CELTS TRIVIA

Who is the only Celtic to be a teammate of Both Bill Russell and Larry Bird?
(HINT) Remember guys, I have a fondness for the ABA .

The Duck!

Give that man a kewpie doll!! You are correct sir.

Beat, I thought about (and should have) left out Russell and asked who played with the 2 Larrys, Bird and your avatar, to add a bit of trickiness to the equation.

Don Chaney certainly played with some great ones. He did a stint in LA with Abdul Jabbar also. Didn't he also play with Marvin Barnes and Maurice Lucas in the ABA?

One of my favorites Celtics. No Chaney , no title #12. He got into Oscar Robertson's jock and made him work for every inch of the floor.

Carpecarpium1, yes he did play with Marvin Barnes, Maurice Lucas and M.L. Carr on the St. Louis Spirits in the ABA, thats what my hint was referring to. He was also a college teammate of Elvin Hayes.

Played in the Astrodome vs UCLA in the game of the century

Houston vs UCLA- The Game Of The Century
It was the billed as the game of the century a showdown between Elvin Hayes and the Houston Cougars, coached by Guy Lewis, vs. John Wooden’s UCLA Bruins, The Bruins led by Lew Alcindor had a 47 game winning streak. Houston was undefeated and UCLA had come off a National Championship in 1967 and were on their way to winning a second championship in 1968. Houston was an upstart of sorts. They played an aggressive style of play and played above the rim with the 6’10 Hayes inside and the great Guard play by Don Chaney in side.


UCLA was loaded Lew Alcindor (Kareen Abdul Jabbar), Lucious Allen, Lynn Shackleford, Mike Warren ( Hill Street Blues) led the Bruins and at the time a dynasty was formed. The freshman rule was in effect in 1968, where freshman were ineligible to play in the on college varsity teams. So Alcindor sat out and made his collegiate debut in 1967-68 season. In the spring of 1965, soon after UCLA had won its second consecutive title, led by Walt Hazzard and Gail Goodrich, John Wooden carried out the recruiting coup of the decade: Lew Alcindor a senior at New York Power Memorial High School and the most heralded big man since Wilt Chamberlain, decided to attend UCLA the following fall. UCLA would break nearly every single record ever before set. They had the makings of a dynasty.


So the game of the century was no small event. It was huge, given the impact of Lew Alcindor on the UCLA program. Most college programs felt that once Alcindor was eligible to play, no other college program would have any chance of beating the UCLA. In fact Alcindor’s freshman team would give the varsity all it could handle. The varsity was rated No. 1 in the country in pre-season ranking. The varsity was blown off the court when the UCLA held its annual Freshman/Varsity Game. The 1967 UCLA Bruins team consisted of four sophomores and a junior.


As sophomore, Alcindor was already being described as a cross between, Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell. Alcindor was the ultimate team player. The backcourt was exceptionally talented led by Lucious Allen and Mike Warren., The forwards were Kenny Heintz and Lyn Shackelford. Someone once wrote the letters NCAA really meant “No Chance Against Alcindor”


Houston coach Guy Lewis would not get on this band wagon, like a circus huckster, he was convinced that UCLA was not invincible. Houston’s Lewis said all year the UCLA would lose at some point during the season. Other felt the Bruins were inexperienced and that this would be their downfall. But to lose, UCLA had to have a bad game and a perfect game would need to be played by their opponent.



This was the backdrop that setup the January showdown between the UCLA and Houston at the Astrodome in Houston, A record 54,000 fans attended the first indoor game in a domed arena. Many more would follow in the years to come in domed arena over the year. Houston would prevail this time over UCLA 71-69. Elvin Hayes scored a game high 39 pints and pulled down 15 rebounds. However an asterisk should have been added to this game. Lew Alcindor played with a scratched cornea, which bothered him throughout the game.


UCLA met Houston is the Final Four winning the game 79-53. The rest is history with Alcindor later changing his name to Kareem Abdul Jabbar having a sensational NBA Career well into the Eighties. Elvin Hayes had a solid career in the NBA as well.

Ah, the Big E. He and the then Washington (or were they still the Baltimore?) Bullets terrified me when they dethroned the C's in 1975.

I can still hear the Bullet fans screaming "E-E-E-E" every time he drained a turn around in the low post.

