The Harold Furash Interview
By:
Michael D. McClellan | Wednesday, March 30th 2005
Please tell me about Howie McHugh, who was the team’s
first PR man; how did he help generate fan interest in
the Boston Celtics?
HAROLD FURASH
Howie
was the public relations arm of the team, but he really
didn't generate fan interest in the Celtics. That came
naturally from players like Cousy, Russell, Heinsohn and
Sharman. Walter Brown knew Howie from their hockey ties
– Brown had founded the Boston Olympics, a semi-pro
hockey team in town, and Howie was the goalie – and he
gave him the job as the Celtics' PR man. Back then that
primarily meant helping the players find homes and get
settled in, helping with their families, and so forth.
Red Auerbach was famous for taking the Celtics on
preseason barnstorming exhibitions all over New
England. Did you ever follow the team on these trips,
and if so, do you have a story that you’d like to share?
HAROLD FURASH
I
used to ref those games. It was a lot of fun traveling
with the team – I remember playing word games with Sam
Jones, and throwing in letters to see if he'd catch the
misspellings [laughs]. I remember buying bagels for Bob
"Gabby" Harris and his wife, Alexine, at a bagel shop on the South
Shore. This was at a time when not many people knew
what bagels were. They ate them like they were dessert
[laughs]. There are just so many good memories like
that that stand out.
Many fans today know that Red Auerbach drafted Larry
Bird as a junior eligible. Not many realize that Red
first did this in 1953, taking Frank Ramsey, Cliff Hagen
and Lou Tsioropoulos even though each had a year of
college eligibility left. How did this trade lay the
groundwork for the greatest dynasty in NBA history.
HAROLD FURASH
The were undefeated at Kentucky that year. Cliff never
came to Boston – he served two years in the military and
was traded along with Macauley to St. Louie for the
draft rights to Bill Russell. That trade is the reason
the Celtics were able to build a dynasty. Without
Russell they would have continued to struggle.
I
remember that Cliff would get so frustrated with Frank
on the basketball court. They would have some real
battles – they would knock each other down, step on one
another, you name it. But they were very close away
from the court.
Please share some numbers with me. How many games have
you missed through the years?
HAROLD FURASH
I
started going to the games that first season, in
1946-47, and I didn't miss a home game until after
Russell retired. So I've seen thousands of games. I
was there for all eleven championships during the
Russell Era, and also for the series they lost in '58
against the St. Louis Hawks. That's the series where
Russell played on a fractured ankle and Pettit scored 50
points.
John Havlicek and Larry Bird were responsible for the
two greatest steals in NBA history. Were you at the
Boston Garden for either of these memorable moments?
HAROLD FURASH
Of
course – I was there in 1965 when Russell hit the guide
wire and gave the ball back to Philly. It was very
tense, but Havlicek was able to steal the ball and
preserve the lead. The thing that people forget is that
Philly had some very good teams during the 60s. You
always hear that Boston had more depth and better
overall talent, but that was a cop out. Wilt
Chamberlain was surrounded with a lot of great talent,
too. Russell was just the better team player – he knew
how play the game to win.
Gerald Henderson’s theft against the Lakers in the 1984
NBA Finals ranks right up there as well. Were you at
that game?
HAROLD FURASH
Yes I
was. Gerald Henderson wasn't known as a great guard –
he wasn't exceptional in any particular area, but he
stepped up and made a great play when the Celtics needed
it most. That steal probably saved the series, because
the Lakers were on the verge of winning the first two
games in Boston. That would have been hard to
overcome. It was an important play.
The Celtics have won 16 NBA Championships. As a fan,
which championship was your favorite (and why)?
HAROLD FURASH
The
first one. We were dying for a championship, and there
was so much excitement surrounding that series with the
Hawks. But they were all special in their own way.
Each year we'd find ourselves wanting another, and for
as long as Russell was there we pretty much got our wish
[laughs]. Eleven championships in thirteen yeas is
something that won't ever be duplicated.
Final Question: You’ve achieved great success in your
life. You are universally respected and admired by many
people, both inside and outside of the Boston Celtics
family. If you could offer one piece of advice on life
to others, what would that be?
HAROLD FURASH
No
matter what the adversity, remember the phrase "And this
too shall pass".
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