More McHale memories
Thorn: Different times
We detailed the Celtics playoff history with the Bucks from the 1980s in Friday’s Herald, paying particular attention to Game 3 in 1987, when Kevin McHale went into the stands at the MECCA to confront and grab a fan.
McHale had a good laugh as he went over the details, and the opportunity to further the story was presented when we ran into Hall of Famer-tobe Rod Thorn at a Bucks practice. Thorn, now working as a consultant to the Milwaukee organization, was in his second year as the NBA’s vice president of basketball operations back in ’87, meaning he was on the front line as the league adjudicated the incident.
There was much laughter about how times have changed and how such a thing would today be a much bigger deal. (McHale was fined $3,000 and didn’t miss a game. He had 34 points in Game 4 a day and a half later.)
“I remember Kevin got very upset and went over and grabbed him by the shirt,” said Thorn. “It was interesting.
“I forget exactly what we did. What did we end up doing?”
Told the fine, Thorn shook his head and repeated, “Three thousand dollars.”
He was then informed that McHale let on that Red Auerbach paid the fine for him.
“No, you weren’t allowed to do that even back then,” Thorn said with another laugh. “I didn’t hear that.”
Standing in the Bucks’ new practice facility across the street from the arena they’ll be playing in next season — which is across another street from where there play now and across yet another from where they were playing back in ’87 — Thorn dug deeper.
“In thinking back, I remember that the person was so obnoxious,” he said. “When we did our due diligence and looked into it, he was lucky somebody didn’t do it earlier. He was just so obnoxious. And Kevin just grabbed him by the shirt and pulled his shirt, so we determined it wasn’t a suspend-able offense. We gave him a fine and said, ‘Just leave the people alone,’ but the guy was out of control.
“Today, that fan would have been kicked out long before anything like that could happen. A player would have said to security, ‘Hey, this guy’s out of control.’ ”
And McHale would have faced a heavier fine and almost certainly a tough suspension.
“Very possibly,” said Thorn of the latter, “but it was a different world back then.”
Professional pros
A pair of Celtics are quite deservedly on the final ballot for two of the awards chosen and presented by the Professional Basketball Writers Association.
Brad Stevens is up for the Rudy Tomjanovich Award, given to the coach “who best combines excellence in his craft with cooperation with the media and fans,” alongside former Charlotte coach Steve Clifford, Houston’s Mike D’Antoni, Golden State’s Steve Kerr and the Clippers’ Doc Rivers.
Al Horford made the top five for the Magic Johnson Award, which “recognizes the player who best combines excellence on the court with cooperation with the media and fans.” Toronto’s DeMar DeRozan, Golden State’s Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City’s Paul George and San Antonio’s Manu Ginobili are also on the ballot.
“I do think it’s a big honor,” said Horford. “I think you guys and the fans appreciate how we
‘Today, that fan would have been kicked out long before anything like that could happen. A player would have said to security, “Hey, this guy’s out of control.” ’ — ROD THORN, on Kevin McHale’s battle with a fan in the 1987 playoffs
communicate, so, yeah, that’s pretty cool.”
Horford’s eyes widened when we mentioned Ginobili among the other final nominees.
“I’m just a big Manu fan,” he said. “If I get it, obviously I’m going to be really happy, but he’s a guy that I really like and I wish him well.”
Sleep on this one
Aron Baynes never expected to be paying this much attention to sleep. The big lug would plunk down and catch his Z’s whenever he got the chance.
But now the Celtics are one of many teams taking a more scientific approach to the simple act. Players have been given mattresses, pillows and other paraphernalia by Bedgear, a leader in the field of sleep technology.
Now Baynes doesn’t leave home — or, more accurately, for the road — without his pillow.
“I enjoy it,” he said. “It’s always good to be able to travel with the pillow that you’re familiar with. On the road, they change so much from hotel to hotel, so having something regular is a good thing.”
He’s taken to the other gear, as well.
“It’s comfortable,” Baynes said. “I sleep on the mattress more for game-day naps and stuff like that. It allows me to get some good sleep and be more ready for the game.”
As for the Celts’ greater emphasis on sleep?
“It’s one of those things where the more research comes out, the more important you see it is. And you’re trying to get every advantage you can,” he said.
“It’s good. As a team, we prioritize sleep. You know, we stay over if we’re going to get in too late, and we have the later shootaround so we can get our sleep. And sleep is the best recovery you have, so we try to prioritize and get as much of it consistently as we can.”