NBA Legends on how insanely good Kevin McHale was
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 ก.ค. 2024
- Kevin McHale is one of the best players of all time.
His Post Game and his time with the Boston Celtics will never be forgotten.
In this Video NBA Legends like Charles Barkley, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird and more will say how Good Kevin McHale was.
If ever there were a player who possessed the ideal physique for the game of basketball, it was Kevin McHale. With his incredibly long arms and legs, McHale presented an unforgettable image on the hardwood. He used his physical gifts to excellent advantage during his 13-year career with the Boston Celtics, becoming one of the best inside players the game has ever seen and forming with Larry Bird and Robert Parish, one of the greatest front lines in NBA history.
“He became the most difficult low-post player to defend - once he made the catch - in the history of the league,” contended former NBA coach Hubie Brown in The Boston Globe. “He was totally unstoppable because of his quickness, diversification of moves and the long arms that gave him an angle to release the ball over a taller man or more explosive jumper.”
McHale had all of these qualities, coupled with an uncanny ability to get to the free-throw line or nail the high-percentage shot in the clutch. He retired in 1993 as the fourth-leading scorer and sixth-best rebounder in Celtics history. A two-time winner of the NBA Sixth Man Award and a six-time member of either the NBA All-Defensive First or Second Team, McHale ranks 15th in the NBA in career field goal percentage (.554). Teaming with Bird and Parish, “The Big Three” led the Celtics to three NBA Championships in the 1980s.
McHale was the best sixth man of his generation at a time when key reserves were becoming fashionable. His scoring improved in each of his first six seasons, beginning with an average of 10.0 points per game as a rookie in 1980-81. He also chalked up 4.4 rebounds and 1.84 blocks per game that year and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team. Although still playing limited minutes, McHale proved to be a key contributor to a Celtics team that won the 1981 NBA Championship.
McHale improved his output in each of the next two seasons, but the Celtics failed to return to the NBA Finals. After the team replaced Coach Bill Fitch with K.C. Jones, McHale and the Celtics enjoyed a magical campaign in 1983-84. Playing 31.4 minutes per game off the bench, McHale averaged 18.4 ppg and 7.4 rpg, shot .556 from the floor and won the NBA Sixth Man Award. He also made the first of his seven All-Star appearances. Boston won the Atlantic Division with a 62-20 record, then took the NBA Championship after a grueling seven-game battle with the Los Angeles Lakers in the Finals.
McHale won the Sixth Man Award again in 1984-85, becoming the first repeat winner in the award’s history. For the season, he shot .570 from the floor and averaged 19.8 ppg and 9.0 rpg. In a game against the Detroit Pistons he poured in a career-high 56 points, setting a team record that Bird broke with a 60-point performance less than two weeks later. The Celtics blasted through the regular season at 63-19, then plowed through the playoffs to a rematch with the Lakers in the NBA Finals. This time the Lakers prevailed, winning in six games. McHale was outstanding in the postseason, averaging 22.1 ppg and 9.9 rpg.
Prior to the 1985-86 season the Celtics traded Cedric Maxwell to the Los Angeles Clippers, and McHale became the team’s starting power forward. Although he had another outstanding year, averaging 21.3 ppg, McHale had his first experience with the ankle and foot injuries that would haunt him later in his career. After missing only three games in his first five seasons, McHale sat out 14 contests in 1985-86 with a sore left Achilles tendon.
Over 13 NBA seasons, all with the Celtics, McHale had amassed 17,355 points, 7,122 rebounds, 1,690 blocked shots and a .554 lifetime field-goal percentage. Through the 2016-17 seasonn he ranked fifth on the Celtics’ all-time scoring list, behind only John Havlicek, Paul Pierce, Bird and Parish.
On January 30, 1994, during an 18-minute halftime ceremony at Boston Garden, Kevin McHale’s uniform No. 32 was retired. Waving one of those big arms toward the crowd, he could at last take the spotlight. Bird, in whose shadow McHale had played for 12 of his 13 seasons, sat in the audience. McHale’s No. 32 was raised next to Bird’s No. 33 in the Boston Garden rafters.
