David Rosenthal: belief

Transcript context

…Yeah, and it didn't come back until the 1984–1985 season. They went 40 years with no salary cap. Yeah. The brainchild of one David Stern. Anyway, the league bumps the line for another few years. Then in 1957, the big moment happens. The Celtics drafts Bill Russell, and he becomes the first—there have been other superstars in the NBA before that, white superstars—Black superstar in the first, real modern era. Bill Russel's a legend across so many dimensions of the game, a player in the NBA, and then the flood gates opened after that. Red Auerbach was the legendary coach of the Celtics. Red retired during the late-1966 NBA finals. This is back when coaches still had way more power within the organizations they do now. He named Russell the coach of the Celtics while retiring during the finals. Russell becomes the player coach of the Celtics from 1966–1969. He becomes the first Black head coach of any North-American professional sports team and the first to win a championship later in his tenure. Such an amazing guy. I think President Obama will give him the Presidential Medal of Freedom later in life. Did you know also that he lives on Mercer Island these days? In Washington? What? No way. Two miles from my house.…

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