The Dick Raphael Interview
By:
Michael D. McClellan | Wednesday, March 30th 2005
Bill Russell walked away a world champion, the
player/coach of the 1969 World Champion Boston Celtics.
The Celtics defeated the Lakers in that 1969 NBA Finals,
winning that memorable Game 7 in L.A. Please take me
back to that classic series, and to Don Nelson’s jumper
that rattled home to win it?
DICK RAPHAEL
I watched it on television. I remember that [Laker
owner] Jack Kent Cooke practically guaranteed an LA
victory in Game 7. He’d arranged for thousands of
balloons to be placed in netting above the court, so
that they could be released after the Lakers big win.
Didn’t happen. I also remember Wilt taking himself out
of the game with an injury, and [Laker head coach] Butch
van Breda Kolff refusing to let him back on the court.
You have photographed Red Auerbach in all of his
capacities with the Celtics – head coach, general
manager, president, patriarch. If you had to choose one
image of Red Auerbach for a time capsule, which would it
be and why?
DICK RAPHAEL
I think there would be two – the one of Red and Russell
in the locker room, where Red is diagramming a play, and
the one of Red coaching from the bench during a game.
I’d pick those because they capture who Red Auerbach was
and what he did best. He was a coaching genius.
Dave Cowens’ arrival in 1970 signaled a new era of
Boston Celtics basketball. Everyone I’ve interviewed
talks about the fiery intensity in the young Cowens’
eyes. What was it like to photograph him?
DICK RAPHAEL
It was amazing. Cowens was the most intense player I’ve
ever seen – he would throw his body around, and he
wouldn’t think anything of diving into a crowd for a
loose ball. He was just an incredibly fierce
competitor, but he was also one the nicest, most
down-to-earth stars I’ve ever met. Sports
Illustrated wanted me to take pictures of Cowens for
a feature in the magazine, so I went to his house to do
the shoot by his swimming pool. I get there, not really
knowing what to expect, and he invites me in and makes
chowder for me. That told me a lot about Dave Cowens.
The Celtics were world champions again in 1974,
defeating the Milwaukee Bucks in seven games. As a
photographer, do you have a favorite memory from that
series?
DICK RAPHAEL
It would have to be the Game 7 in Milwaukee when the
Celtics clinched the series and won the championship.
The Bucks were exhausted coming into that game, and the
Celtics just keep running against them. The day before
that game, John Havlicek and Paul Silas took a bunch of
us out to dinner. It was something that I’ll never
forget.
You have had the pleasure of photographing Bill Walton
as an opponent, and as a member of the Boston Celtics.
Please tell me a little about Bill Walton.
DICK RAPHAEL
I have pictures of Bill as a Portland Trail Blazer, and
it’s always interesting to look back at them. He wore
the headband, and he had the long hair and ponytail. He
was a free spirit. He was one of the greatest centers
to ever play the game – fundamentally, he may have been
the best ever. He was a great passer, and he also had
the reputation of being the consummate teammate. It was
later in his career when he came to Boston – he’d been
through all those foot injuries, and most of the experts
thought he was washed up. He didn’t try to rock the
boat; he made sure that Robert Parish understood who the
starter was, and he worked really hard to build a
chemistry with all the players. He and Larry [Bird]
clicked immediately. Both of them were so basketball
smart, and both of them had great instincts for the
game. It helped make the ’86 Celtics one of the best
teams ever.
1976 brought another championship banner to Boston, the
team’s 13th. Were you there for that memorable
triple-overtime Finals battle against the Phoenix Suns?
DICK RAPHAEL
I remember the heat – it was unbearable. It was so hot
the strobes were going off in the rafters. I was able
to get a photograph of Havlicek’s famous shot, even
though the heat was causing all kinds of problems with
the lighting and the equipment.
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