When you took over for Bill Fitch the team was clearly ready for a change.  The players were more mature and seemed to have grown tired of Bill’s demanding style.  You had been an assistant for five years.  You were the perfect man for the job and the Celtics really responded, winning that classic seven game series against the Lakers in ’84.  How did that series rank with all the others that you won?

It was the best.  It was my first year as head coach and we weren’t supposed to win.  I am very proud of that accomplishment.  The 1984 championship ranks up there as the biggest title ever.

Let’s stay with the Celtics-Lakers in ’84:  The whole Bird and Magic rivalry turned this into one of the biggest Finals in NBA history.  From a media standpoint it was huge.  You had the east coast vs. the west coast.  You had the movie stars, the glitz and the glamour in L.A., and you had the pride and passion of the Boston fans.  Again, you were the perfect man for the job.  What was it like to coach this series?

It was big in all aspects, big in every sense of the word.  The media coverage was incredible, and it seemed as if everyone in the world was watching the series.  You turned on the TV and it was there.  You turned on the radio and everyone was talking about it.  That series had everything.  Larry and Magic made it that much more special – what more can you say than that?

You also had Gerald (Henderson) stealing the Worthy inbound pass in Game 2, which we won in overtime.  That was huge for us.  If he doesn’t make that steal then we’ve lost two in the Boston Garden and head to L.A. in serious trouble.

Cedric Maxwell played a great series, especially in Game 7.  Cedric was – and remains to this day – a very loquacious individual.  He was always talking.

Cedric made some pretty bold statements prior to Game 7.

Cedric said that he was going to have a big game, and that his teammates could climb on his back because he was going to carry them to the championship in Game 7.  It was a pretty big boast but Cedric backed it up.  He played a great game and dominated the boards.

Back to Gerald Henderson for a moment.  Without Gerald’s steal Boston is in too deep a hole to win the series.  Given that his steal was in the Finals, against the hated Lakers and with the Celtics pushed to the brink, I view this steal as one of the most important in Celtics history.  But for some reason Henderson’s steal isn’t given the same level of reverence as those made by Havlicek and Bird.  Do you have the same sense about this, and if so, why do you think this to be the case?

I agree with you.  When you look at the magnitude of the situation, Gerald’s steal was very important.  It was a big turning point, and it allowed us to get back in the series against the Lakers.  Like I said, if we had lost that game we were down 0-2 going to Los Angeles.  Before the series that scenario was something I didn’t think possible, but for a while there it looked to be the case.  As it was, we were able salvage a split at home and then go on to win the series.