The Mel Counts Interview
By:
Michael D. McClellan
|
Friday, May 20th, 2005
Everyone today knows that NBA players are pulling down multi-million dollar
salaries. What was the pay scale like when you played?
Obviously
we weren’t making a lot of money. I made $12,000 my first season with the team,
plus $3,400 for winning the NBA championship. The next year it was another
$12,000, plus $3,600. It helped, in a way, to keep you humble. You didn’t
forget where you came from. Looking back, it’s easy to see that players from my
generation played primarily for the love of the game, because a lot of them were
making more money in the offseason than they were playing basketball. Some of
them were in real estate, or insurance, those types of things. Of course, back
then it didn’t cost as much to live. Today, NBA wages far outpace inflation.
I’m not knocking these players getting that kind of money, but I don’t care for
the ones with the bad attitudes and bad behavior. When I played, you didn’t
have problems with drugs, or players getting into fights with weapons, or
players going to jail for any of those types of things.
Walter
Brown passed away on September 7th, 1964. Please tell me a little about Mr.
Brown.
I
never did meet Walter Brown. It’s interesting, because I was invited out to
meet him in a social setting, and I didn’t take advantage of that. So when
I arrived for training camp, he had already passed away. From what I’ve
heard, Walter Brown was a great human being who loved basketball, and loved
the Boston Celtics. He would do anything for you – if players were short on
money, he would loan it to them without a second thought. I think he was
the kind of man who would give you the shirt off his back.
The '65
playoffs produced one of the most dramatic moments in NBA history, as Johnny
Most makes his legendary radio call: "Havlicek stole the ball! Havlicek
stole the ball!" Please take me back to that series in general, and that
game in particular.
The
guide wire supporting the backboard almost cost us that game against the
Sixers. I remember a conversation between Red Auerbach and Bill Russell
prior to that series, and the decision was made to leave the guide wire in
place. Well, it was a really close game and Russell had to inbound the
basketball. Sure enough, he hit that wire and gave the ball back to
Philadelphia under their basket. I thought, 'Oh no, this is it', and then
Havlicek came out of nowhere to steal the basketball. He was a smart, smart
player. He grabbed the ball, made the pass, and the rest is history.
The
Celtics dismantled the Lakers 4-1 to secure the team's seventh consecutive
title - and eighth overall. While old hat to players like Bill Russell and
Sam Jones, it was a new experience for you. What was it like win your first
NBA championship?
I’d
never been on a championship team before. In high school I was on two
second place teams, and in college we made it to the Final Four once, so to
be on a championship team like that is very special. I think at the time it
numbs you and you don't really take it all in, but as time goes on it
becomes more meaningful. Now I can look at my Celtic ring or my Celtic
watch, and say 'Hey, I was on a world championship team'. I've been very
blessed and very fortunate to have the opportunity to play on those teams.
