Dynasty: Auerbach, Cousy, Havlicek, Russell, And The Rise Of The Boston Celtics

Synopsis

In the spring of 1957 the Boston Celtics, led by coach Red Auerbach, won a National Basketball Association championship for the first time. Auerbach had been building the team throughout the 1950s but was still missing what he considered an essential piece—a single player in the middle who could hoist the team on his shoulders by doing the dirty work of rebounding and playing defense. That player was Bill Russell.

By blending unselfish yet talented players into a roster led by Russell’s unconquerable will, Auerbach and the Celtics put together an unprecedented run of championships rarely challenged before or since in team sports. Between 1957 and 1969, Boston won eleven titles in thirteen seasons. Only when Russell retired did the era of dominance end.

Written by Lew Freedman, an award-winning veteran sportswriter who personally witnessed many of the Celtics’ antics and special moments over the years, Dynasty is a celebration of the basketball team Auerbach melded into one of the greatest franchises in NBA history.

Freedman grew up attending Celtics games, from his first game as a boy in 1960 he befriended the players and the team management as an adult. In Dynasty, he draws on dozens of interviews as well as courtside observation to reveal dramatic moments both on and off the floor.

Half a century after the Celtics’ legendary first championship, here is a riveting behind-the-scenes account of one of sports’ greatest franchises—a terrific book about a vibrant sports town, the greatest players in basketball, and one of professional basketball’s best and most beloved teams.