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McHale was that guy very few wanted to battle in the paint. Dude is a legend and rightfully so. He was the original "Big Fundamental"
I'll co-sign that
McHale reminds me of Knicks player Dave DeBusschere. Big guy, big talent, big heart.
@@ea11111 him and Hakeem are the footwork gods IMHO
Well put in your comment about Kevin McHale being the original "Big Fundamental!" That's why I gave you a GREAT, BIG, HUMONGOUS "thumb's up!!!"
You have a good point, but Kevin already HAS a nickname - "The Man of 1000 Moves".
Kevin Mchale was pretty much unstoppable in his prime and yet, like all the Celtics, he was a team player above all else.
@Jing Qi Agreed. As GREAT as McHale was, he was also the ultimate team player. None other than ultra-competitive (and VERY tough) Larry Bird even lauded McHale for his toughness, as Larry knew Kevin was playing on a fractured foot one year and into the playoffs. McHale had to have known he risked permanent damage to his foot by playing through the injury that year, but just showed HOW much of a team player #32 was.
And if there's one word that best describes McHale's play: UNSTOPPABLE (as you rightly pointed out). As McHale said, he would defer to his teammates (especially Bird), due to the hot hand his teammate(s) showed on any given night. But if it was McHale's night, ALL defenders were at his mercy.
@@mikes3827 I believe McHale was playing through that fractured foot injury in '87. If not for that, I believe the Celtics might have been champs again.
@@jingqi9106 Yep. And Len Bias as a rookie in '87 would have also been HUUUUGE (I'm not usually a fan of "can't miss" term, but it really was valid when it came to Bias).
Had Lenny not "celebrated" by naively doing cocaine and he became a mainstay on the Celtics, I truly believe the Cs would have had more championships during the 80s vs. the Lakers, because I really believe Lenny was destined to be an all-timer. Such a waste.
@@mikes3827 Yeah, Lenny Bias had big time hops and a beautiful jump shot that I'm sure he could have extended out to the 3 point line with the touch he had. Bias would have been an infusion of youth and athleticism on that team and definitely made the Celtics team better. It also would have allowed the Celtics to match up better with the Lakers in the late 80s. RIP Len Bias.
As a Laker fan since 1977, I hated McHale, but all these years later I miss his play and greatness he displayed against my team. He would be in my top ten...
Kevin McHale is criminally underrated
I agree, but he did make the HOF and that's pretty darn good. But yes, he doesn't get the cred he deserves. But the Celtics were like that. Parrish and DJ don't get talked a lot about either. Even Ainge. Maybe that the price you pay for playing with Bird. Only rings I guess :)
FACTS!!!
He’s one of the greatest PF of all time. He revolutionized the position with his post moves
@@chrishandsome4267 TRUE!
Word‼️💯
Kevin McHale's "Torture Chamber", where great players were left to die!!
Yep! He tortured the best of them many times!!! Top 5 power forward of ALL TIME!! Only a complete idiot would question it!!💯
I was a Lakers fan back in the 80's and every year I had to watch my team battle the Celtics in the finals. Bird was Bird and I knew that was going to be tough but McHale used to drive me crazy, he was just so clever and so reliable. As much as I remember is post moves which were unstoppable as everyone says, I mostly remember watching walk to the line for free throws throughout the game.
For Boston fans, it was the agony of watching Kareem get his sky hook going!
My mother was an insane Celtics fan. In Atlanta. To watch that '80s Celtics frontline...
Chief was great, Bird was Bird. But McHale? Underrated. When he was on, you can forget about it. His post moves were lethal. McHale gave em hell.
Magic Johnson has talked highly of McHale numerous times. In the 90's when he was doing play by play work for NBC he'd often make McHale references during games when someone made a McHale esque type play. Coach Mike Fratello once said some teams would actually make their rookies watch McHale videos. Isaiah Thomas said Detroit had no answer for Kevin, Doc Rivers said the same about his Hawks. On almost any other team he would've been starting much earlier and been more of a main go to offensively and had better overall career numbers. I'm glad Boston got him though. Wow he was great! Great video!
absolutely.......that dude had the low post moves and could shoot some range if he had to....shame there isn't anyone like him at the moment.
