1980–81 Boston Celtics season
Encyclopedia
In 1980-81
the Boston Celtics went 62-20 under coach Bill Fitch. Despite losing center
Dave Cowens
to retirement late in training camp, the Celtics went on to capture the 1981 NBA Championship over the Houston Rockets
. The highlight was that this championship was achieved just two years after Bird had been drafted. Cedric Maxwell was named NBA Finals MVP.
leftover from the M.L. Carr trade. Auerbach saw an opportunity to improve the team immediately, sending the two picks to the Golden State Warriors
in exchange for center
Robert Parish
and the Warriors first round pick, the 3rd overall, University of Minnesota
power forward
Kevin McHale
. With these three future Hall of Famers on the team the Celtics had a core in place to become a dominant team in the NBA
.
1980-81 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Julius Erving, Philadelphia 76ers*Rookie of the Year: Darrell Griffith, Utah Jazz*Coach of the Year: Jack McKinney, Indiana Pacers*All-NBA First Team:**Larry Bird, Boston Celtics...
the Boston Celtics went 62-20 under coach Bill Fitch. Despite losing center
Center (basketball)
The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...
Dave Cowens
Dave Cowens
David William Cowens is a retired American professional basketball player and NBA head coach. At 6'9", he played the center and occasionally the power forward position. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991...
to retirement late in training camp, the Celtics went on to capture the 1981 NBA Championship over the Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
. The highlight was that this championship was achieved just two years after Bird had been drafted. Cedric Maxwell was named NBA Finals MVP.
NBA Draft
After the 1979-80 season, Auerbach completed what may be the most lopsided trade in NBA history. Auerbach had always been a fan of stockpiling draft picks, so even after the success of 1979-80 the Celtics had both the 1st and 13th picks in the 1980 NBA Draft1980 NBA Draft
The 1980 NBA Draft was the 34th annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on June 10, 1980, before the 1980–81 season. In this draft, 23 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players...
leftover from the M.L. Carr trade. Auerbach saw an opportunity to improve the team immediately, sending the two picks to the Golden State Warriors
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
in exchange for center
Center (basketball)
The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...
Robert Parish
Robert Parish
Robert Lee Parish is a retired American basketball center. He was known for his strong defense and jump shooting, and was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003...
and the Warriors first round pick, the 3rd overall, University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
power forward
Power forward (basketball)
Power forward is a position in the sport of basketball. The position is referred to in playbook terms as the four position and is commonly abbreviated "PF". It has also been referred to as the "post" position. Power forwards play a role similar to that of center in what is called the "post" or "low...
Kevin McHale
Kevin McHale
Kevin Edward McHale is a retired American professional basketball player and current head coach of the Houston Rockets. After his playing career, he worked for the Minnesota Timberwolves as the team's general manager and later its coach. He was fired as coach in June 2009...
. With these three future Hall of Famers on the team the Celtics had a core in place to become a dominant team in the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
.
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | School/Club Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Joe Barry Carroll Joe Barry Carroll Joe Barry Carroll is a retired American professional basketball player who spent ten seasons in the NBA.-1974–1976:... |
Center | Purdue Purdue University Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and... |
|
| 1 | 13 | Rickey Brown Rickey Brown Rickey Darnell Brown is a retired American basketball player who played collegiately for the Mississippi State Bulldogs, Mississippi State University in Mississippi and was selected by the Golden State Warriors in the 1st round of the 1980 NBA Draft... |
Center | Mississippi State Mississippi State University The Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science commonly known as Mississippi State University is a land-grant university located in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, United States, partially in the town of Starkville and partially in an unincorporated area... |
|
Depth chart
| Pos. | Starter | Bench | Reserve | Inactive |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C Center (basketball) The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well... |
Robert Parish Robert Parish Robert Lee Parish is a retired American basketball center. He was known for his strong defense and jump shooting, and was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003... |
Rick Robey Rick Robey Frederick Robert Robey is a retired American professional basketball player. At 6'11", he played the center and forward positions.... |
Eric Fernsten Eric Fernsten Eric Robert Fernsten is a retired American professional basketball player.A 6'10" center from the University of San Francisco, Fernsten played in the National Basketball Association as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Chicago Bulls, Boston Celtics, and New York Knicks... |
|
| PF Power forward (basketball) Power forward is a position in the sport of basketball. The position is referred to in playbook terms as the four position and is commonly abbreviated "PF". It has also been referred to as the "post" position. Power forwards play a role similar to that of center in what is called the "post" or "low... |
Larry Bird Larry Bird Larry Joe Bird is a former American NBA basketball player and coach. Drafted into the NBA sixth overall by the Boston Celtics in 1978, Bird started at small forward and power forward for thirteen seasons, spearheading one of the NBA's most formidable frontcourts that included center Robert Parish... |
Kevin McHale Kevin McHale Kevin Edward McHale is a retired American professional basketball player and current head coach of the Houston Rockets. After his playing career, he worked for the Minnesota Timberwolves as the team's general manager and later its coach. He was fired as coach in June 2009... |
