The Bob Brannum Interview
By:
Michael D. McClellan
|
Wednesday, April 7th, 2004
What was the “Milkman’s Matinee”?
It was a promotional that Walter Brown dreamed up – the
game was played at midnight because the circus had
contracted to use the Boston Garden. It was the only
time that the court was ever turned 90 degrees – again,
because of the circus – and it was the only time that we
ever wore white sneakers. Brown was a very
superstitious man, so when we lost that game he made us
switch back to black. It stayed that way for as long as
I could remember.
Please tell me about “Easy” Ed Macauley.
He was moral person, a good Catholic, a fine young man.
He was a Walter Brown favorite. We were roommates
during my last year with the Celtics, but it’s hard for
me to give you an estimate of his playing ability. We
were different types of players.
Then describe yourself – your style of play.
If I saw a loose ball I was flying on the floor for it.
That’s the way I believed you played the game. I always
believed that the harder you went after a ball the less
likely you were to get hurt.
Adolph Rupp and Red Auerbach; what was it like playing
for each of these legendary coaches?
Both men were great coaches, but to me there was no
comparison between the two. Rupp was an intimidator.
He wasn’t a bad person outside of the gym, but he was a
win-at-all-costs coach. He didn’t care who he stepped
on. I was scared to death of Rupp, but it was a
completely different situation with Red. I loved Red
dearly. I was more afraid of being released than
anything else. As a player you didn’t want to let him
down because he would do anything for you. And Red was
so damned smart – he knew exactly how to handle his
players and get the most from them.
The twenty-four second shot clock was introduced during
the 1954-55 season, your last with the Celtics. Having
played in both eras, what impact did the shot clock have
on the NBA?
It made a big impact. I think it hurt the big guys the
most, guys like Mikan, who couldn’t stay planted in the
pivot.
You were the basketball coach at Brandeis University
from 1970 until 1986. Please tell me about this part of
your life.
It was a difficult situation. By that I mean in terms
of recruiting. Brandeis is a Jewish school with very
high academic standards. It’s very hard for
non-athletes to get into the school, so it was difficult
to get good players. I enjoyed the rest of it.
This year you were inducted into the New England
Basketball Hall of Fame. Other inductees include such
former Celtics as Reggie Lewis and Rick Pitino. What
was it like to be honored in this way?
I was in the hospital at the time, and don’t remember
much about it. One of my former players nominated me.
I’m still waiting for my plaque [laughs].
Final Question, one that I’ve been asking your former
players: You’ve achieved great success in your life.
You are universally respected and admired by many
people, both inside and outside of the NBA. If you
could offer one piece of advice on life to others, what
would that be?
Work like heck. And never leave with an enemy – always
do your best to get along with people.
