The Greg Kite Interview
By: Michael D. McClellan | Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012
To call Kite's rookie year a dream-come-true would be an understatement. He was a member of the greatest franchise in NBA history, and the Celtics would win regular season and playoff games in bunches. The 1984 NBA Finals brought together the league's two most storied teams, and its two most marketable personalities. It was Lakers versus Celtics. East versus West. And, more than anything else, it was Bird versus Magic. This confluence of events is widely recognized as the launch point for the most successful period in league history.
And Kite, while he may not have played a large role in the outcome, certainly had one of the best seats to witness history in the making.
So many moments in that series: Gerald Henderson's steal, which saved the series for the Celtics. Bird, calling his team out after a humiliating loss in Los Angeles. Kevin McHale, with his clothesline of Kurt Rambis in the next game. DJ's huge shot with the clock running down to level the series and send it back to Boston 2-2. Cedric Maxwell's bold Game 7 proclamation that the Celtics 'get on my back', and then backing it up with an awesome performance to help seal the team's 15th NBA Championship.
For Kite, the next three seasons in Boston would end with annual trips to the NBA Finals – two painful losses to the Lakers with a victory over Houston sandwiched in between. And in each of those seasons Kite continued to work hard and make his mark as the consummate professional, always ready when called upon, always eager to help the team win. For those of us who saw those great Celtics-Lakers battles, who can forget the job Kite did on the legendary Kareem Abdul-Jabbar during the NBA Finals?
Kite would eventually find himself waived by the Celtics, the team setting him loose on an eight-year odyssey with the Los Angeles Clippers, Charlotte Hornets, Sacramento Kings, Orlando Magic, New York Knicks, and Indiana Pacers. It was a journeyman's life to be sure, and Kite would never again sniff the NBA Finals, but this second act in his career also afforded him the opportunity to grow as a player and explore the boundaries of his athletic gifts.
And through it all, Greg Kite could be seen walking tall among the Golden Age of NBA Basketball.
Celtic Nation is honored to bring you this interview.