Red Auerbach is the greatest NBA coach of ALL TIME - photo Steve Lipofsky Basketballphoto.com The greatest NBA coach of all time

Phil Jackson's winning 11 NBA titles is more sizzle than steak as he inherited 2 Hall of Fame players with each Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers teams - ( Bridget Samuels photo)

Taking over a 2nd place team with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen was not hard to take - Steve Lipofsky www.Basketballphoto.com photo

SPORTS NOTES - NBA's BEST - Red Auerbach TOPS Phil Jackson

James Loving/National Radio Text Service

Red Auerbach who coached the Celtics and built them from scratch from a losing LAST PLACE team to become the greatest franchise in NBA history. Auerbach took over a team that finished the previous 1949-50 season in last place with a 22-46 record. In his first season as coach of the 1950-51 squad he guided the Celtics to a 2nd place finish in the then six team Eastern Conference. With the addition of Bill Russell the Celtics went on to win 9 of 10 NBA titles

AUERBACH is COACH of the NBA's CREAM of the CROP

In selecting the NBA's all time best players old school dominates the team. Since we started assembling this team in June of 2013 we noticed that our best players are from the 50's-60's and 80's eras. The 70's edition of the NBA failed to impress. LeBron James is the only player representing the 21st century to be selected for our squad.

When we say old school we mean players that were in the game predominantly from the 60's era in which the Boston Celtics dominated in winning 9 of 10 NBA titles during that decade.

Previously we covered our top 10 and now we're including our 11th and 12th men as well as Red Auerbach as coach to handle these super talented players.

In selecting our 11th and 12th men we chose Bob Pettit from the 50's and 60's era for our center/forward slot. Hakeem Olajuwon who was a force during the 80's and most notably the 90's in leading the Houston Rockets to back to back titles in 1994 & 1995 as our 3rd center.

Red Auerbach who coached the Celtics and built them from scratch from a losing LAST PLACE team to become the greatest franchise in NBA history.

Auerbach took over a Boston Celtic team that finished the previous 1949-50 season in last place with a 22-46 record. In his first season as coach of the 1950-51 squad he guided the Celtics to a 2nd place finish in the then six team Eastern Conference finishing with a winning 39-30 record. His star player was rookie Bob Cousy who was known for his behind the back passes. It was during a time when any player doing such a feat would be taken out of a game for showboating. Auerbach saw Cousy's actions as a plus factor and permitted him to grow with his then unconventional style.

Auerbach's Celtics continued to be winners but never champions until Bill Russell's arrival and it was then that the world of NBA basketball changed dramatically. Russell was the cornerstone of the Celtics becoming a dynasty in winning 9 of 10 titles during Auerbach's remaining time as a coach through the 1965-66 season. Auerbach's only non title winning season was the 1957-58 campaign losing to the St. Louis Hawks the team that he traded two of his stars, Cliff Hagan and Ed Macauley to for Russell.

Auerbach became the Celtics VP and General Manager from 1965 through 1970. It was from that position that he made one of the boldest decisions in NBA history in selecting Bill Russell as the team's player/coach. Russell won two NBA titles during his three seasons in that role losing only during his first season (1966-67) to the Philadelphia 76ers, a team that many believe to be the best team for one season in NBA history.

Auerbach became the Celtics President and General Manager from 1970-71 to the 1983-84 seasons. Auerbach did it all including being a pioneer in breaking down color barriers. As general manager and team president of the Celtics, he won an additional seven NBA titles, for a grand total of 16 in a span of 29 years, making him one of the most successful team officials in the history of North American professional sports.

Auerbach's decisions have had the greatest effect in developing and changing how business was done in the NBA when America was blatantly racist as their schools in the south were segregated. Blacks were refused entrance in white universities in the south.

When he traded for Russell he became the only black player on the team. Each season Auerbach would add more black players. The 1964-65 edition of the Celtics were dominated by black players 6 black to 5 white, the only NBA team to have such a status. His 1963-64 team had the first all black starting lineup with Russell, K. C. Jones, Sam Jones, Tom Sanders and Willie Naulls.

Today 85% of the players in the NBA are black and Auerbach was instrumental in the evolution of the league and giving black players an opportunity. He single handily changed the face of the NBA.

Auerbach was a character. During the 50's smoking in arenas was permitted, Auerbach was known for lighting up a cigar when the game was in the bag. He was borderline arrogant to the oppositions fans and loved by his team and Celtic fans. It is safe to say the present day scribes and fans can't appreciate what Auerbach accomplished since his achievement was before their time. In many cases they weren't born yet. Present day scribes would relate to Phil Jackson who owns the record for winning more NBA titles as a coach with 11, six with the Chicago Bulls and five with the Los Angeles Lakers. He also was a player on the 1973 New York Knicks championship team but was injured during their 1970 title winning season. For sure Jackson's a winner but Auerbach achieved more with less.

Jackson's success came easy by comparison. He inherited two winning teams in the Bulls and Lakers that each had two future NBA Hall of Fame players. His first taste of success was with the Bulls that had a winning record the prior season to his taking the helm from Doug Collins who he served as his assistant the previous 1989-90 season when they finished with a 55-27 record and lost to the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference finals. The Pistons went on to win the title.

Compared to Auerbach, Jackson's job was a piece of cake in taking over a winning team that he knew well as their assistant coach and had two then future Hall of Fame players in Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen.

In taking over the Lakers they were a title contending team that in the previous 1998-99 strike riddled 50 game season finished with a 31-19 record and 2nd place in the Western Conference standings. That team lost to the eventual champion San Antonio Spurs 4-0 in the Western Conference playoffs.

The Lakers future Hall of Fame players were Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neil. He came into a luxury situation with his major task being to fine tune a winning team and chill the massive egos of his then two future Hall of Fame players.

Jackson did a great job but he didn't start from scratch as did Auerbach. Auerbach built his dynasty while Jackson inherited two.

Part 3 Next - The NBA's BEST of All-Time Reserves

NBA's ALL-TIME BEST - Part 1

NBA's ALL TIME 1st TEAM - Part 2

THE NBA'S ALL TIME GREATEST PLAYERS - Part 3

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