I didn’t c anybody block his shot
You're right about Kevin McHale if he had played on a non Superstar team and all Hall of Fame team he may have been average in 35 a night and his game wasn't dramatically artistic for fans so he didn't get all that respect for excitement like Jordan Got but I would take kevin over Jordan any day in a week for a career, look Jordan couldn't beat celtics in his prime that tells you something right there
@@Iambriangregory well lad that took a turn😂😂😂😂what??🤔there’s no way I read that correctly?you really said what you said??🤔nah no way you made a typo.
Growing up a Celtics fan, McHale was always fun to watch. His footwork was a thing of beauty. I miss those days.
When we had him here at the University of Minnesota I was thoroughly unimpressed with McHale. He averaged 16 points a game as a senior while Freshman Randy Brewer was close to 20. I always heard the hype but never saw him have a big game. Then he gets in the pros and just blast off 🚀
Kevin McHale legit had roughly 12 moves in his reportoire ..up and under scoop both sides, fall away left, fall away right, upfake and baby hook..and variations of both..his impossibly long arms, his height, everything.. unstoppable
baby skyhook, maybe, not baby hook. And even then, given he had an 8' wingspan at 6'10", maybe more of an adolescent skyhook.
and he could sequence all of it in any pattern w/o hesitation, just rapid-fire bingbingbing. Defender might be thinking "I can get that hook shot" but oops, it's a fake, he steps through, layup, defender looking silly...
My dad loved bird , the chief , and Kevin M. I grew up arching these guys and I’m so glad for it now .
I always thought that if McHale got a one on one matchup in the low post he would score. One thing you didn't talk about with Kevin was his use of ball and head fakes, he was an artist at getting his opponents to leave their feet and then take advantage of it.
Kevin's ONLY competiton in the Low Post was Akeem (Hakeem) - they BOTH were basically unstoppable down there, and GREAT defenders against the Low Post.
Yep, Kevin's main move in the post was essentially a good fake.
He gave nightmares because he would NOT rely only on brute force, otherwise he was SO POLITED and I might add ELEGANT on those post moves... besides one could NOT diminish his game by trash talking because he would respond ON THE HARDWOOD with GAME!!! VERY happy that you made this great content about Kevin McHale!!!🏀💪🏼🏀💪🏼🏀💪🏼✊🏼👍🏼
Well said ! Mind You, MCHALE did this in a time where there was NO such thing as a Flagrant foul. That ring-a-ding call didn't come til 91' & wasn't enforced until 96'. Even Refs had to get use to the call.
@@vincentestone5764 true FACTS!!!
Glad to see McHale get the recognition he deserves from all these players. Way Overdue.
Kevin McHale was to power forward as John Stockton was to point guard they beat you quietly hence why they're forgotten at times then you go look at their stats and video footage and see why they're part of the best players of their position.
Having grown up in Boston I knew exactly how good Kevin was.
One of the BEST low post and most underrated low post players ever!!
I remember when Larry Bird fed Kevin McHale one night and wanted him to get 60. McHale settled for 56, which was a Celtics record. So just a few nights later Bird scored 60, just for kicks. Either of those guys could have had multiple 50 point games per season but that wasn’t their way, they liked to share the points. But those two games showed what they could have done.
Nobody talks about McHale anymore smh
@Ken D It’s true that Bird knew Benson couldn’t guard McHale, but Benson only played 15 minutes that game, so there was more to it than that.
@Ken D Kent Benson as I recall - but Kent was primarily a center, not a forward - he'd have been spending more time guarding Parrish.
He should do a video on Robert Parish next. He's a forgotten player who was alongside Bird and Michale
He did the dirty work;; it like Wes unsel & elvin Hayes: Wes unsel did the dirty work
Totally agree with this....the respect he was given was probably his best asset
HAIL TO THE CHIEF!!!
Robert parish was my guy back in the day. Im from NY and hated the Celtic's but I was always in awe of chief!