But the Bullet player who really scared me was a guy named Nick Weatherspoon. He was a flash in the pan but he chose that series to shoot something like 60% against us.

I seem to remember Havlicek saying that Weatherspoon gave him as much trouble as anyone he had ever guarded.

That Bullet team had some real talent--Kevin Porter, Phil Chenier, Unseld, Elvin Hayes, Mike Riordan, Greg Ballard. But they got swept by Rick Barry's Warriors in the finals.

OK, what lone team train-wrecked UCLA's successive string of NCAA titles, lost to them during their one regular season meeting only to have UCLA come back the following year and win it all?

Hint: It starts with DT...

P.S. This team probably would have denied them the previous year of the title had they not been on probation with the NCAA for recruiting violations.

NC State Wolfpack and David Thompson?

That was an easy one. But living in Raleigh at the time was priceless. 10 years old at the time. That's when I became a huge basketball fan. Didn't know the Celtics existed until about 1975. Even attended Norm Sloan's Basketball camp just to see Monte Towe and DT.

Sad what happened to David Thompson. I guess he was one of the first cocaine casualties.

Didn't his career end with a knee injury resulting from getting tossed out by Studio 54 bouncers?

Saw David Thompson in warm ups one time. He was dunking ( no problem ) but then he did one that I still can't believe. He cradled the ball in his ELBOW and jumped so that the ball and his elbow were over the rim and with the other hand punche dthe ball out of the elbow cradle and thru the hoop.

Simply amazing.

beat

He's recovered I think. Went to an NC State football game a few weeks ago where he was honored with the team. Always seems very humble and aprreciative, like when on stage with Michael at the induction. He was and still is huge in a lot of people's eyes, regardless of his missteps.

Can you remember the 1974 starting line-up?

I remember Tim Stoddard who went on the play MLB as a pitcher




here are the three main ones

beat

The last was Mo Rivers. I think Mark Moeller used to come off the bench. I can still hear the distinct NCSU announcer doing the starting line-ups at Reynolds Coliseum. Don't remember his name.

Tom Burelson was the center. There was a guy named Phil Spence who came off the bench.

There's a trivia question. What team went 27-0 and didn't win the NCAA Championship? NC State 1973.

dbrown4 wrote:P.S. This team probably would have denied them the previous year of the title had they not been on probation with the NCAA for recruiting violations.

NC State was a great team and undefeated in 1972-73, but there's no way I'd bet against UCLA. Those Walton teams were among the best that have ever played at the college level. That was the Walton gang's second year and in the midst of their 88-game winning streak. UCLA was also undefeated in 1972-73 and won the title over Memphis State when Walton shot 21 for 22. NC State might very well have given UCLA a better game, but Memphis State was a very, very good team defeated handily by a team for the ages led by a player for the ages. Here's a clip of highlights from that game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eECszAofPvE

Walton was obviously the best player, but the rest of the roster was no slouch.

Bill Walton
Keith Wilkes
Greg Lee - one of the best I've seen at making entry passes and delivering the ball
Larry Hollyfield
Larry Farmer
Dave Meyers
Tommy Curtis
Swen Nater - never started at UCLA but was first-round pick in 1973, ABA rookie of the year in the 1973-74, and averaged 12.4 points and 11.6 rebounds over an 11-year ABA and NBA career
Pete Trgovich

In 1973-74, UCLA crushed NC State during the regular season, 84-66. When they met in the semifinals of the Final Four, the game went to double overtime before NC State won.

UCLA won seven straight titles before NC State's 1974 championship, and UCLA won again in 1975.

NC State was an excellent team, but I don't see any way they'd be favored over UCLA in 1973. They were fortunate to come away with the title in 1974. I thoroughly enjoyed watching NC State during those years, but until they stumbled in 1974, the Walton UCLA teams were, to me, the pinnacle of basketball and the college equivalent of the Russell Celtics -- supremely talented players playing great, selfless team basketball.

Just to be clear, I don't see this as an opportunity to take potshots at NC State or anyone touting their teams in 1972-73 and 1973-74, because I really liked and appreciated those great teams. Instead, I saw this as an opportunity to shine a light on those transcendent UCLA teams.

Thanks.

Outside

Outside, I am in total agreement with your post. Btw the pictured but unnamed other starter on that NC State team was 5'7" point guard Monte Towe.