Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here… highlighting the big story line. Because there’s nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.
It was just an informal summer workout to work up a sweat, but if you were waiting for evidence that Al Horford is already bonding with his teammates, R.J. Hunter’s Instagram has you covered. Let’s goooo!
On Page 2: The worst ever? Ever?!
Since the NBA started caring about players shooting quality shots and not just chucking anything and everything like they did in the 1950s, Marcus Smart is the worst shooter in NBA history through his first two seasons. He has the lowest field-goal percentage (35.7) ever for a player in his first two seasons (with at least 3,000 total minutes) and he has the lowest true shooting percentage (47.6), as well. Even Ricky Rubio (35.9 and 48.0) managed a better accuracy and that was with him coming off an ACL tear in his second season.
CBS Sports – Seven third-year NBA players looking to make a big leap in 2016-17
Safe to say most Celtics fans knew Smart’s shooting was bad, but this bad? Wow.
On Page 3: A legendary figure of the Old Garden
Remembering Rudolph “Spider” Edwards, a member of the Celtics family and longtime caretaker of the parquet. pic.twitter.com/pzxdZNq5Hs
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) July 27, 2016
From Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston:
The Celtics mourned the passing of longtime parquet caretaker Rudolph “Spider” Edwards on Wednesday. Edwards, instantly recognizable with his trademark fedora, swept the Garden parquet for 33 years and remained a familiar presence even after hanging up his broom. Edwards did a ceremonial sweep of the Garden parquet last October when the Celtics unveiled only the third parquet in team history. Edwards was beloved by players (Larry Bird, among them), fans, and executives alike. As Celtics assistant GM Mike Zarren wrote on Twitter Wednesday, “When I was 4 years old, the only thing I wanted in the whole world was to be Spider for a day. Really.”
A long time ago in the original Boston Garden, there were three things you could count on during pre-game. As the Celtics took the court, organist John Kiley would play “It’s a Great Day Tonight for the Irish”; John Havlicek would close out warmups by making two layups; and Spider Edwards would stride up and down the center of the court, pushing a dust mop from end to end of the parquet. The court cleaning served a purpose, of course, but it also was one of those small traditions that added up to make a game at the Old Garden a special experience.
R.I.P., Spider.
Related: CBS Boston – Rudolph ‘Spider’ Edwards, Fixture At Boston Garden, Dies
And, finally: Bill Russell was the original NBA activist
The bearded man laughing at his daughter is Bill Russell, the most remarkable basketball player of our time. Sport, however, is one of his lesser interests. Here are his trenchant, often angry observations on today’s Negro-white crisis and his role in it.
[…]
“When I look at the struggle of the American Negro I can’t help but be very, very proud. With what we’ve had to work with we’ve done a pretty good job of surviving. But we still have so far to go…. It would be a hell of a country…. It’s a great country as it is. Now we have to define great; an ambiguous word. Great industrial empire, standard of living…. I think it would be so much greater if everyone had an equal opportunity in every field. There is no way to speculate how much brainpower this country has lost. And we don’t have to like each other to live together peacefully and equally. Have you ever read how in the time of drought all the animals use the same water hole? The lions stay with the lions, the tigers with the tigers, the elephants live with elephants, but they all use the same water hole.”
Sports Illustrated Vault – ‘We Are Grown Men Playing A Child’s Game‘
This article from 1963 recently popped up on Twitter, perhaps as a reaction to Michael Jordan speaking out on current issues. Jordan’s statement was surprising because he had always stayed away from potentially divisive commentary, including the time he declined to support a Democratic candidate for office, famously stating, “Republicans buy shoes, too.”
Bill Russell had no such reluctance. He was a highly visible figure during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, and he never hesitated to speak directly and forcefully about race and society. This SI interview, while primarily about basketball and Russell’s career, contains many quotes that surely outraged white America during the era of segregation and overt racism. Hell, there are people who would be outraged by them today, as well.
In my view, Russell is the greatest basketball player of all time, but he’s also an American hero, as evidenced by the Medal of Freedom he received at a White House ceremony in 2010.
As a player and a person, Bill Russell is an inspiration and, more than anything else, is the reason I’m proud to be a Celtics fan.
The Rest of the Links:
Celtics.com – Celtics Sign Five Players (Green, Zeller, Jackson, Brown, Bentil – but not Nader)
ESPN – Summer Forecast: 2016-17 NBA Rookie of the Year (Jaylen Brown ranked sixth)
Yahoo – Why only Paul Pierce, returning for a 19th NBA season, can stop himself | Ex-NBA player hits Twitter, begs teams to give him one more chance (Von Wafer)
MassLive – Boston Celtics rumors: Ben Bentil finalizes three-year contract | Boston Celtics Jaylen Brown’s Rookie of the Year chances? ESPN ranks him sixth | Boston Celtics news: Jaylen Brown officially signs, along with four others
CSNNE – Six Of The NBA’s Best Offseason Moves | Mental Training Is The Secret To Jaylen Brown’s Development
NBPA – Current NBA Players Break New Ground by Choosing to Fund Health Insurance for Retired NBA Players
SB Nation – Kevin Garnett is overjoyed he found his Celtics shirt while watching ‘The Price is Right’
