Product Description

The Boston Celtics of the Bill Russell era were one of the greatest dynasties in sports history. During the thirteen years that Hall of Fame center Russell dominated the court, the Celtics won eleven world championships, including an unprecedented eight straight between 1959 and 1966. In the 1968-69 season, the aging and injury-riddled team finished in fourth place during the regular season, and sportswriters predicted an early defeat in the playoffs. Against all odds, player-coach Russell and his squad rallied to beat the heavily-favored Philadelphia '76ers and New York Knicks, and captured the championship crown in a dramatic upset of Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, Jerry West and the Los Angeles Lakers in the closing seconds of the final game of the series. The following summer, Russell stunned the sports world by announcing his retirement, ending his and the Celtics' celebrated reign.

In this vivid and lively account, Thomas J. Whalen chronicles Russell's memorable last season and the Celtics' dazzling triumph. Set against the backdrop of the tumultuous 1960s and Boston's own turbulent and bitter struggles with race, he tells the fascinating story of how an improbable championship team overcame poor health, indifferent fans, disruptive personnel changes, and internal morale problems. Whalen recounts how Russell transformed the game of basketball during his remarkable career and revisits the outspoken superstar's conflicted relationship with Boston. He also tells why the Celtics, the first team to break several NBA color lines, failed to attract a loyal following among the city's largely white sports fanatics and press corps.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #645189 in Books
• Published on: 2005-07-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 304 pages

From Booklist
During Bill Russell's 13-year NBA career, his Boston Celtics won 11 championships, the last in the 1968-69 season. Whalen explores how Russell rallied his aging teammates for that one last run at glory. He sets the context by examining how the Celtics--the first NBA team to start five black players and to hire a black coach (Russell)--were almost an afterthought in Beantown among the city's largely white fan base. Through first-person interviews, Russell's two memoirs, and newspaper accounts, Whalen explores the team dynamic that made this aging, often-injured group much more formidable than it should have been. The Celts limped into the playoffs as a fourth-place team but pulled off upsets against highly favored New York and Philadelphia to reach the finals against Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, and the Los Angeles Lakers. Whalen misses the mark slightly in his analysis of Boston's ambivalent relationship with its championship team but scores big in his examination of the pride, determination, and mutual respect that propelled these nearly middle-age men to one more title. Wes Lukowsky
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
"A thoughtful and thorough account of the last, great days of the Celtics team led by Bill Russell." (Bill Littlefield, Boston Globe) "A complete portrait of one of the great success stories in team sports... compelling portraits of both the players and the era that brim with colorful detail." - Sports Illustrated "Thomas J. Whalen has written a grand and comprehensive celebration about the end of a glorious time and about the men who made up such a glorious team." - Frank Deford "Tom Whalen's book is a sweet and overdue corrective to anyone who thinks basketball began with Michael Jordan, who thinks basketball in Boston began with Larry Bird, and who doubts that there were giants ever in short pants. Gaze in awe - Bill Russell played here once." - Charles P. Pierce, author of Hard to Forget: An Alzheimer's Story and Sports Guy "[Whalen] scores big in his examination of the pride, determination, and mutual respect that propelled these nearly middle-age men to one more title." - Booklist"

Review
"A complete portrait of one of the great success stories in team sports . . . compelling portraits of both the players and the era that brim with colorful detail." --Sports Illustrated

"A thoughtful and thorough account of the last, great days of the Celtics team led by Bill Russell."--Bill Littlefield, Boston Globe

"[Whalen] scores big in his examination of the pride, determination, and mutual respect that propelled these nearly middle-age men to one more title." --Booklist

Customer Reviews

CELTICS RULE
THIS IS ABOUT THE FINAL YEAR OF THE GREAT DYNASTY OF THE BOSTON CELTICS FROM 1950'S THRU THE 1960'S. ALONG THE WAY THE AUTHOR TELLS A LITTLE ABOUT EACH PLAYER INCLUDING GM RED AUERBACH.ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS DISCUSSED ARE THE RACISM GOING AROUND NOT ONLY IN BOSTON BUT IN JUST ABOUT EVERY MAJOR CITY IN THE USA. I ALSO FOUND THE COVERAGE CONCERNING RUSSELL VS WILT VERY WELL WRITTEN AND TO ME THE MOST INTERESTING PART OF THIS VERY GOOD BOOK. IT CENTERS MOSTLY AROUND BILL RUSSELL, AS WE FOUND OUT THAT HE IS INDEED VERY HUMAN ALONG WITH BEING THE ULTIMATE TEAM PLAYER. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS FOR ALL BASKETBALL AND ESPECIALLY CELTIC FANS. WELL WORTH READING.

A Team Appreciated More Now Than When They Played
I feel the book's strength is that you receive in-depth portraits of many of the star's who played for the Boston Celtics in addition to their announcer Johnny Most. In addition we are also provided with descriptions of Wilt Chamberlain and other NBA stars during this time period. Chamberlain, by the way, acquired his nickname "The Big Dipper" by having to often duck when entering through a doorway. However, the title suggests a concentration on the 1968-1969 season, and only the chapters on the playoffs at the end of the book provide us with this information. I enjoyed the book, but I found much of the same information in Bob Cousy's book and Red Auerbach's recent book. In addition, former St. Louis Hawks' superstar, Bob Pettit, the first man to score 20,000 points, had his name spelled incorrectly both times it appeared in the book and also in the index. If you enjoy the Celtics I'm quite sure you will enjoy the book, but I found it to be repetitious in what I found in other books. It is, indeed, unfortunate that this great Celtics team often played before a half empty Boston Garden before fans who really didn't appreciate what they had representing their city.

Recalling a very special time in Boston sports history
For those of us who were lucky enough to be around New England in the 1960's the incredible championship run of the Boston Celtics was a wonder to behold. Imagine winning 11 World Championships in 13 years! I really don't think many of us truly understood the magnitude of what was being accomplished. And needless to say, it's a pretty safe bet that there will never be anything like it again in professional sports.
"Dynasty's End" recalls the incredible accomplishments of Bill Russell, Sam Jones, John Havlicek and the rest of the cast that completely dominated the sport for more than a decade. While the focus is ultimately on the Celtics improbable 1968-69 championship season author Thomas Whelan has done a nice job of filling us in on the history of this storied franchise. It is really quite stunning when you realize that for many years the Celtics were winning championship after championship on a shoestring budget and were rarely able to sell out the building. You begin to understand just how smart Red Auerbach really was. Whelan also recalls great fondness longtime Celtics radio announcer Johnny Most. He truly was one of a kind and really was an intregal part of the Boston Celtics story.
While Whalen gives us the lowdown on all of the significant Celtics players of the period he hones in on Hall of Famer Bill Russell. Here was a multi-talented player with an extremely complex personality who toward the end of his storied career would have the distinction of becoming player-coach of the Celts. Some of the stories and anecdotes about Russell are absolutely priceless. Whalen also profiles many of the Celtics key adversaries of the day including Elgin Baylor, Bill Bradley, Billy Cunningham and of course Bill Russell's arch-rival Wilt "The Stilt" Chamberlain. Suffice to say that Russell had his way with the 7'1" Chamberlain more often than not.
"Dynasty's End" is a well written book destined to be enjoyed by history buffs and basketball fans alike. It is a snapshot of a different era in the country as a whole and professional sports in particular. A worthwhile read!