The Last Banner: The Story of the 1985-86 Celtics and the NBA's Greatest Team of All Time [Paperback]

In their history the Boston Celtics have hung 16 NBA championship banners from the roof of their home arena, the last won by the 1985-86 team. The team ended the 1984-85 season by losing the seventh game of the final series, and those in charge felt the loss was a result of the weak bench, thus forcing the five starters to play too many minutes. So, in an unprecedented move, management got rid of all the bench players and restocked the team, their major acquisition being backup center Bill Walton. He joined Larry Bird, Robert Parrish, Kevin McHale, Danny Ainge and Dennis Johnson to form a team that went 67-15, with a 40-1 record at home, and, of course, won the championship. May, who covers the Celtics for the Boston Globe, makes a convincing case here for judging the team the best in NBA history, not so much for the talents of its players, which were considerable, but because of the dedication to teamwork and the lack of ego of the players. This careful analysis of the season is also a thorough portrait of each of the team members going back to childhood. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Whether the 1985-86 Boston Celtics were the greatest NBA team of all time is certainly debatable, but there is little doubt they were the best of a long line of outstanding Celtic squads. May (The Big Three, S. & S., 1994) argues here that although Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parrish, Dennis Johnson, and Danny Ainge formed a potent starting five, it was the bench, led by Bill Walton, that lifted the team to championship status. As for the team's place in history, he contends "they played at a time when the competition was never better and the game was not yet contaminated by the ravages of expansion." How such a surfeit of talent came to be assembled and blended in a cohesive unit makes for an interesting study. For popular collections.?William H. Hoffman, Ft. Myers-Lee Cty. P.L., Fla.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

What was the greatest basketball team ever? Though many sports fans may opt for the team of the moment, many seem to settle on the 1985^-86 Boston Celtics. May, who covers the Celtics for the Boston Globe, re-creates that decade-old season from the point at which the team--fresh off a non-championship season--decided to retool its bench. The frontcourt, with Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish, was Hall-of-Fame bound, and the Dennis Johnson^-Danny Ainge backcourt was the equal of any in the league. But there was no bench. The best aspect of the book is May's detailed account of the machinations the team went through to rebuild their bench with the acquisitions of Bill Walton and Jerry Sichting. Once the pieces were in place, the Celts blew through the regular season and the playoffs on their way to a league record sixteenth championship. Injuries and age kept the team from recapturing the magic, but for that one season . . . Excellent reading for NBA fans. Wes Lukowsky --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.