||
| SF Small forward The small forward, or colloquially known as three, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically somewhat shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers, but on occasion are just as tall... |
Cedric Maxwell Cedric Maxwell Cedric Bryan Maxwell is a retired American professional basketball player now in radio broadcasting. Nicknamed "Cornbread", he played 11 seasons in the NBA, and played a key role in two championships with the Boston Celtics.-College career:Maxwell was a star forward/center for the Charlotte 49ers... |
M. L. Carr M. L. Carr Michael Leon Carr is an American former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association and American Basketball Association, and former head coach and General Manager of the Boston Celtics... |
||
| SG Shooting guard The shooting guard , also known as the two or off guard, is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for his team... |
Chris Ford Chris Ford Christopher Joseph Ford is a former professional basketball player and head coach. A 6-foot-5 guard, he played high school basketball at Holy Spirit High School in Absecon, New Jersey,... |
Terry Duerod Terry Duerod Terry Duerod is a retired American professional basketball player.A 6'2" guard, Duerod played college basketball under Dick Vitale at the University of Detroit... |
||
| PG Point guard Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that... |
Nate Archibald Nate Archibald Nathaniel "Nate" Archibald is a former American professional basketball player. He spent 14 years playing in the NBA, most notably with the Kansas City Kings and Boston Celtics.... |
Gerald Henderson Gerald Henderson Jerome McKinley "Gerald" Henderson, Sr. is a retired American basketball player. He was a shooting guard who had a 13-year career in the NBA from 1979 until 1992. He played for the Boston Celtics, Seattle SuperSonics, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks, Detroit Pistons, and... |
Player stats
Note: GP= Games played; REB= Rebounds; AST= Assists; STL = Steals; BLK = Blocks; PTS = Points; AVG = Average| Player | GP | REB | AST | STL | BLK | PTS | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nate Archibald Nate Archibald Nathaniel "Nate" Archibald is a former American professional basketball player. He spent 14 years playing in the NBA, most notably with the Kansas City Kings and Boston Celtics.... |
80 | 176 | 618 | 75 | 18 | 1106 | 13.8 |
| Larry Bird Larry Bird Larry Joe Bird is a former American NBA basketball player and coach. Drafted into the NBA sixth overall by the Boston Celtics in 1978, Bird started at small forward and power forward for thirteen seasons, spearheading one of the NBA's most formidable frontcourts that included center Robert Parish... |
82 | 895 | 451 | 161 | 63 | 1741 | 21.2 |
| M. L. Carr M. L. Carr Michael Leon Carr is an American former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association and American Basketball Association, and former head coach and General Manager of the Boston Celtics... |
41 | 83 | 56 | 30 | 18 | 248 | 6.0 |
| Terry Duerod Terry Duerod Terry Duerod is a retired American professional basketball player.A 6'2" guard, Duerod played college basketball under Dick Vitale at the University of Detroit... |
32 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 79 | 2.5 |
| Eric Fernsten Eric Fernsten Eric Robert Fernsten is a retired American professional basketball player.A 6'10" center from the University of San Francisco, Fernsten played in the National Basketball Association as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Chicago Bulls, Boston Celtics, and New York Knicks... |
45 | 62 | 10 | 6 | 7 | 96 | 2.1 |
| Chris Ford Chris Ford Christopher Joseph Ford is a former professional basketball player and head coach. A 6-foot-5 guard, he played high school basketball at Holy Spirit High School in Absecon, New Jersey,... |
82 | 163 | 295 | 100 | 23 | 728 | 8.9 |
| Gerald Henderson Gerald Henderson Jerome McKinley "Gerald" Henderson, Sr. is a retired American basketball player. He was a shooting guard who had a 13-year career in the NBA from 1979 until 1992. He played for the Boston Celtics, Seattle SuperSonics, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks, Detroit Pistons, and... |
82 | 132 | 213 | 79 | 12 | 636 | 7.8 |
| Wayne Kreklow Wayne Kreklow Wayne R. Kreklow in is a former American professional basketball player.Born in Neenah, Wisconsin, Kreklow was a 6'4" guard from Drake University, Kreklow was a member of the 1980-81 Boston Celtics team... |
25 | 12 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 30 | 1.2 |
| Cedric Maxwell Cedric Maxwell Cedric Bryan Maxwell is a retired American professional basketball player now in radio broadcasting. Nicknamed "Cornbread", he played 11 seasons in the NBA, and played a key role in two championships with the Boston Celtics.-College career:Maxwell was a star forward/center for the Charlotte 49ers... |
81 | 525 | 219 | 79 | 68 | 1234 | 15.2 |
| Kevin McHale Kevin McHale Kevin Edward McHale is a retired American professional basketball player and current head coach of the Houston Rockets. After his playing career, he worked for the Minnesota Timberwolves as the team's general manager and later its coach. He was fired as coach in June 2009... |
82 | 359 | 55 | 27 | 151 | 818 | 10.0 |
| Robert Parish Robert Parish Robert Lee Parish is a retired American basketball center. He was known for his strong defense and jump shooting, and was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003... |
82 | 777 | 144 | 81 | 214 | 1552 | 18.9 |
| Rick Robey Rick Robey Frederick Robert Robey is a retired American professional basketball player. At 6'11", he played the center and forward positions.... |
82 | 390 | 126 | 38 | 19 | 740 | 9.0 |
Award winners
- Nate ArchibaldNate ArchibaldNathaniel "Nate" Archibald is a former American professional basketball player. He spent 14 years playing in the NBA, most notably with the Kansas City Kings and Boston Celtics....
, All-NBA Second Team - Larry Bird, All-NBA First Team
- Cedric MaxwellCedric MaxwellCedric Bryan Maxwell is a retired American professional basketball player now in radio broadcasting. Nicknamed "Cornbread", he played 11 seasons in the NBA, and played a key role in two championships with the Boston Celtics.-College career:Maxwell was a star forward/center for the Charlotte 49ers...
, NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award - Kevin McHale, All-NBA Rookie Team