The lost art of Kevin McHale. You should include the instructional VHS with him, Bird and Auerbach
Hey Todd,I had that vhs tape you're talking about,it had a lot Bird and McHale doing fundamental drills.Good tape.GOD BLESS.
@@powerbad696 I think it was "Winning Basketball." Bird calling it the "bankboard" was funny. Take care
@@powerbad696 absolutely love that God Bless. Three great men, the art of basketball coursing through them. :)
The art of the pick and roll
Arguably the greatest, most unstoppable power forward of all-time and is way underrated.
He's second to Timmy. I respect McHale as a basketball player and a human being.
@@JB-xh5mc I always thought of Duncan as a center with where he played on defense and offense much of the time. In any case, I thought McHale was more effective in the paint than Duncan.
@@JB-xh5mc McHale was better
@@UpChuckTheBoogie seriously 💀come on mate and I love mchale but stop this
@@raymondsims7042 McHale had a shorter peak but both at their best I'd take McHale he was unstoppable.
One of the holy trinity Bird, Parish and McHale
Haven’t seen the video yet but I’m born 2000 and I’m telling y’all that McHale was FILTHY!
In the post and inside, man was such a beast.
There’s a lot of tape like open court where these guys tell you just how good McHale and other legends in the past were. If an athletic beast like Barkley tells you he was one of the best players he played against then that means sum.
English, please. And say what you mean, not the opposite. "He was 'sum'"?
Nobody could play the post like 32, and he was an outstanding defender and rebounder. Double him up and he would just kick it out to the bomb squad.
This is absolutely an amazing show.
I grew up near Hibbing, MN, where Kevin was from and remember watching him in high school
Was he a baller then?
@@fatalsniper3413 Not really. Was very good since he was the tallest one out there. He really didn't start to gain my attention until he started playing college ball at the University of Minnesota. Think he must have put on 30+ pounds going from HS to College. Back in HS, he was just this tall lanky kid.
Kevin Mchale was his generations Ginobili. That all-star monster who cared more about winning that starting.
Please dont, dont compare Ginobili to McHale, just dont
@@javigar133 In role not play style or talent.
@@lettucetomatoonion you right
McHale is...one of the greatest...sky is limit...Ginobili is great, i love him...but in Europe he can't be top five...Gallis, Petrovic, Kukoc, Rađa, Dalipagic, Sabonis, Nowitzky itd.. McHale is one of greatest of all time... Barkley or him...Malone or him...Garnett or him... he is Dream team class of player...
@@mirkocapeta387
Ginobili isn't European, he's from Argentina. This thread needs deleted because of how embarrassing it is.
Nobody I ever saw was as effective in the paint as McHale was.
Hakeem olajuwon:; ever hear of him;; Kareem Abdul jabber skyhook;; jabber got the skyhook master;; any angle he can shoot from,, Kevin McHale was brilliant low post basketball player; so was elvin Hayes turn around jump shot;; either is a center;; Wes unsel & Robert Parrish did the dirty work
@@lloydkline1518 I'd take Hakeem or Kevin over Kareem in the low post - but it WOULD be an argument.
Hakeem and Keven were better DEFENDING the low post than Kareem, and both had a bit of an edge on the offensive end - the Sky Hook could be defended by just not letting Kareem get into his comfortable range - ask KAREEM why Nate Thurmond "played him the toughest".
Trying to stop Hakeem or Kevin once THEY got the ball in the low post was a nightmare at best.
