Basketball: Architect of Boston Celtics dynasty dies

Arnold "Red" Auerbach, the mastermind behind a dominant Boston Celtics franchise that captured a record eight straight United States NBA championships, died suddenly yesterday in Washington DC. He was 89.

A mercurial coach with a shrewd eye for talent, Auerbach was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1969 and captured nine NBA titles overall, tying him on the all-time list with current Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson.

Auerbach was passionate about team play and loved to employ the fast-break attack, which led to many easy baskets as opposing teams scrambled to get back on defence.

He led the Celtics to 10 Eastern Division titles in 16 years and his string of NBA titles from 1959-1966 remains unmatched in United States professional sports.

Often hot-tempered in his coaching, Auerbach used craftiness to acquire players who would ultimately be franchise stalwarts, like Bill Russell and Larry Bird.

He would trade up in the draft to land a player he knew would become a Celtics fixture.

Auerbach was such an expert at evaluating potential that many opposing scouts would watch his reaction while attending a college game to see if he liked what he saw.

Coach of 11 Hall of Famers, Auerbach developed the concept of the "sixth man" in which a player who was talented enough to start came off the bench to give the club a boost.

The NBA has embraced the idea with a post-season "Sixth Man Award", given to the best player to come off the bench.

A star prep player in Brooklyn, New York, the 1.75m Auerbach played at Seth Low Junior College in New York and at George Washington in Washington, DC.

Auerbach began his coaching career in 1946 in the Basketball Association of America with the Washington Capitols and led them to the 1947 and 1949 division titles.

A year later, he became head coach of the Celtics.

After leaving the bench in 1966 at the age of 48, Auerbach joined the Celtics' front office full-time.

But he called Washington DC home and was a long-time season-ticket holder at George Washington.

Auerbach delighted legions of Celtics fans with his trademark cigar, which he always lit up in the waning moments when victory appeared certain.

"Show me a good loser and I'll show you a loser," said Auerbach, whose career NBA coaching record was 938-479.

On Thursday, in his final public appearance, he received the US Navy's Lone Sailor Award at a ceremony with friends and family in Washington.

- REUTERS