The morning after Red Auerbach died, I went to the library.
I went looking for a book that John Feinstein wrote with Auerbach in 2004 called Let Me Tell You a Story: A Lifetime in the Game.
I knew that Auerbach built the Boston Celtics and coached them when they won nine championships in 10 years. I also knew that he may have been the most important figure in basketball since James Naismith and that I couldn't call myself a real basketball fan until I had read those stories.
When I was checking the book out, the girl at the counter said, "Oh, Red Auerbach. He died last night, didn't he? Sorry if you liked him."
But I could only smile back at her and nod. I couldn't tell her he was one of my heroes, or that I admired him, or tell her my favorite Red Auerbach story. I hadn't heard the stories.
When I got back from the library, I read the book in three hours-I couldn't put it down. It talked about these lunches, where Auerbach would eat with his friends (including Feinstein) and talk about everything-teams, players, other coaches, referees, his life.
How he traded the Ice-Capades for Bill Russell. Why Adolph Rupp wasn't a racist-but "cheap, that was another story." How he served as the go-between when Muhammad Ali challenged Wilt Chamberlain to a fight-"Ali would've killed him." How he invented the concept of the sixth man-"If I send one of my two or three best players into the game at that point. he's going to be able to take advantage of people."
Quite simply, Auerbach had his hand in every major happening in the world of basketball for over 50 years, even the ones that it would seem he couldn't possibly have had anything to do with.
Coach K's career at Duke? Auerbach had a hand in it. Twice.
Krzyzewski might never even have been Duke's coach if Auerbach hadn't turned the job down first.
In 1949, Auerbach quit his job with the Washington Capitols, a professional team, and came down to Durham as an assistant basketball coach. Only there was no such thing as paid assistant coaches back then, so the man who would later win nine NBA titles in 10 years taught PE classes.
The head coach, Gerry Gerard, had cancer, and Auerbach was basically brought in to be available if Gerard got too sick to work. But Auerbach wasn't comfortable in that situation, and he left after only a few months.
Forty years later, Auerbach almost altered Blue Devil history again. In 1989, before Krzyzewski had won his first national title, Auerbach offered him the head coach's job with the Celtics.
Krzyzewski flew to Washington, D.C. and met with Auerbach. "If it had been anyone other than the Celtics and Red. I wouldn't even have gone up for the meeting," Krzyzewski said. "But. I had to listen. I even had to think about it."
Of course, Coach K didn't take the job. But it just goes to show how profound Auerbach's impact was on the game of basketball. If one of those decisions went the other way, Duke Basketball as we know it wouldn't exist.
Auerbach even started Dick Vitale's broadcasting career.
Vitale agreed to trade the Celtics M.L. Carr and the Detroit Pistons' No. 1 draft choice in 1980 for Bob McAdoo, who was past his prime. Through another trade, Auerbach turned that pick into Kevin McHale and Robert Parish, both Hall of Famers. Vitale was fired by the Pistons, and the rest is history.
Reading Auerbach's words was a bittersweet experience. I knew that I'd never have a chance to personally listen to the greatest basketball mind ever talk about John Thompson, JFK, Jr. and J.J. Redick. (Auerbach thought Redick, as a sophomore, was more athletic than people gave him credit for, and thought he'd be a good NBA player.)
I even teared up a little bit when I got to the end of the book. But it was great to finally read the stories.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.