Tell me a story... about the heyday of the Boston Celtics
Wish it Lasted Forever: Life with the Larry Bird Celtics by Dan Shaughnessy
Expected publication date: November 9, 2021
Date read: November 8, 2021
Back in the 1970s and 1980s, NBA basketball wasn't what it is today - multi-million dollar contracts and primetime coverage. Players traveled on commercial flights, stayed in low-budget hotels, and took public transportation to their own home games. At this time, local media members also traveled with the team, flying on the same planes and riding team buses. This gave The Boston Globe reporter Dan Shaughnessy an insight into the game that few reporters get access to today, when he covered the Celtics from 1982 to 1986. In this book he covers not only the games, but - more importantly - the behind the scenes stories about the coaches and the players that made up one of the greatest teams in NBA history.
Disclaimer: I live just outside of Boston and am a Celtics fan.
I was born in the early 1980s, so while I’ve been aware of the Celtics and their greatest players, I never saw Larry Bird play. My knowledge of the great teams of the 1980s are what I’ve seen in clips and documentaries or heard about in stories. So that’s where I’m coming from. But I honestly believe that this book has things for people like me and for people who sat in the Garden and watched every game Bird played.
While this book covers the games a little and gave background info on the players and coaches of the time, the majority of the book is behind-the-scenes stories. And because it’s told from the point of view of a reporter, who traveled with the team but was still seen as an outsider by the players, as I reader I could believe that all of the stories were more or less true. (Unlike in a player memoir, where the author might embellish or leave out details to make himself look good.)
My biggest takeaway from this book is how much I wish that I had been there to see it in person. These players seemed amazing and played the game in a way that we don’t see anymore. It also made me appreciate some of the other players more than I ever did before. (I’ve decided that I absolutely love Bill Walton and M.L. Carr seemed like such a great guy).
I recommend this for anyone who enjoys basketball. Will Celtics fans appreciate it more than others? Of course. But I think the “inside the NBA” stuff will appeal to everyone. And it’s Larry Bird. It’s kind of like The Last Dance documentary - you don’t have to be a Bulls fan to watch a documentary on Michael Jordan, because he’s Michael Jordan, and the appeal goes farther than just a team.
My only complains were the somewhat abrupt endings to some of the chapters, and I wish that we were able to get more stories on Robert Parish (there was very little in the book on Parish, because he apparently hated Shaughnessy and refused to ever speak to him.)
Overall, a really fun and educational read that I think basketball fans will enjoy.
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Trigger warning: Mention of drug overdose, mention of spouse abuse
A special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.