@@bricefleckenstein9666 I hear in the nba; a basketball player needs one go to move ;;Kareem Abdul jabber skyhook; he was jabber could shoot at any angle;;,, Kareem was 7 feet 2 inches;; he master the shot;; :: Hakeem olajuwon took low 📫post to anther level with teachers it;; his basketball camp,,;, Hakeem olajuwon learn from Kevin McHale too:: low 📫post basketball;;; ;;Hakeem jump jump shot was better than Kareem Abdul jabber jump.shot :: Hakeem olajuwon was a low 📫post scientists;; different era big men have to dribble the basketball more etc rtc
@@bricefleckenstein9666 nate Thurmond outscore& knockout jabber & his team in a playoff series ,, willie Reed have jabber trouble with his muscle & low post 📫defense & great jump shot,,; old man with knee surgery knee block couple skyhook shots; he had great games against jabber;; ;; Bob lanear;; Bill Walton;; all gave jabber trouble ;;: mose Malone,;,,
@@lloydkline1518 You say, "all gave Jabbar trouble." Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was one of the most dominating players in the history of the NBA. He owns a number of records, and six NBA titles - I believe he appeared in 10 NBA Championship series, but may have that wrong. The point is, we don't compare Kareem to other players, we compare other players to Kareem.
He had the same problem Pippen did.
When you're one of the best players ever to suit up in the NBA, but happen to be the same team as one of the most legendary players ever, you're going to be underrated.
Both Scottie and Kevin could have easily been franchise players, but instead were content with playing their roles behind two of the most talented and popular players ever to play and have a dominant team that wins championships.
Kevin McHale is the best post player ever.
Pretty sure Wilt would braid his armpit hair together...
Yeah I got an argument for wilt
@@jimvick8397 I don't know about that besides McHale was a power forward not a center.
Best Basketball channel on TH-cam by a country mile. Bravo sir, keep them coming
When you start realising how good a player Kevin Mchale once was, that's when you start truly understand basketball!
Sooooo true
"Give it to McHale!" was a friend of mine and I's mantra growing up.
I hope someone from NBA sees your videos and changes today's NBA...USA team in Tokyo only look for 3 pointers ...game has really become so boring
I agree, but sadly, post play is a thing of the past
There will never be another "Big 3" like McHale, Bird, and Parrish. There wasn't much opposing coaches could do except hope the Celtics would have an off-night. It was such a pleasure watching those guys play. I miss that NBA!
Never
A sad side note….
Agree with your Big 3 terminology, but just imagine had the
Len Bias tragedy not happened…..
Those three and Len Bias in off the bench…?
The league would’ve been given a standing 8 count by the All Star break…..🙁
@@brianjones7660 Agreed. One has to wonder how much wind came out of their sails when Bias died right after the draft. The Celts were getting older and injury plagued and probably saw him as a shot in the arm to get back to glory.
The only real match for that "Big Three" was Magic, Worthy, and Jabbar. There's a reason their rivalry was as electric as it was. Sure Kareem was old by then, but even in his old age underestimating him would cause an immediate loss. That sky-hook was unstoppable and his defense damn-near impenetrable by most players.
@@chrispatterson8210 I remember the Len Bias news vividly. It was a miracle they got that pick in the first place, but when the news of his death came out it was the end of an era. No telling what that team could have done with him in the lineup.
Kevin and Hakeem the two Players with the best FW alltime in the post and it is a shame when it come to post moves allwyas hakeem w´mentioned an Mchale mostly forgotten.
whats sad that after the 87 Playoff run Kevin never was the same.
Sean… you’re the man, bro… but as a man who grew up in Boston… don’t you dare wish Kevin on no other team! We loved our boys over here!! Hahaha 😉 Great video, man!
Kev was a beast down low....how lucky I am to have grown up watching every Celtics game in the 80-90
he was an elite player
I've been waiting for a video on Kevin McHale. He was one of the best power forwards to play the game, and so underrated. I watched his whole career, and even I can forget how great he was. The man of a thousand moves. Thanks the video.
The Lakers were lucky that McHale reached his peak late and injured his foot.
I just LOVE Dominque Wilkins when he talks. He's all class. I always say of him - "He's all class OFF the court, all MONSTER on it!"
Also, High Praise from CB!
Nique is the man
McHale is the post-version of Kawhi Leonard. A defensive stopper that learned to be equally unstoppable on offense mid-way through his career development.
In that case, Tim Duncan was the Michael Jordan of power forwards! Making Kawhi the most Diva of small forwards!
@@Emma-dh1lx What in the actual world is wrong with you? You can't open up a coherent argument with a proper dissection of the issue at hand and finish up with an insult? Is that how you talk to people? You jump right in, hoping to throw something out that sticks and if you fail at least you feel smart for putting someone down? That's how it's going to be?
