RED GETS HIS FIRST RING!!!! -- History of the NBA Finals Part 7

1956

The shot clock and free throw line had together been something that would ultimately spell the end of George Mikan.

First Dolph Shayes at Syracuse would thrive in 1955 to win the title for the Nationals.

Then Philadelphia would surprise the world by making their unheralded center Doug Johnston the go-to guy.

The Warriors would rise from their brief stint in the ashes, and take the NBA title in 1956.

Each of these big wins in the Finals would come against Fort Wayne, who had a great trio with Yardley, Foust and Philip.

So that was 55 and 56.

People say oh...Red's a genius.

He is.

But Doug Johnston had dominated in the league in Philly's resurgence.

Dominated.

Top scorer.

This would simply provide another reason, as Auerbach slept, that his mind kept saying -- DEFENSIVE CENTER, DEFENSIVE CENTER, DEFENSIVE CENTER...

Here we, as historical scientists, can measure precisely what the mentality and feeling was regarding black people in 1955.

They were handled by these guys in the same pretext as the black quarterback.

Anything they could have a white guy do...they got a white guy to do.

Black dudes...were for jumping over people.

This is how the starting center of the 2-time national champions from the University of San Francisco...could actually end up dropping to number three in the draft.

He would have sunk even further down had it not been for Red Auerbach.

Russell not scoring often...was literally professional sports' first hint that black people could possibly be about as different from one another as white people.

First one.

Black athletes were still yet to be regarded to these people as "studious", which is how there could be no black point guards yet.

Defense was alot like homework. It was gruelling, tedious, and the most thankless of all the jobs you could do in a scorers' league.

To these people in 1956...this was simply not black people territory.

So Russell comes in and becomes thus the first Dennis Rodman.

He was as weird to people in 1956 as Rodman was in the 80s and 90s.

Yet Auerbach, the great pioneer of civil rights in sports, would end up demonstrating why Peter Parker in "Spiderman 2" couldn't get with Mary Jane.

Mary Jane in this case was Bill Russell.

Spider-Man...was Auerbach.

Spider-Man knew he had enemies, and they all came out at night to see him in big droves like the Sinister Six.

This was Boston Garden.

They were racist, mean, fucking awful.

Spider-Man could not see Mary Jane put in danger, and so...didn't draft her in 1956.

Auerbach...did.

See?

Auerbach will end up being Matthew McConoughey in Time to Kill. That house gets burned down and he loses everything.

His crooked friends are all "why are you still doing this, Jake? Why don't you give it up? Look what its' started."

But McConoughey says NO!!!!! Russell belongs here. I give up now and all of this...was for nothing.

Auerbach has taken on alot of hats in these hubs.

He's been Alanis, he's been QT, he's been Jack Brigance from a Time to Kill, he's been Spider-Man.

Now...in 1956-57...he would be Arnold Schwartzeneggar from "Total Recall" -- providing a way for everyone to breathe on this planet, even the people they regarded as mutants, who got that way from the effects of having to buy every breath.

Since 1619.

Auerbach will get Russell because he trades Ed McCauley, and then he picks up...with his own regularly scheduled pick...Tom Heinsohn.

Now Auerbach has Cousy, Russell, Heinsohn, Sharman, muscleman power forward Jim Loscutoff, sixth man Frank Ramsey.

Heh-heh-heh...

---------------------------

Yet the Celtics old friend Bob Kerner would be the lucky recipent of Mr. McCauley.

That wasn't all.

Since we last saw Mr. Kerner, he was teaching the sports world that Milwaukee, Wisconsin was a better location then St. Louis, then better then Tri-Cities, thus better then Buffalo.

But in Milwaukee, this deeee-luxe apartment in the sky...something would happen to the romance that was unexpected.

It is here when Kerner's team, at long long long last...actually becomes a good team.

Bob Petit had worked out better then people's dreams and had Doug Johnston's scoring title within a single year's time.

Alex Hannum was made player coach and VERY good. Almost as good as Bob.

And now he had McCauley.

They were the 2002 Oakland Raiders, and could actually contend for a title.

Kerner's old city was starting to regret being so "selfish"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And so he moved them back to St. Louis so that at long last, a full and appreciative arena and city...was backing this franchise and throwing them money.

It would set up the 1957 NBA playoffs, with Boston on top of the Eastern Conference and St. Louis in the West.

The league by now had started to orchestrate, like the NFL, wildcard teams.

These best 2-of-3 serieses would feature the teams that were not Boston and St. Louis.

Syracuse swept Johnston, Fulks and Arizin in Philly 2-0 in the East.

Minneapolis, remaining strong, took that pesky ass Fort Wayne team finally in the West.

Then came Round 2 -- the CONFERENCE FINALS.

Boston kills Syracuse in a 3-0 sweep.

So does Kerner's guys FINALLY KILL MIKAN'S LAKERS! 3-0.

And so the 1957 NBA Finals -- the little guy versus the big guy.

Auerbach vs. Kerner.

The series is hard and nasty and brutal.

It started in Boston.

Game 1 was a two-overtime win for St. Louis. 1-0

Game 2, Boston evened it up, winning by 20. 1-1

Game 3 in St. Louis, another great game with St. Louis pulling it out by 2. 2-1.

Game 4 Boston won 123-118. 2-2.

Back to Boston for Game 5 -- it's a Celtics rout.3-2.

But in St. Louis, the Hawks take another thrilling game. 3-3.

Then in Game 7, Bill Russell had 19 points and 32 REBOUNDS while the other rookie, Heinsohn, had 37 pts and 23 rebounds.

They won 125-123 in double overtime, with Cousy dribbling out that clock.

The Boston Celtics were champions of the world in 1957, their first ever.

Red Auerbach would begin a tradition during the celebration by doing what Kerner had never allowed in his own arena when Auerbach was working for him --

Smoking on the court.

A fat stogy.

AUERBACH TITLE-O-METER = 1

This meter would soon go off the hook like nothing you've ever seen...

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