Who Remembers The Original Celtics?

[Llama_Cookie]

No one. Exactly. I haven't heard of the Original Celtics in about a decade, until I saw them in the Ultimate Base Roster in 2K12. This is the only footage I could find of them, and even though their highlights are miserably awful and on an 14-year old level in today's standards, they were still a huge part of early basketball, and its leagues. They were enshrined into the Basketball Hall of Fame, as well. I could only find one video of the Original Celtics, and keep in mind that they have nothing to do with the Boston Celtics, at all.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkiHjjbK3io

A question for you guys however, would you guys like to see them in person, play? (I know, they've passed for over 45 years) And also, what level of playing basketball do you think they would be in if they played today? (NBA, High School JV, Varsity, College, Street, Middle School, etc.)

P.S. How about Davy Banks' two-hand set shot? AMAZING!

[Andrew]

I know them from reading books about the history of basketball and whatnot, but I haven't sought out any highlights of them. Tough to say what level they'd be at today, probably still professional though I'm guessing they'd probably have a tough time keeping pace with the best of the best that the NBA has to offer today, or in recent generations.

[shadowgrin]

They are thugs.

viewtopic.php?p=1610025#p1610025

[Sauru]

if they came into todays leage to play they get destroyed but if a team from today goes back in time to play them then they win hands down cause they are all white and the refs wont have it any other way. it would be like watching a miami heat game where all the calls were one sided

[NovU]

Come on now Sauru the young grasshopper. If you wanna blame refs the Heat aren't the ones you should be targetting. Our wins are mostly based on talent alone. Check out how the Lakers made to the playoffs last season. Now that is a joke. And you seriously think the Celtics have chance at Wiggins now that the Lakers are fully committed at tanking? LoL?

[Mandich]

I love it when online fans say "our wins", as if they were a part of them.

[shadowgrin]

Ditto.

[hova-]

Watching the footage and seeing one player coming from the left dribbling with his right (looking very akward), I am not too sure if they would even manage to keep up on today's high school basketball. Tough to say though.

[NovU]

lol @ mandich's custom title. Still buttsore after lil run in?

btw Were dunks allowed back then? Any of the original Celtics dunked?

[Andrew]

I don't think they were banned at that time (they were once banned in the college ranks, in the 60s/70s if I recall correctly) but they weren't common.

[Sauru]

this is a silly question. this team would have no chance against any team anywhere right now.

[Mandich]

If I remember correctly, dunks were not forbidden, it was just people didn't do it. That is, until black people came into the NBA (no racism intended)

BTW NovU nhf just trying to have a good time

[benji]

Dunks were highly discouraged, they were considered bad sportsmanship and disrespectful. Dunking would earn you an elbow in the throat or a leg underneath you when you tried to land.

It wasn't really until the ABA (and then in many respects ESPN and increasing video highlights) that dunks were celebrated and encouraged. Even into the late 70's in college ball they were no-no's though the Kareem rule was lifted in 1976 which is why it takes until Hakeem/Jordan's class where people started dunking regularly. (Plus like Jordan was a fan of David Thompson, others were probably Dr. J fans, so kids of that era would make it popular. Then the next group followed Jordan and so on.)

I'm sure plenty of those older players could dunk, there's evidence of Mikan and other 7 footers of the early eras doing it in exhibition contests, and it's not terribly hard for many people 6-6 or taller to dunk unless they have Kevin Willis style arms or Oz's leaping ability.

[Bruce]

I seriously want to re-title this thread as "who here was alive when the original Celtics played?"

[NovU]

Good point. If I remember correctly I don't remember anything from back then probably because I wasn't alive. But by the looks of it, benji seemed to be, but then he's a historian(aka hard cold fact guy or unemployeed on welfare).

BTW NovU nhf just trying to have a good time

Cool, buddy. Stay around more and have fun.

[shadowgrin]

it's not terribly hard for many people 6-6 or taller to dunk unless they have Kevin Willis style arms or Oz's leaping ability.

Oz has strong arms. You should know.