@@Sizdothyx It's TRUE though! Kawhi is NO Kobe, Jordan, Lebron etc.. Your blowing up McHale. But, your follow through is Kawhi??? Really?
@@Sizdothyx Don't disrespect a HARD worker like Kevin, with that Diva Kawhi!!
@@Emma-dh1lx What the Hell are you talking about? Their career developmental paths emerged the same way: neither were starters, both were put into specialist positions before taking the next leap and developing into unstoppable offensive options _after_ picking up those specialties that would have otherwise shoe-horned them into support players rather than option players. How the hell does "diva" come into it when the projection emerged as a similarity? What's next? Kawhi worked hard developing his game. In fact, I'd argue that he actually had less to work with coming into a league because of this era of hamstrung defenders and emerged as the premier stopper before developing a world-class ISO game that should have had him winning the 2017 NBA Most Valuable Player Award over Westbrook and Harden's top-two finish because of just how well that 25-6-3 game translated into a 61-win season.
How the fuck does being a "diva" disqualify you at all from your own career projection? You're going to penalize LeBron James 12,000 career points for being whiny? Is that it?
Best, most skilled LOW post scorer of all time. Kareem, Hakeem, etc were masters of the mid post. McHale OWNED the low post.
McHale and Barkley were fierce rivals but they had tremendous respect for one another. A few months ago, I was watching old Sixers-Celtics games on YT and saw something that amazed me. McHale was battling in the paint and got clobbered by at least three Sixers. He collapsed in a heap on the floor, knees and elbows going in every direction. Barkley casually bent down, hooked his arms under McHale’s, lifted him up like a little kid and stood him on his feet. Then, the two of them slapped hands and resumed play.
I really miss the NBA of the 80s. Golden years, indeed.
I really don't watch the NBA anymore because it's boring
It's soft like Charmin.
I missed a good bit of the 80s. i know who won in general, but don't really know who won many particular games. i don't even bother watching today's games. I just watch the old games.
Basketball is a ball and not a bank.
I’ve lived in Boston and SA and have seen both players during their peaks. I’m confident in saying peak Mchale was better than Duncan. McHale was that unstoppable and he was great on defense too.
That’s a very unpopular opinion but I agree I was able to watch both careers and how they played and I would take Mchale over Duncan
Long arms just never go away. As a Bulls fan in that era, reminds me a little of Pippen in that regard. It was just constant attrition that did not take much enery. However I'd have to say I am most impressed by how deadly Mchale was in that low post. There was no hesitation on any number of post up moves. It was instant reaction to whatever the defense presented and he had a huge selection of ways to do it.
I would have loved to see McHale take on Duncan.
He was a solid player, a team player to add on any all-star roster
He was a lot more than just a solid player.
favorite player of all time!
In nba 2k13... me and my friends always played the 80s Celtics... and he was the go to guy
McHale was a beast! But the reason is because of the great TEAM he was on. Teamwork among those Celtics is how the game of basketball was meant to be played. That footwork tho!!!!!!!
As a Laker fan of the 80's how I hated him, now fast forward 2021 how I miss his game!
He is in my top ten all-time!
Yet another great video, Sean! It could be said that I am a bit partial to this one being the HUGE Boston Celtics fan that I am!!! I was lucky enough to watch Kevin McHale while in high school and college and I could not possibly give enough superlatives about him as a player from what I saw of him. His great sense of humor only had you admiring him more too.
He never got his respect, but I patterned my game kinda after him. I'm short loved Barkley & Jordan, but when it came down to it nobody could mess with my up & under
The up and under was always such a nasty move, not only in the NBA but streetball.
I am from Boston and grew up in the 80's so I loved the Celtics. I realized early on I could not shoot like Bird. I did the same and patterned my game after McHale. The up and under was my go to move.
His respect comes from men like you imitating his game.
