Latest news with #KevinMcHale
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
What happened to Boston Celtics forward Reggie Lewis?
What happened to Boston Celtics forward Reggie Lewis? The Celtics dynasty of the 1980s that started under Boston Hall of Famers Larry Bird, Robert Parish, and Kevin McHale looked poised to continue with the rise of Lewis after the Celtics drafted him out of the NCAA ranks. But a hidden health issue would take the young Boston star from his family, friends, team, and fans far too soon, Lewis collapsing on a court with a rare heart issue that would ultimately take his life. Celtics beat writers from that era Bob Ryan and Dan Shaugnessy took some time on a recent episode of the "NBA History and Storytellers on CLNS" show to talk over his untimely loss. Take a look at the clip embedded below to hear what they had to say about what was lost -- and what might have been. If you enjoy this pod, check out the "How Bout Them Celtics," "First to the Floor," and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network: This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: What happened to Celtics forward Reggie Lewis?
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
"Once it goes in, it never comes back out" - Danny Ainge explains why Kevin McHale earned the most accurate nickname in NBA history
"Once it goes in, it never comes back out" - Danny Ainge explains why Kevin McHale earned the most accurate nickname in NBA history originally appeared on Basketball Network. No player is allowed to be a superstar in the NBA without a nickname. It's a rite of passage, a signal to the world that you have arrived, a name that will stick side-by-side with a player's legacy throughout their career. Advertisement We've had some incredible ones over the years — "The Truth", "The Answer", "White Chocolate", "Air Jordan", "King James", "The Black Mamba", "The Mailman" and "Dr J" are just a handful among many nicknames that have graced the Association and injected some magic back into competition. But for every "Chef Curry", "Joker" or "Slim Reaper", there are equally peculiar ones that have somehow stuck, even when slightly questionable or confusing at first. Boston Celtics legend Kevin McHale falls into this category after his teammates dubbed him "The Black Hole" in the 1980s. While it might seem like a bizarre nickname to bestow on a Hall of Famer, luckily for him, it did come with a perfectly logical explanation. Danny Ainge makes the call Most people nowadays recognize Danny Ainge as one of the top-tier executives in the league. Still, he also had a quietly successful playing career that spanned from 1981 to 1995. During that time, he collected two championship rings with the Boston Celtics. Although he wasn't a world-beater on the court, he played a role alongside some of the greatest names the league has ever seen. Advertisement Those names included Larry Bird, Robert Parish, Dennis Johnson, and, of course, Kevin McHale. Night in and night out, Ainge shared the floor with these all-timers, and his experience as a player is likely a key ingredient in his successful transition into an elite front office operator. The titles were nice, but Danny is responsible for handing out one of McHale's most unusual and hilarious nicknames ever. Dubbing the talented power forward "The Black Hole" raised a lot of eyebrows at first. Still, Ainge had perfectly good reasoning for it. "I called Kevin the black hole. Once it goes in, it never comes back out", he explained. When looking back, it's hard to argue with Danny's justification. Not because McHale was a ball hog, but because he was so supremely gifted in the post that the ball rarely ever needed to come back out. During an era where the game was exclusively played inside-out, the 6'11" forward to this day remains arguably the best post player the league has ever seen. Advertisement He was dominant in scoring the ball and creating for others with his back to the basket, and that's saying something considering he played alongside other legends who also had that in their arsenal. As for the nickname, it's barely ever discussed in modern NBA circles, but it was every bit worthy of its description. Perhaps it's not brought up because McHale himself is rarely spoken about, which is disappointing given he is undoubtedly one of the all-time great power forwards in league history. Related: "If you meet a girl in the city, you can bring her on the plane" - Cuttino Mobley shares the wild rules on the early 2000s Rockets Time to hand out some more If these past few years in the playoffs have shown us anything, it's that there is a new wave of superstars who deserve a nickname. The reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has a shortened initialism of "SGA," but that doesn't feel powerful enough. Advertisement It would be unjust not to give Tyrese Haliburton a nickname after his playoff run with the Indiana Pacers. The same could be said for Jalen Brunson after he led the New York Knicks to their first Eastern Conference Finals in 25 years. It's clear that there are some worthy All-Stars who have yet to be given their basketball alias. It's only a matter of time before someone takes a leaf out of Ainge's book and hands them out. Related: "People don't know how strong that guy is" - Kevin McHale on Larry Bird's most underrated trait as a player This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
