The Fred Roberts Interview
By: Michael D. McClellan | Tuesday, March 6th, 2012
Roberts would return to the U.S. following
one season in Italy, joining the Spurs for
the 1983-84 regular season. This San Antonio
team featured the likes of George Gervin,
Artis Gilmore and John Lucas, and finished
with a 37-45 record, narrowly missing the
playoffs. The next season, Roberts found
himself traded after playing 22 games for
the Spurs, landing on a Utah Jazz team
coached by Frank Layden and led by a rookie
point guard named John Stockton. And
although the Jazz finished with a 41-41
record, Roberts found himself in the NBA
Playoffs for the first time in his career.
The Jazz upset the favored Houston Rockets
3-2, winning twice in Houston to advance to
the Western Conference Semifinals. Despite
losing to the Nuggets, 4-1, the playoff
experience was truly special for the forward
from Provo, Utah.
Karl Malone would join the Jazz via the 1985
NBA Draft, and it soon became clear that
Malone was going to be a star. Roberts’
minutes and scoring average both took a hit,
and his future with the team became cloudy.
The NBA Champion Boston Celtics were in the
market for a player to solidify their front
line, and in September of 1986 they offered
Roberts a two-year deal to join the team.
Utah matched the offer, eventually trading
Roberts to Boston for a future draft choice.
This transaction was also notable, because
included in the trade was an agreement for
the Celtics to play an exhibition game in
Utah. With the Celtics one of the biggest
road draws in the league, and with the team
featuring Larry Bird in his prime, having
the Celtics come to Salt Lake City was a
financial boon to the city and the team.
Had highly touted draft pick Len Bias not
died from a cocaine overdose, Roberts'
arrival in Boston probably wouldn't have
happened at all. But the Bias tragedy
created the need for a forward to provide
spot relief for Larry Bird and Kevin McHale.
The 1986-87 Boston Celtics remain, in the
minds of many, one the most resilient teams
in NBA history; battling through injuries to
key players such as Bird, McHale, Robert
Parish and Bill Walton, the Celtics slugged
their way through the Eastern Conference
before eventually falling to a deep, healthy
and rested Los Angeles Lakers squad. That
playoff run was filled with memorable
moments, including Bird's steal of Isiah
Thomas' inbounds pass to save Game 5 of the
Eastern Conference Finals. And through it
all there was Roberts, the consummate
professional, doing his part to help the
Celtics succeed.
By the end of the 1987-88 regular season it
was clear that the Celtics were a team in
transition. Boston left Roberts unprotected
during the '88 NBA Expansion Draft, and the
Miami Heat immediately took him. In another
twist of fate, Roberts was immediately
traded to the Milwaukee Bucks, the team that
had drafted him in the first place. And,
ironically, Roberts would play five seasons
with the Bucks – the longest stretch with
one team in his career – while also enjoying
his best statistical seasons.
There would be three more NBA stops for
Roberts – Cleveland (1994-95), Los Angeles
(1995-96) and Dallas (1996-97), with a stint
in Spain and the Continental Basketball
Association sandwiched in between. Exactly
what you would expect from a pro's pro, the
kind of player who grew up loving the game
of basketball and who worked hard to forge a
long and successful career playing with –
and against – some of the greatest stars the
game has ever known.
Celtic Nation is proud to bring you this
interview.