The fans know…👍
props for giving him the respect he deserves i love it
When you can make 3 pro players fly through the air with the greatest of ease every night and they all try to block your shot and miss … then McHale just lays the ball in the basket … Priceless! If you want to play basketball especially at the 4 spot Kevin McHale is the all time best with his foot work. All props to you McHale I’m not a Boston fan.
As a kid you see and emulate great moves. I used to yell see ya when someone bit on my copy of Mc Hale's up and under. He was never sloppy with his drop step. Which made him tight and fast on the block.
Always a Sixers fan growing up in the 80's, so I had a front row seat to how good those guys really were. Kevin was no joke. I honestly think any of them solo would've been fine on any other team, but they brought out the best in each other.
Here in Hawaii we had a basketball tournament that was for senior college all stars. I recently heard Charles Oakley talk about how he was able to get an invite to Hawaii to play and I remember watching him play here on Kauai. His play in the tournament is what propelled him to be a top 10 pick considering he was a division two player. I remember watching Scotty Pippen and wondering where the hell Central Arkansas was and a number of other incredible prospects. My best friends dad was a guy named Frank Sullivan who although he was a starting pitcher at 6’8” for the Boston Red Sox in the 50s and 60s, basketball was his true love and he even practiced with the Celtics and red offered him a spot on the Celtic team as a back up center but Frank couldn’t commit to playing two sports. Anyhow, every year when the basketball tournament was played I heard the stories about the greatest player he ever saw play in this tournament and it was a guy out of Minnesota named Kevin McHale. I think he was in the 1979 or 1980 edition and I was too young to be there in person but Frank always talked about Kevin being the best low post player he ever saw coming out of college. This was who Frank was sabr.org/bioproj/person/frank-sullivan/
Is the founder of the 60-80 club and almost pulled it off twice. Then in 1990 nearly had a 50-90 season and he was hitting three pointers.
Had McHale been on any other team as the first option, he would have averaged 30 and been a multiple MVP winner. He averaged 26 on year as the second option and as well as sharing with Parrish and Ainge and DJ.
McHale , Chief, Bird. The one & only *BIG 3*
I love that pivot stretch to the rim.
Man I’m glad I came across this channel great work man !
McHale was a beast! So glad I grew up watching the golden era of the NBA
Kevin for me is the best post up player I've ever seen
his wing span was fn incredible when i met him i couldnt belive the space he could take
Love this channel no comparisons no arguments just giving ppl their dues 💯
Mchale was awesome - loved watching him and Bird play
Grew up watching both Bird and McHale, and there was nothing more joyful to dream of having their bball skills. They were my only bball idles.
Love the channel! Thank you very much for the content. Brings back great memories of the greats.
His prime wasn't as long because he sacrificed his career playing on a broken foot in the 1987 playoffs, but I would take Kevin McHale over Karl Malone any day of the week. Better defensively, and could score in more ways on offense. Barkley knows this and will tell anyone the same thing.
Malone was a good player,but not in the same league as McHale,no one was
I would say that Karl Malone had a better career, but McHale was clearly better in his prime.
What if stockton and mchale teamed up
The Jazz would have defeated the Lakers in the '88 playoffs.
@@Nothing-nf8ve Bird wasn't too bad, though. Third on the Celtic all-time assist leaders.
If you're going by analytics, he shot 55.8% for his career. That's equivalent to a 38.6% three point shooter. The way fouls are called today, he'd be at the top of the NBA in free throws per game. With today's rules and the quality of modern post defence, his skillset would be devastating.
Also, the Bird/McHale/Parrish frontcourt is easily the greatest frontcourt of all time. Add in subs like M.L. Carr, Bill Walton, and Finals MVP Cedric Maxwell as subs and that frontcourt was monstrously good.
I live about 20 miles from Kevin McHale's hometown. I am a 1970s kid, so I remember watching the Celtics back in the day. Kevin used to come to the St Louis County Fair with his kids every year as it was in his hometown of Hibbing (also Bob Dylan's hometown). He would always stop at the 4-H food stand & sign autographs for the kids working & then the rest of the day he was with his kids - no more autographs. It was always fun to see him in person after watching him on tv. Kevin gets shadowed by Larry Bird's fame, but they played great together for years!