"Kevin was so calm" - Larry Bird knew Kevin McHale would bounce back from missing two clutch free throws in the 1984 Finals against Boston
"Kevin was so calm" - Larry Bird knew Kevin McHale would bounce back from missing two clutch free throws in the 1984 Finals against Boston originally appeared on Basketball Network. As the alpha of the Boston Celtics in the 1980s, it was only natural that Larry Bird was looked upon to lead the team through high-stakes moments. But there was another player that the entire team wholeheartedly trusted; someone they knew would go above and beyond to ensure the team never faltered. That player, as Bird himself once acknowledged, was Kevin McHale. Bird had so much faith in McHale that, whether it was a regular-season battle or a crucial NBA Finals showdown, he knew McHale would rise to the occasion if given the opportunity. Tensions was already running high when the Celtics faced the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1984 NBA Finals, primarily because it was the first time in the Bird vs. Magic rivalry days that these two teams were against one another on the biggest stage. Moreover, after the Purple and Gold stole an on-road win in the series opener, the pressure was on. Game 2 seemed no different, as with less than a minute remaining, the Celtics found themselves trailing by two. McHale had the chance to tie the game at the free-throw line with under 30 seconds remaining on the clock. Unfortunately for Boston, he missed both his shots. But for Bird, the story wasn't about those missed free throws. In fact, he knew McHale well enough to believe that he wouldn't shy away from the moment the next time around. "No question about it," Bird said on McHale's composure under pressure. "Kevin was so calm. You always hear Kevin talk about (how) after the game, he goes and he forgets about that game, he goes with his family which he does and that game is history, let's go onto the next game. But in Game 2 in 1984, we lost the first game… Kevin's at the free throw line and we're down by two and he's so calm and I couldn't believe what happened after that," Bird McHale was not yet the polished force he would later become in his prime, he showed glimpses of that growth throughout that Finals series. After the Celtics fought hard to tie the series at 2-2, McHale came alive in Game 5. He dropped 19 points (more than every other Laker other than James Worthy) and did so on an efficient 62.5 percent shooting from the field, along with 9-for-10 free throws and 10 rebounds. His all-around effort helped Boston seize a pivotal 3-2 lead in the series. Even more impressively, in Game 7, McHale was equally composed and efficient, shooting 66.7 percent from the floor and consistently capitalizing on scoring opportunities to keep the pressure off his teammates. Just as Bird had predicted, McHale proved that his early mistake didn't define him. Instead, it was his ability to rebound, stay composed and deliver under the brightest lights that truly mattered. Thus, while most conveniently overlooked the value that McHale added to the Celtics team, Bird knew from the beginning that the team had a real champ coming off the bench since his early story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 14, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
"People don't know how strong that guy is" - Kevin McHale on Larry Bird's most underrated trait as a player
"People don't know how strong that guy is" - Kevin McHale on Larry Bird's most underrated trait as a player originally appeared on Basketball Network. Physically, Larry Bird didn't come across as the most intimidating presence. But that would be just masking the actual fact. His wiry frame and hunched shoulders gave off the impression of someone who relied purely on finesse, maybe vision, maybe instinct. Advertisement Under that humble exterior was a brand of strength that held its own and imposed. Kevin McHale, who spent every day alongside Bird on those battle-hardened Boston Celtics teams of the 1980s, knew exactly what that meant. Bird's strength The league saw Bird as a shooter, a talker and a clutch maestro. McHale saw something else — an absolute brute in the post. "People don't know how strong that guy is," the Celtics legend said. "Larry would just come into you and grab you. I remember the first time I'm gone, I'm like, 'Damn, that guy's strong.'" McHale, a Hall of Famer in his own right and one of the league's most skilled low-post players, wasn't easily impressed. But even he remembers that moment of shock when Bird's physicality made its first impression. Advertisement The legendary forward didn't waste time playing soft angles. He'd seal defenders with his hips, use that iron grip to hold space — and the second they flinched, he'd already be rising up for a clean jumper. Bird played in an era where elbows flew as freely as passes. But even among the hardwood violence of the 1980s, his strength was dominant. And no place brought that out more than in the rivalries that made his legend what it is today. The battles with the Detroit Pistons were the truest test of physical resolve. The Pistons were brutal. Their