtics were the consummate team, and Game 2 of their first-round series against the Bulls — a 135-131 double overtime win — was the shiniest example. For young basketball…
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'86 Celts have no what-if? regrets . . . but '73 C's do
Every aspect of life is susceptible to “what-ifs”, but sports are especially bad. With so many random factors — injuries, human error, plain old luck — involved in the outcome of every game, every championship can be hypothetically altered 15 different ways. At some point, it gets to be too much. It can make you sick. You just have to…
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Were the #86Celtics the best passing team of all time?
Last week I searched high and low on YouTube for the best and most awkward Larry Bird commercials. For this week’s edition of #86Celtics, I was back on the hunt, this time for actual basketball footage, all in the name of answering this question: Are the #86Celtics the best passing team of all time? For starters, the presence of Bill...
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Larry Bird was quite the commercial success
Here in 2016, you’re well aware that Larry Bird and Magic Johnson basically saved basketball in the 1980s. Case in point: When Magic won his first title in ‘80, the NBA Finals scored an 8.0 in the Nielsen ratings. When Larry won his first title in ‘81, ratings dipped to a then-record low 6.7. In both cases the games weren’t…
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'86 Celtics to present-day NBAers: There's no comparison
Before we get started on this latest installment of #86Celtics, let me just say that this is a horrible idea. This particular column is a no-win situation that will annoy more readers than it pleases and will in some cases border on blasphemy. In the event you keep reading, don’t say that I didn’t warn you. So this week...
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Seeing Stars: Facts get in way of a good legend
It’s been a lot of fun to research and write up these #86Celtics pieces over the last six weeks, but there’s one downside that I’ve mentioned before and ran into again this time. So let’s get it out of the way — you know, just rip off the band aid — and move on to something better, okay? The...
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How '86 Celtics ruined Christmas but saved their season
When CSNNE senior producer Jim Aberdale and Special Projects producer Torey Champagne originally hatched the plan for this #86Celtics series, they were in part inspired by the idea of introducing a younger generation of Celtics fans to this legendary Celtics team. In that spirit, for this week’s special (if not topical) Christmas-themed installment, there’s no better way to relate...