Guy looked like an accountant played like a killer. Great player. Just enough to check his carrier stats. Totally underrated.
Love your show and how much you obviously love the game. Great videos.
Bird, McHale, and the Chief. A legend and 2 great players nobody gives the proper respect. If you told me to put together a winning team, and gave those 3 to start with, I'd think I won the biggest lottery ever. McHale was amazing.
I grew up in the Chicagoland area in the 80's and 90's worshipping at the feet of Pippen, but I always knew McHale was a beast. Footwork out of this world and he was basically an automatic basket. I'll never forget seeing his final game on NBC.
would love to see a good indepth interview with him great to see a video on him thanks love the channel
Great videos Sir! This is how u school the new generations!
I remember listening to MN Gopher basketball games on the radio during the 79-80 season. That season Kevin McHale and Trent Tucker were superstars and became Minnesota legends.
I hope you do a video on some other vastly underrated greats, ... Dennis Johnson, Joe Dumars & Michael Cooper. Those guys did it at both ends of the court, & while they were over shadowed by their legendary teammates, each played vital roles for multiple championships by their respective teams. Thanx, great channel, new subscriber & NY Knicks fan since the 60s.
Mchale had one of the greatest peaks in Nba history. That Celtics team had so much deep competition in the 80s, truly astounding what they achieved in such a deep Eastern Conference.
His defense and rebounding are under appreciated. He would be unstoppable today.
You content & vids are great.
Growing up in the Boston burbs in the 80s, I took to my hoop pretending I was not Bird, not DJ, not Ainge, not Havlicek, but Kevin McHale. So dependable! He always made his shot. Nothing too flashy, he just got points and rebounds again and again and again. Indispensable.
When it comes to low post moves, there's Kevin McHale, then there's everyone else.
Great comment, if me, bird, and parish were on different teams we would have scored more and won less. I'm glad we were together and won more.
Everyone loves watching those three point video highlights and ball handling highlights but post work is so fun to watch. Especially from McHale and Hakeem.
Earned another LIKE!!!
Kevin Mchale cooked so many on the post! I was fortunate to see Him 3 times in his final yr at the Boston Garden when I was 11.
Boston was a super team before it was popular ;)
Kevin was good enough that any team in the league would want him.
My dads favorite player
The best basketball player ever to come out of Minnesota. Came from Hibbing Minnesota a little town in Northern Mn. Same as Bob Dylan.
Love this video, hope for a shout out next time,hehehe, I'm Al from the Phillipines
Greatest Power Forward of all Time!!! 🐐
They don’t call the post his ‘torture chamber’ for nothing.
He had many devices to make your night a living hell 🤣🤣🤣
@@VickHushpuppy215 he was the Hakeem and Duncan of the 80s, before them.
@@joshc441 technically Hakeem was an 80s star as well
@@joshc441 Akeem (he didn't change his name 'til the 90s when he became naturalized) and Kevin careers almost totally overlapped.
@@bricefleckenstein9666 I remember him as Hakeem going all the way back to "5-slamma-jamma" with the University of Houston's Final Four bid. Name change was prior to NBA, Definitely by the time the "twin towers" he and Sampson, shellacked by Celts in '86 Finals, lucky to even make it 6 games.
McHale was ridiculous and underrated. His offense was was just killer.
Love your channel. Best on TH-cam .and the work you put in is amazing. Saying all that I'd li6to ask what would think about the 86 Celtics played in today's era with their ball movement and high percentage rating 🤔
Great touch and multiple shots with that up and under move to counter aggressive defenders.
I was a big Fan of his as a kid, His post up game and Moves were 2nd to None, High basketball IQ and Fundamentally Sound. He GOT BUCKETS ON THAT LEFT BLOCK!!
Kevin gave Vinnie Johnson the nickname, he was 6th man for the Pistons. The Microwave.
Oh! I didn't know that Kevin was the author of that nickname, do you know why he called him like that?
Hi. I remember the Celtics called him the microwave during the mid-eighties because of his instant offense. As in Vinnie heated up faster than a microwave.