GOAT of all GOATS

[nefansince75]

If your measurement of the GOAT means the one who won more than anyone else then the GOAT of all GOATs is Bill Russell.

RIP Bill Russell, though most of us hardly knew you.

 

[Yankee Traveler]

If your measurement of the GOAT means the one who won more than anyone else then the GOAT of all GOATs is Bill Russell.

RIP Bill Russell, though most of us hardly knew you.

8 in a row and 11 total.

Just fuckin wow.

I was only alive at the tail end of his run, so I don't remember any of it.
I was a youngster when the Bird Johnson battles were going on though and remember all the references to Russell from those days.

Incredible.

 

[Carnzo]

Hell of a man who should be remembered for what he did after his incredible career. RIP

 

[nefansince75]

Hell of a man who should be remembered for what he did after his incredible career. RIP

...and during.. Not only did he have a basketball in his hands, he had two between his legs and he proved that becoming one of faces of the civil rights movement. It took some big balls to do that...

Assholes love to point out how "the City of Boston" treated him badly, but the truth is anti-activist racists pulled the bullshit and those guys where everywhere.

 

[Wamu]

Hell of a man who should be remembered for what he did after his incredible career. RIP

This will always make me laugh. After Udoka was hired former dookie Jay Williams went to the social medias to congratulate the Celtics for hiring their black coach.

What a moron.

 

[BigKen]

I was 6 years old when the Celtics drafted Russell. My dad was concerned because he was worried that the Boston Irish would kill him. As bad as the times were back then, Russell stood above it and never worried about the shit that got on his shoes. He let his sneakers do all of the loud talking. He quietly changed the inner workings of the NBA.

Celtics stopped using racist hotels and demanded that the league do the same. Other teams started drafting black players like Oscar Robertson and the gates began to open. The NBA was truly the spearhead of Civil Rights and change toward black people.

Of course 90% of people will disagree.

 

[Southieinnc]

I was 6 years old when the Celtics drafted Russell. My dad was concerned because he was worried that the Boston Irish would kill him. As bad as the times were back then, Russell stood above it and never worried about the shit that got on his shoes. He let his sneakers do all of the loud talking. He quietly changed the inner workings of the NBA.

Celtics stopped using racist hotels and demanded that the league do the same. Other teams started drafting black players like Oscar Robertson and the gates began to open. The NBA was truly the spearhead of Civil Rights and change toward black people.

Of course 90% of people will disagree.

My 1st wife came from Boston Irish family.
One of her cousins got married (1980?) and I went to the wedding.
A really sweet half black half Japanese girl marrying an Irish boy.
Tables were assigned and there were 3 groups - an Irish group, A black group, and a Japanese group.
I got to sit across the table from an old Irish couple. They repeated several times, "They should have told us!"
Eventually, I figured out what the hell they were talking about.
I went across the room to the black tables and introduced myself to a black couple. They looked like celebrities.
She was wearing a blue sequin gown on a model's body. I asked him if he would mind if I asked his wife to dance.
He smiled and nodded to his wife. We were the only ones on the dance floor.
When I went back to the racist table, I had a big smile on my face and said, You're right, they should have told you.
Mine was not the only smile around the room but it was the biggest!

 

[nefansince75]

My 1st wife came from Boston Irish family.
One of her cousins got married (1980?) and I went to the wedding.
A really sweet half black half Japanese girl marrying an Irish boy.
Tables were assigned and there were 3 groups - an Irish group, A black group, and a Japanese group.
I got to sit across the table from an old Irish couple. They repeated several times, "They should have told us!"
Eventually, I figured out what the hell they were talking about.
I went across the room to the black tables and introduced myself to a black couple. They looked like celebrities.
She was wearing a blue sequin gown on a model's body. I asked him if he would mind if I asked his wife to dance.
He smiled and nodded to his wife. We were the only ones on the dance floor.
When I went back to the racist table, I had a big smile on my face and said, You're right, they should have told you.
Mine was not the only smile around the room but it was the biggest!

They grew up in a very different time and were trained by a different set of rules. They were also trained that they were less worthy than others (which encourages one to look down on others).

My Irish grandmother (from Killarny) was trained that way too, but that meant she had a damaged perception and not a damaged heart. During the late 90's she and I were watching TV and a news flash came on with a picture of a mean looking black man plastered on the screen with an alert he had been arrested for a serious crime. In a emotionless tone she stated "you have to admit, there are a lot more of them who are bad". I responded in the same "matter of fact" tone "I don't have to admit that, I think there's an equal amount of everyone who is bad". She simply replied "yeah... you're right".

