John Karalis - The Boston Celtics All-Time All-Stars: The Best Players at Each Position for the Cs

I never thought Id ever write a book, much less be approached to write one about my true passion in life, basketball and the Boston Celtics. This is much different than anything Ive ever written, and there were more than a few times when I said to myself, What are you even doing here?

So the first thank you goes out to Niels Aaboe and the entire group at Lyons Press and Rowman & Littlefield who gave me this opportunity and helped guide me through it. The imposter syndrome in me still says I screwed this whole thing up, so if youve gotten this far in the book, its because they bailed me out.

I never expected to be here. This basketball journey has been full of surprises, and this is just the latest in a long line of them. To properly thank those involved, I have to go back to the beginning of it all.

Thanks to my mother, Artemis, for taking me to my first baseball practice when I was young. If she didnt drag me to that, I dont know that I would have ever gotten into sports at all. I was perfectly happy to be the chubby little kid reading books, but she introduced me to a world of sports that set me on this path.

My high school coach, Roger Berard, didnt have to keep me on the team. I was still chubby and I couldnt do a pushup or make a layup, but I was 6'3" and he said, You cant coach height, so he set about turning me into a real player. I remember Jacek Duda, then a Providence College player, coming to practice and giving me a hard lesson in playing in the post. I went to PC basketball camps every summer and, by the time I was a senior, Id become an actual player being recruited by colleges. None of this happens without Coach Berards faith.

That was a long transformation for me, and my father, despite being a small business owner with ridiculous demands on his time, was always there. One of my favorite photos is a yearbook picture with me in my road blues grabbing a rebound and my father, blurry in the background, sitting in the stands by himself. The sick bastard even came to a college game while having a heart attack, which sounds like something out of an SNL Bill Swerskis Superfans sketch, but it really happened. Thanks, Joe, for all the support over the years, and even the tough love from time to time.

College was a turning point in my life. My Emerson College experience was something I didnt expect, but one Ill cherish forever. Hank Smith changed my life by giving me a heavy dose of reality. I grew up more in the two years I spent with him than I ever thought I could. Tough love doesnt even begin to describe it. I didnt realize it when it was happening, but the lessons I was learning with him over those two years were lessons Id carry with me forever. There were moments where I flat-out hated him, but once I was out of that college bubble, I realized those moments prepared me for some of lifes harshest realities. Everything he did was to get me to be my best. Im happy to say that it worked, Hank. So much of what has allowed me to find success in basketball stems from those lessons even if I had to sift through a steady stream of profanity to find it.

I have to give a special shout-out to Bruce Seals, one of our assistant coaches and a former NBA player. He played for Bill Russell, and he taught me how to deal with a hard-ass coach. Bruce, I only wish I could have learned all those tricks you were trying to teach us when you were trying to teach them. It took me six years to finally get that Euro-step down, but youll be happy to know that in that moment, at some league in Watertown, I pulled that move off and thought of you.

I was lucky to have some great teammates, and some wild experiences that might fill another book if I ever wanted to sit down and recall them all. I thought about listing all your names but I dont want to embarrass myself and forget someone. Just know that all of you, from nights watching Stripes to wild van rides and everything in between, hold a special place in my heart.

To Kate and the boys, I thank you for understanding why I disappeared for so long. Your love and support made this book a reality. The same goes to my brother Nick and my sister Arestea, who thought me moving back to Boston was going to be a chance for all of us to spend more time together but instead it ended up being less.

To Dave, John, Mike, and Victor: Your friendship has carried me through my highest highs and lowest lows. None of this is possible without you guys being there for me at nearly every turn in my life. I love you all like brothers.

And most importantly, I have to thank Del.

Carlos Del Broussard and I almost instantly bonded. We met at Emerson when he heard me blasting Big Daddy Kane from two floors away. He taught me the origins of rap music, about hip-hop culture, about the roots in jazz and blues. We were a yin and yang: me, a Celtics fan from Rhode Island, him a Lakers fan from Los Angeles.

My world forever changed the day I learned you were gone. I always knew you needed help, but I never realized just how much. Its been decades, but I still miss you, Del. I always will, and Ill always fight for greater awareness of mental health in your honor, because the best way to remember you and carry on your legacy is to help someone else.

I think of you all the time, Del. Thank you for the time we had, even if it wasnt how much time I wanted.

This is dedicated to you.

Websites

AlanPaul.net

Basketball-reference.com

Boston.com

Celtic-Nation.com

CollegeHoopsDaily.com

ESPN.com

Grantland.com

HuffingtonPost.com

Investors.com

MassLive.com

NBA.com

Reddit.com

RedsArmy.com

SBNation.com

Slamonline.com

SportsMediaNews.com

TheUndefeated.com

TimesReporter.com

News Media Archives

Boston Globe

Boston magazine

CBS Boston

Chicago Tribune

Indy Star

Los Angeles Times

NBC Sports Boston

New York Times

Sports Illustrated

Washington Times

Cohen, Robert W. The 40 Greatest Players in Boston Celtics History. Guilford, CT: Down East Books, 2017.

Reynolds, Bill. Cousy: His Life, Career, and the Birth of Big-Time Basketball. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2005.

Taylor, John. The Rivalry: Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, and the Golden Age of Basketball. New York: Random House, 2005.

Thomas, Ron. They Cleared the Lane: The NBAs Black Pioneers. Lincoln, NE: Bison Books, 2004.

The Candidates

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Isaiah Thomas Jo Jo White

A point guard is like the quarterback in football or a starting pitcher in baseball. They always have the ball in their hands, which means they get to control the game, determining the pace, the tempo, and the overall style of play.

All point guards have to dribble the ball, but they dont all have to be fancy. However, fancy dribblers had better be functional or else theyll be in a bit of trouble. The same applies to their passing.

Point guards need to be everyones friend. They need to make sure the players who can score get the ball. They also have to be able to score a few points themselves. No position is more important to a teams offense, and the best of the best can increase their teammates ability to score.