The Gene Guarilia Interview
By:
Michael D. McClellan
|
Monday, September 26th,
2005
Starting school early means leaving school early, and Guarilia graduated at sixteen. By then he was a strapping lad, big, strong and athletic. He found himself being recruited by George Washington’s legendary coach, Bill Reinhart, but Reinhart and the coaching staff felt that he was too young to succeed in a major college environment. They suggested that he enroll at a smaller prep school first, and then transfer. Guarilia obliged, spending a year at Potomac State College in Keyser, West Virginia.
Potomac State proved to be the perfect stopping place for the young Guarilia. He was able to acclimate himself to college life without the added pressure of the big city, and he was able to play basketball immediately, which wouldn’t have been the case had he gone directly to George Washington. Competing against quality West Virginia Conference schools, such as NAIA power Fairmont State, and West Virginia Tech’s 100-point-per-game Century Club, Guarilia was able to log big minutes and gain invaluable game experience in the process. He also grew three inches, from 6’-3” to 6’-6”, and began to excel underneath the basket. It was just the type of physical and mental maturation that Reinhart had hoped would take place, and by 1956 Guarilia – now three inches taller and 70 pounds heavier than his senior season at Duryea High School - was clearly ready to don a GW uniform.
As a sophomore, Guarilia averaged an incredible 18.6 rebounds-per-game, putting him among the nation’s leaders in that category. He was an overnight sensation, a 1950s version of Charles Barkley. His relentless play on the glass became his calling card, and helped trigger Reinhart’s classic fast break. He finished his next two seasons as one college basketball’s top rebounders, catching the attention of Reinhart’s close friend and former pupil, the brash head coach of the Boston Celtics – Arnold “Red” Auerbach.
Auerbach had spent much of the 1950s winning games in Boston but never advancing to the NBA Finals. That all changed in 1956, when Auerbach and team founder Walter Brown engineered the biggest trade in NBA history, sending “Easy” Ed Macauley to the St. Louis Hawks in exchange for the draft rights to Bill Russell. In Russell, Auerbach finally had the missing piece to a dynasty-in-the-making. He had his rebounder, shot-blocker, and fast break triggerman, all rolled into one. Russell and fellow rookie Tom Heinsohn joined established stars Bob Cousy and Bill Sharman, and the Celtics captured their first NBA championship following the 1956-57 season. An ankle injury to Russell prevented a repeat, but the Celtics were once again champions in 1958-59.
Guarilia was drafted in the second round following that title run, with the goal of providing additional toughness underneath the basket. He didn’t disappoint, proving himself ever ready and always capable, doing whatever Auerbach needed to make the Celtics a better team. He practiced hard and he played hard, earning the respect and admiration of Boston’s established stars. Guarilia was rewarded for his unselfish commitment to team, as the Celtics repeated as NBA champions. It was a third title in four years, and the Celtic Dynasty was officially underway. Guarilia was right smack in the middle of it all.