Dave Covens, M.D. 70’s Celtics

In the vast and rich history of the Celtics, the period of victory is often less emphasized than the dominance of the group Bill Russellbetween 1956 and 1969 (11 titles!), that is an exceptional rivalry Larry BirdKevin McHale and Robert Parish with the Magic Lakers, in the 80s, or the formation of their famous “Big Three” (Paul Pierce – Ray Allen – Kevin Garnett), in the late 2000s.

In this case, it’s the one from the ’70s, although they were synonymous with titles (two, in 1974 and 1976) for Boston. At that time, “franchise player” indicated the call Dave Covens (age 77, Oct. 25), then he was backed up by the indestructible John Havlicek (1974 Finals MVP) and the precious Joe Joe White (1976 Finals MVP).

The left-handed pivot, the one nicknamed “Big Red” because of his red hair, is arguably the second-best 5 in the history of the Massachusetts franchise, behind Bill Russell and ahead of Robert Parish. Bill Russell recommended him to the C’s during the 1970 draft (4th pick).

Voted co-Rookie of the Year in 1971, along with Jeff Petry, averaging 17 points, 15 rebounds and 3 assists, it didn’t take long for Dave Cowens to begin his brief dominance (only 10 years, due to numerous physical issues) in the NBA.

MVP in 1973, champion in 1974 and 1976

In 1973, in his third season in the league, Dave Cowens was voted MVP, thanks to his statistics of 20.5 points, 16.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. The leader of the Celtics, he led his team to a magnificent record of 68 wins and 14 losses, simply the best in franchise history!

The NBA title will arrive next year, after the 7th game won away from home with the Bucks of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Roberston, during which “Big Red” collected 28 points, 14 rebounds and 4 assists. However, John Havlicek was named Finals MVP, while the left-handed pitching staff had to contain the best player on the planet: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Dave Cowens’ averages during these Finals are no less excellent: 22.7 points, 9.9 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.1 steals (compared to John Havlicek’s 26.4 points, 7.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.9 steals).

Two years later, Boston returned to the finals again, this time against the Phoenix of Paul Westphal and Alvan Adams. A streak that has gone down in legend, thanks to this Game 5 that many consider the greatest matchup in playoff history. That day, in front of the home crowd and after three overtimes, the Celtics won 128-126, before winning the title in Game 6.

Averaging 21.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 1.5 steals, JoJo White was voted Finals MVP, but Dave Cowens’ series is once again huge: 20.5 points, 16.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.2 steals, 1 steal, 1-2 points per game rebounding, 10 assists)!

A player ahead of his time

A complete par excellence player, the now Hall of Famer is still, along with Kevin Garnett, Scottie Pippen, LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo, one of five players to lead their team in every statistical category. In this case, it was 1977-78 for the eight-time All-Star, with 18.6 points, 14.0 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.9 blocks per game.

In 1980, after his last year as a coach/player (like a certain Bill Russell), Dave Cowens announced his retirement from the sport…but two years later we found him on the Milwaukee side, where he made 40 appearances (8.1 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game), before hitting a solid mark. The end of his career was marked by numerous injuries (knee, ankle, foot, etc.), which affected his longevity.

The fact remains that 15 years later, the two-time NBA champion reappeared on the bench, at the head of one of the most beautiful teams of the mid-90s: the Hornets. With Glenn Rice, Vladeto Divac, Anthony Mason and Dell Curry in their ranks, Charlotte had two top 50+ win seasons, 1996/97, then 1997/98.

But an unsuccessful start to the 1998/99 campaign cost Dave Cowens his job, and he returned to Golden State between 2000 and 2002 with no better results (25 wins in 105 games). Then we’ll see him again in the 2006 WNBA, on the Chicago Sky, but he won’t be much better in terms of collective results.

Meanwhile, the 1973 All-Star Game MVP (15 points, 13 rebounds) also entered the Hall of Fame in 1991 along with Tinie Archibald, another Celtics great. Two names much less known than Bill Russell, Larry Bird, John Havlicek and Paul Pierce, but who still marked the history of Boston and the league. As evidenced by their presence in the Top 50 back then Top 75 The 76 best NBA players.