Danny Ainge disagrees with Charles Barkley but fondly remembers Kevin McHale's clothesline

http://www.masslive.com/celtics/index.ssf/2016/05/boston_celtics_danny_ainge_doe.html




Boston Celtics' Danny Ainge disagrees with Charles Barkley but fondly remembers Kevin McHale's clothesline




Danny Ainge, Boston Celtics president of basketball operations (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)


Jay King | mjking@masslive.com By Jay King | mjking@masslive.com




on May 05, 2016 at 12:00 PM




Given today's rules, Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge does not support Charles Barkley's belief the Atlanta Hawks should have taken out somebody on the Cleveland Cavaliers. Still, Ainge remembers some "sweet" times when the Boston Celtics used the type of physicality Barkley wanted.

During a Thursday morning radio interview with 98.5 The Sports Hub's Toucher & Rich, Ainge reminisced about Kevin McHale's famous clothesline and said Red Auerbach loved when Ainge got ejected from games.

"We had those discussions (about responding to teams with physicality)," Ainge told Toucher & Rich. "And we had those discussions often. As a matter of fact, I remember when we were at shootaround the morning of the Kevin McHale-Kurt Rambis incident, and the clothesline incident. They had just beat us by 30 and they were fast-breaking on us, and it was Hollywood Showtime Lakers all the way. And we were humiliated.

"We came to practice the next day and we had some guys chirping about that, like, 'We've got to take some hard fouls. We cannot let these guys fast break over us and dunk on us in transition. We've got to take some hard fouls.' And I said to the whole team, I like screamed at them. I said, 'Hey, listen. I'm booed in every arena in this league because I'm the only guy that takes hard fouls. I need some of you guys to take hard fouls.' And sure enough Kevin clotheslines Kurt Rambis. And that was sweet."

Also sweet: the Celtics' old approach to players getting in fights.

"We always had the rule, back in those days if you get in a fight that you just have to take someone on the other team better than you," Ainge said. "Like, don't go out there and get in a fight with a thug from another team. You have to take someone else out with you that's better on the other team. I guess that's more hockey-like.

"But I think that Red, every now and then Red would always point out the unusual things. He never came in and said, like, hey great game Larry you scored 40 points.' No he was always pointing out the great screens or the great defensive efforts, or the great rebounding of a player that might go under the radar to the rest of the world. But Red was never more excited with me than when I was back in the locker room and ejected after a fight. He was like ready to give me a raise."

Excessive physicality was a topic of conversation because of Barkley's response to the Cavaliers setting an NBA record Wednesday night with 25 made 3-pointers against Atlanta. The Hall of Famer claimed the Hawks should have taken somebody out because Cleveland was "embarrassing" them by launching 3-pointers after the game was already out of reach.

"It's a different era," Ainge said. "I understand what Charles Barkley was saying but you just can't take guys out. There's too much scrutiny. There's too many replays and reviews, and cameras everywhere. I mean, we have SportVU cameras telling you how hard you fight over a screen. There's just too much scrutiny and those are difficult things to do.

"What you really need to do is just stop the 3-point shooting, make sure they don't set a record on you. Be physical. Don't give them 3-point shots if that's what they're trying to do and embarrass you in any way. And hope your players would take a little bit of pride in that.

"But listen, to Cleveland's credit -- I'm sure Atlanta's very embarrassed by their performance last night -- but Cleveland shot the heck out of the ball. I watched that game. They were on fire. I did think late in the game hty were out to set a record and just to jack up 3s. I would hope that our team wouldn't do that but I understand where Charles is coming from. You just can't do that in this era."



bob


.

Sometimes I agree with sir charles..

In this case I really agree with him..

like the rest of society the league is getting to soft. In another ten years or so they will be calling fouls for hurting another players feelings and awarding "second chances" to players who tried really hard but still missed their free throws.

A few hard fouls never killed no one anyhow..

Matty wrote:Sometimes I agree with sir charles..

In this case I really agree with him..  

like the rest of society the league is getting to soft. In another ten years or so they will be calling fouls for hurting another players feelings and awarding "second chances" to players who tried really hard but still missed their free throws.

A few hard fouls never killed no one anyhow..

Matty,

Tell that to Rudy T.


bob


.

bobheckler wrote:

Matty wrote:Sometimes I agree with sir charles..

In this case I really agree with him..  

like the rest of society the league is getting to soft. In another ten years or so they will be calling fouls for hurting another players feelings and awarding "second chances" to players who tried really hard but still missed their free throws.

A few hard fouls never killed no one anyhow..

Matty,

Tell that to Rudy T.


bob


.

Hey... that's what I'm talk'n 'bout. He lived!