identity on the hardwood, famously dubbed The Bad Boys, turned the court into a battlefield. Michael Jordan, in trying to get through them, notoriously bulked up by nearly 15 pounds in the early '90s just to endure the punishment. By 1991, Jordan was a different physical force and it took that version of him to finally push through the Detroit wall. Advertisement Related: "I didn't agree with it in '91, I don't agree with it now" - John Salley admitted he didn't want to walk off the court without shaking the Bulls' players' hands Battling it out Unlike Jordan, Bird never needed to bulk up. He didn't need the weight room transformation or a new training regimen. He walked into those games exactly as he was and still left defenders second-guessing their approach. The Pistons threw Dennis Rodman, Rick Mahorn and Bill Laimbeer at him, but Bird still carved them up. He did it with the pump fake, with the shot, with the pass, but always with the body. His toughness wasn't chest-beating or performative. It was functional. It was rooted in leverage, anticipation and an unwavering willingness to get hit and hit back. Advertisement In an era before tailored weight programs and personalized trainers, Bird built his core strength on courts in French Lick, Indiana, hauling cement for his dad in the summers and playing ball with men who didn't believe in calling fouls. He came to the league in 1979 ready-made, because he understood what it meant to be tough before he understood what it meant to be famous. Bird never led the league in scoring, but he averaged over 24 points per game across a 13-year career that saw three MVP awards in a row and a pair of Finals MVPs. And when it came to the clutch, his numbers only grew sharper. He hit game-winners, pulled down rebounds with three defenders tugging at his jersey and set screens with the kind of impact that left guards dazed. Strength, in Bird's game, was the base that held everything else. The passing, the vision, the shooting, none of it worked without the physical resolve to impose. It took until his later years when he was hurt for the Pistons to finally get the better of the Bird-led Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals. Related: "I would hate to sell my house and see somebody go in there and not knowing the ups and downs" - Larry Bird on why he refuses to sell his old Boston home This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 28, 2025, where it first appeared.
Ottawa Citizen
26-06-2025
- Business
- Ottawa Citizen
What's up with the ‘hipster animals' on Sparks Street?
Article content Kevin McHale knows that the Block 2 redevelopment construction along Sparks Street isn't exactly a pretty sight. Article content 'Part of the reason these (hoarding) walls are put up is because construction is loud, and it's messy,' McHale said. 'These structures have to go in to make pedestrians safe.' Article content Article content As executive director of the Sparks Street Business Improvement Area (BIA), McHale also knows the construction is expected to last until the early 2030s, and that it's hardly kind to the pedestrian downtown experience. Article content Article content The solution? Twenty-seven murals that McHale dotingly calls 'The Hipster Animals.' Article content Article content 'We wanted something that would be amusing and entertaining to people,' McHale said. 'Just the funky treatment of Canadian animals, and just have some fun rather than having a boring gray wall that people have to walk by.' Article content Along the Sparks Street hoarding wall, just steps away from the Parliament Buildings, lie the murals depicting 15 different animals, including polar bears, foxes, otters, raccoons and Canadian geese. Some don sunglasses or headphones with smile-plastered faces. Some wave at passers-by, while some hold up a peace sign. All are embellished with vibrant hues of blues, reds, purples and pinks woven into their fur or feathers. Article content The animals are a product of a Sparks Street BIA and Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) collaboration to transform the construction zone into something more 'enriching' for the downtown area. Article content Article content Ashley Jackson, a senior director with PSPC, says the animals are there 'for the long haul,' having first been installed in May and lasting until at least early 2030. Article content 'We're really working to lay a foundation for a space that's vibrant and inclusive and thriving,' Jackson said. 'It's about sparking interest in the space and building that lasting connection. The hoardings are going to be in place for a while and then as we go into the future, we really want to extend that long term.' Article content Article content 'They're quirky, proud and full of personality, just like Canadians,' she said. 'I was inspired to create these animals to give an opportunity to add some fun, colour and animation to the construction.' Article content What started as only a handful of animals — originally the Canada goose, beaver, moose and Canadian toad — quickly turned into a months-long process to create a band of furry and feathered friends. Each pose and expression came from Lawson standing in front of a mirror and moving in silly ways she thought would make pedestrians pause on their way by.
