Rich Levine

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  • Jun 14, 2016

    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.Ā From there it moved on to investigate the truth behind the most ruthless trash-talking story youā€™ve ever heard. We saw the #86Celtics fight through their two most frustrating...

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  • Jun 14, 2016

    '86 Celts missed a sweeping opportunity against Lakers

    Itā€™s fitting that this weekā€™s #86Celtics story is about a disappointing performance by the Lakers. Then again, it wouldā€™ve been fitting at any point this season.Ā Or last season. Or the season before that. But recent Lakersā€™ 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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  • Jun 14, 2016

    The #86Celtics: Simply Perfect

    Last time on #86Celtics we talked about Michael Jordanā€™s 63-point effort at the Garden, and that was fun but at the same time everyone knows about Jordanā€™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, thereā€™s the third quarter of Game 5 of the...

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  • Jun 14, 2016

    The #86Celtics: God falls in the Garden

    Growing up in Boston in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Michael Jordanā€™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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  • Jun 14, 2016

    '86 Celts have no what-if? regrets . . . but '73 C's do

    Every aspect of life is susceptible to ā€œwhat-ifsā€, 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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  • Jun 14, 2016

    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.Ā For this weekā€™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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  • Jun 14, 2016

    Larry Bird was quite the commercial success

    Here in 2016, youā€™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 ā€˜80, the NBA Finals scored an 8.0 in the Nielsen ratings. When Larry won his first title in ā€˜81, ratings dipped to a then-record low 6.7. In both cases the games werenā€™t…

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  • Jun 14, 2016

    '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, donā€™t say that I didnā€™t warn you. So this week...

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  • Jun 14, 2016

    Seeing Stars: Facts get in way of a good legend

    Itā€™s been a lot of fun to research and write up these #86Celtics pieces over the last six weeks, but thereā€™s one downside that Iā€™ve mentioned before and ran into again this time. So letā€™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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  • Jun 14, 2016

    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 weekā€™s special (if not topical) Christmas-themed installment, thereā€™s no better way to relate...

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