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'Celtics City' beyond the episode: Red Auerbach's enduring legacy in Boston continues to inspire future generations

With Banner 18 finally hanging in the TD Garden rafters, the Boston Celtics have reestablished themselves as the winningest organization in NBA history. The franchise’s unmatched success began when the legendary Red Auerbach arrived in 1950.

That year, team owner Walter Brown hired Auerbach to turn around a lackluster group that finished the previous season with a 22-46 record. Auerbach wasted little time making his presence felt in Boston as he passed on Hall-of-Fame guard Bob Cousy in the 1950 draft and selected Chuck Cooper, the NBA’s first Black player. Cousy ended up with the Celtics anyway after he refused to report to the team that drafted him (Tri-Cities Blackhawks) and his next team, the Chicago Stags, folded.

Auerbach’s incredible impact was the subject of Monday’s premiere of Max’s “Celtics City” docuseries. The inaugural episode, titled “Founding Fathers,” covered Auerbach breaking down the color barrier in professional basketball and building a powerhouse led by Cousy and Bill Russell. The Celtics won nine of 10 NBA championships with Auerbach as their head coach from 1957-66.

We dug deep into the NBC Sports Boston archives to relive Auerbach’s storied Celtics run. From his unbreakable bond with Bill Russell to the story of Auerbach punching another NBA owner, here are a handful of exclusive videos to take you beyond Monday’s “Celtics City” premiere.

Red Auerbach and Bill Russell shared a special relationship with the Celtics that set the foundation for the NBA’s most successful franchise:

Larry Bird talks about a story from the early 1980s when Auerbach got into a heated exchange with Philadelphia 76ers head coach Billy Cunningham and center Moses Malone.

A look back at the 1957 NBA Finals, when the Celtics — led by Bob Cousy, Bill Russell, and rookie Tom Heinsohn — won their first NBA title.

Red Auerbach selected Chuck Cooper in the 1950 NBA Draft, making Cooper the first Black player drafted by an NBA team.

In Game 7 of the 1965 Eastern Division series against Philadelphia, Celtics legend John Havlicek made one of the most memorable plays in NBA history, which resulted in one of the most iconic broadcast calls of all time.

Havlicek stole an inbounds pass from Hal Greer, and Celtics broadcaster Johnny Most made his most famous call of “Havlicek stole the ball! Havlicek stole the ball!”

For more iconic moments from the Auerbach era in Boston, check out our YouTube channel.