Rise of a Dynasty: The '57 Celtics, the First Banner, and the Dawning of a NewAmerica

by Bill Reynolds

Overview

On a fateful day in 1957, the country saw the Boston Celtics and the St. Louis Hawks face off in one of the most dramatic NBA games in history. But the score at the final buzzer told only part of the story. Celtics rookie Bill Russell, traded by the Hawks because of his race, emerged as a new sports hero. Boston's coach Red Auerbach went on to become the ultimate winner and builder of championship teams. And the city of Boston and its beloved Celtics had their first NBA championship-and the makings of a dynasty.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780451234803
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	11/01/2011
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	210,381
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.80(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Bill Reynolds is an award-winning columnist for the Providence Journal and the co-author of the New York Times bestseller, Success Is a Choice. He is also the author of '78, Cousy, and Fall River Dreams.

Editorial Reviews

For the Boston Celtics, the 1957 season ended and their N.B.A. dynasty began with one final dramatic victory over the St. Louis Hawks. That 125-123, double overtime triumph changed the face of the sport and marked the ascendancy of Coach Red Auerbach, center Bill Russell, and a well-balanced cast of supporting players. Bill Reynolds recreates the astonishing story of a great team being born. (Hand-selling tip: The Celtics of this era were one of the great sports combines of all-time: In thirteen seasons, they won eleven N.B.A. championships.)

Reynolds claims the modern-day NBA began on April 13, 1957 during the seventh and deciding game of the 1957 Finals. The Boston Celtics and the St. Louis Hawks met that fateful Saturday in the 11-year-old league's first nationally televised game. After two overtimes, 38 lead changes, and a last-second failed shot, Boston won its first of 17 championships, and almost everything about the pro game changed, thanks largely, the author argues, to the Celtics' dynasty. With controversial rookie center Bill Russell, Boston became the first pro team to consistently put an African American in the starting lineup. Russell's penchant for blocking shots and grabbing rebounds helped dissolve the league's once-plodding style and allowed the Celtics to master the fast break. Reynolds ('78: The Boston Red Sox, A Historic Game, and a Divided City) treats Game Seven as a focal point, but largely ignores the event itself in favor of recreating, with great flare, an era in professional sports that seems quaint today: most NBA players worked off-season jobs and were discouraged against drawing attention to themselves. Primarily a book for Celtic fans, Reynolds's knack for dramatic sportswriting will appeal to history buffs and sports enthusiasts as well.
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