The Dick Raphael Interview
By:
Michael D. McClellan | Wednesday, March 30th 2005
The Boston Celtics were on a
serious roll during the 1960s, collecting championships with the greedy
zeal of robber barons, and nobody associated with the
team had a better gig than Dick Raphael. He was part
Peter Parker, part Norman Rockwell, a freelance
photographer paid to capture the battles of basketball’s
larger-than-life heroes and villains, an artist whose
images helped define a generation while pushing the
envelope in a field teeming with creative talent.
Russell versus Wilt would have been epic by any
standard, but Raphael’s keen eye helped raise their
conflict to near mythic proportions. Find a photo of
these two great giants, locked together in a struggle
for basketball supremacy, and chances are pretty good
that you’re seeing the world from Raphael’s courtside
vantage point.
While a convergence of timing
and talent put Raphael at the heart of basketball’s
Mecca, today a whole new generation of NBA fans benefit
from his good fortune. Classic photos of the Boston
Garden serve as our time machine, transporting us to an
era brimming with hoops history. Images of Bill
Russell, Tommy Heinsohn, John Havlicek and Sam Jones
recreate the Celtic Dynasty, frame-by-frame, reminding
us of Red Auerbach’s burgeoning genius. Fast-forward,
and we get a history lesson in Dave Cowens’ ferocious
intensity. Travel further still, and we relive that
unforgettable, late-80s playoff shootout between Larry
Bird and Dominique Wilkins. Thirty-five years of
memories, all immortalized by the man hired as the
Boston Celtics’ official photographer after literally
walking in off the street. Like the players he captured
on film, Dick Raphael is simply that good.
Rare is it that those on the
periphery elevate themselves, through their work, to the
status of icon within a professional sports franchise.
The Boston Celtics caught such lightning in a bottle not
once, but twice; first, with radio legend Johnny Most,
whose unique broadcasting style helped make New
Englanders care about NBA basketball, and later with
Raphael, who gave many fans their first pictorial
glimpse into the greatest dynasty the game has ever
known. His work has appeared in a pantheon of national
publications, including Sports Illustrated, Time, Life
and Newsweek. The award-winning Sports Century has
borrowed heavily from his collection. Raphael is also
the most decorated photographer in the Naismith Memorial
Basketball Hall of Fame – from enshrinement photographs
to full-feature exhibits, his images can be found at
almost every turn. It is a body of work – and a
commitment to craft – unrivaled in the history of the
National Basketball Association, a photographic résumé
that weaves Dick Raphael deep into the fabric of the
Boston Celtics.
While no longer photographing
full-time, Raphael still clears his calendar for an
annual Super Bowl shoot. (He has never missed a game.)
He remains close to many Celtic greats, including Bill
Russell and K.C. Jones. He also offers many of his
classic images to the public via his web site, Boston
Sports Gallery (http://www.bostonsportsgallery.com/),
and his photos have been featured on the cover of Sports
Illustrated a whopping nine times. Celtic Nation is
honored to bring you this interview.
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