My grandmother echoed a sentiment she had been taught, but when prompted to actually think about it, she reached the correct conclusion. I only applied reason and by no means shamed.

 

[BigKen]

My 1st wife came from Boston Irish family.
One of her cousins got married (1980?) and I went to the wedding.
A really sweet half black half Japanese girl marrying an Irish boy.
Tables were assigned and there were 3 groups - an Irish group, A black group, and a Japanese group.
I got to sit across the table from an old Irish couple. They repeated several times, "They should have told us!"
Eventually, I figured out what the hell they were talking about.
I went across the room to the black tables and introduced myself to a black couple. They looked like celebrities.
She was wearing a blue sequin gown on a model's body. I asked him if he would mind if I asked his wife to dance.
He smiled and nodded to his wife. We were the only ones on the dance floor.
When I went back to the racist table, I had a big smile on my face and said, You're right, they should have told you.
Mine was not the only smile around the room but it was the biggest!

Largest and most common sign in Boston from the start until the mid-sixties:

Irish Need Not Apply

 

[Wamu]

 

[Wamu]

 

[nefansince75]

Largest and most common sign in Boston from the start until the mid-sixties:

Irish Need Not Apply

Did it last that long? I was born about that time and I don't really think I was aware of it until I wrote a history paper on a topic that "impacted my ancestry" during college. I was aware my grandmother had issues in Ireland (kicked out of her house by English soldiers), but not here...

 

[Yankee Traveler]

View attachment 303809

Tom Brady be like....Fuck, I'm glad I only aimed for Jordan...

 

[Wamu]

two state titles in high school

two national titles in college

an Olympic gold medal

and 11 rings in 13 years (12 Finals trips)

All he did was win.

RIP to the most important player from the greatest dynasty of all time.

 

[BigKen]

Did it last that long? I was born about that time and I don't really think I was aware of it until I wrote a history paper on a topic that "impacted my ancestry" during college. I was aware my grandmother had issues in Ireland (kicked out of her house by English soldiers), but not here...

Yep. My wife's family is Irish on her mother's side. Her mother had pictures of the signs that her father took trying to get a job in Boston. Ended up working for the Boston & Maine RR. Got hired in Portland , Maine and all of his brothers got hired and it became a faily thing. My father in law worked 44 years for Maine Central RR. They hired the Irish to do the most dangerous work like uncoupling the cars or locking the couplers. They got the last laugh because the railroads ended up being some of the highest paying jobs for the unskilled and the Irish pretty much controlled tye unions.

 

[nefansince75]

Yep. My wife's family is Irish on her mother's side. Her mother had pictures of the signs that her father took trying to get a job in Boston. Ended up working for the Boston & Maine RR. Got hired in Portland , Maine and all of his brothers got hired and it became a faily thing. My father in law worked 44 years for Maine Central RR. They hired the Irish to do the most dangerous work like uncoupling the cars or locking the couplers. They got the last laugh because the railroads ended up being some of the highest paying jobs for the unskilled and the Irish pretty much controlled tye unions.

Why did God invent alcohol? To keep the Irish from taking over the world.

I can't say exactly why that joke was created, but your story might give a hint.

 

[Southieinnc]

An observation from younger days.
In Boston they told Irish Jokes
In NY they told Italian Jokes
In Chicago they told Polish jokes
In Central California they told Portuguese jokes.
I never once heard a black joke in Boston. I was a teenager in California when I first heard a racist joke.

 

[Wamu]

Why did God invent alcohol? To keep the Irish from taking over the world.

I can't say exactly why that joke was created, but your story might give a hint.

Hey wait a minute. I shouldn't be laughing at this, my father was from Ireland. Still funny though.

 

[Wamu]

Here's a stat that will never be duplicated.

Bill Russell was 21-0 in must win playoff games.

And I didn't know that during the '58 Finals he injured his ankle. Had he been 100% maybe Russell has 12 rings instead of 11?

 

[Wamu]

Here's a stat that will never be duplicated.

Bill Russell was 21-0 in must win playoff games.

And I didn't know that during the '58 Finals he injured his ankle. Had he been 100% maybe Russell has 12 rings instead of 11?

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Correction.

Russell was 21-0 in winner take all games. But I didn't explain it properly. Here's the breakdown. My bad.

10- game sevens

1- game five

9- NCAA tourney games

1- Olympic gold medal