Celtics legend Dave Cowens showing off his shooting touch at 67

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/watch-celtics-legend-dave-cowens-110054386.html



Celtics legend Dave Cowens showing off his shooting touch at 67



Justin Quinn
Wed, August 25, 2021, 4:00 AM


It had been decades since Hall of Fame Boston Celtics big man and Florida State legend Dave Cowens picked up a basketball as a player, but the then-67-year-old Celtics icon put on a shooting clinic in 2016 at his alma mater in Tallahassee, Florida.

The two-time Boston champion sank shot after shot without breaking a sweat in this clip embedded below, only missing the first underhanded free throw he attempted, and making up for it with another made shot backward over his head. No word on whether the former NBA Most Valuable Player of 1973 is planning a comeback with that kind of shooting still at his fingertips, but it might be worth looking into.

We kid, but check out this clip of Cowens showing off his shooting prowess for yourself – it’s worth the watch.




Bob
MY NOTE:  Like riding a bike...

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Berlin I didn’t know you lived in Newton! BobH lived in Newton for a while, I’m born and raised in Newton as is Rosalie.

Anyone else from this board lived in Newton?

bobc33 wrote:Berlin I didn’t know you lived in Newton!  BobH lived in Newton for a while, I’m born and raised in Newton as is Rosalie.

Anyone else from this board lived in Newton?

Bobc,

7 years in Newtonville.


Bob


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worcester wrote:Auburndale - When I drove for Checker Cab of Cambridge I used to go out to the Dale on occasion with fares from Logan.

Worcester before I served in the Army I drove for Veteran’s Cab in Newton while going to college. A great job while in school as I could get in some studying between fares. After college and 3 years in the Army I drove for a short while for Yellow Cab in Newton.

bobheckler wrote:

bobc33 wrote:Berlin I didn’t know you lived in Newton!  BobH lived in Newton for a while, I’m born and raised in Newton as is Rosalie.

Anyone else from this board lived in Newton?

Bobc,

7 years in Newtonville.


Bob


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I’m from Newton Corner, but during college I lived in an apartment on Madison Ave in Newtonville. Another of the many good neighborhoods in Newton.

I've told this story here before, but this is a Dave Cowens thread so here we go again...

There was a game at the Gahden, in early 1976, which I had 2nd row floor, midcourt seats for.  There was one row of folding chairs in front of me and then the midcourt line almost directly in front of them.  We were playing Houston and there was a 6'4" guard named Mike Newlin on their roster.  Newlin looked like a mini-Cowens, really solidly built.  




At one point Cowens was jogging up court on offense and Newlin was slowly running backwards on defense.  As Cowens approached he drifted into Cowens' path and initiated a bit of contact, not much.  Newlin let out a big yell and flew backwards like he had just been shot by an elephant gun.  Offensive foul on Cowens.  Cowens hated flopping with an absolute passion, he thought it demeaned the game and, considering how much passion Big Red played with normally you can imagine how irate he got when something really riled him up.  Cowens complained to the ref it was a flop, but the ref just turned and ran down court away from him.  Some time later, the exact thing happened again.  Newlin drifted into Cowens' way and won another Oscar.  This time Cowens is going down court chewing on the ref every step of the way (this is back in the day when players could do that, to a point, and the refs would just give it back to them).  The very next possession, while Houston was bringing the ball up court after the turnover, Cowens who was on my side of the court, sprinted clear across court at Newlin, who was running along the sidelines (on the side of the court that had the scorer's table) and just two-hand shivered him over the scorer's table and into the crowd at full speed (I had a picture I cut out of the Globe the next day that I kept for years where all you see are Newlin's two legs above the scorer's table like a pair of rabbit ears.  You didn't see Newlin at all, he was already over and gone, just his two white legs).  Cowens then turned to the ref and screamed "NOW THAT'S A FOUL!" and then just went to the Celtic bench and sat down with 3 fouls.  No game suspensions back in those days.  As you might imagine Coach Tommy Heinsohn gave him a couple of pats on the back when he passed him on the way to sit down.

The first flop by Newlin happened right in front of me, just over half-court heading to my right.  The 2nd one happened a little further over half-court but in the middle of the court.  With the 3rd time Cowens turned right and started streaking across the court almost right in front of me (the half court line was just on my left, Cowens started sprinting just to my right so, maybe, 8'-10' to the right of half court) and caught Newlin a little past half court on the other side.  Still, pretty much right in front of me, just on the other sideline. You could read Cowens' name on the back of his jersey the whole time, that's how east-west he was going.

I also saw the shootout playoff games between Bird and 'Nique (1988 playoff game, I was sitting at one end, under the basket) and the duel between Bird and Jordan in 1987.  Those 3 memories are some of the highlights of my life, and I've been around.


Bob


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