The Satch Sanders Interview
By:
Michael D. McClellan
|
Friday, August 23rd, 2002
You mentioned that Sam Jones
was a great shooter.
He led the team in scoring three times during the
Celtics’ decade of domination, averaging a career-high
25.9 points-per-game in 1965.
It amazes me that he was able to accomplish this
without the luxury of the three-point shot, and also
without being the primary focus of the offense.
I have to differ with you on that last point, because
Sam was the primary focus of our offense.
The distinction that needs to be made is that
while Sam was indeed the primary option, he wasn’t by
any means the only option.
Our teams were so deep and so versatile that our
opponents couldn’t concentrate on stopping one
particular player.
There was a great balance on those Celtic teams,
and everyone was able to contribute in so many ways.
The Celtics visited
then-President John F. Kennedy, a Celtics fan, at the
White House in 1963.
What was that experience like?
[Laughs.] That’s
been one or two summers ago, so recounting the exact
details of that trip will be difficult.
I do remember that it was a fun experience for
us, and that we were able to spent a lot of time with
President Kennedy.
Mr. Kennedy was a very big Boston Celtics fan.
I also remember that there were quite a number of
people who were upset about our meeting, and about the
amount of time we were able to spend with him.
We were with him in the Oval Office for
forty-five minutes.
Meanwhile, his staff, the media, and a number of
other entities were unable to gain an audience with the
president.
Your salutation to President
Kennedy is quite famous.
Do you remember what you said to him?
Of course – my salutation to President Kennedy has
been discussed through the years.
It was simply:
‘Take it easy, baby.’
Red Auerbach has called the
1961 Celtics the best basketball team ever assembled. Do you agree?
I can’t say that I agree with that assessment, because
that is Red’s opinion and he is certainly entitled to
that. It is
hard for me to say which team was the best ever.
Each one was special in its own way, and I
appreciate each of them differently.
You are currently the NBA
Vice President for Player Programs.
Please elaborate on your role as VP for Player
Programs.
The program has been in existence for over fifteen years
– the idea for it, in fact, was already in place when
I made the proposal. With the help of others, I was able to bring some form to the
program and help keep it on the right track.
Among other things, this office assists players
off the court in a variety of ways, such as completing
their education, preparing for careers after basketball,
and helping those who struggle with all the attention
that goes with being an NBA star.
The NBA Rookie Transition
Program is a great resource for Program is a great resource for new players entering the
league. You
also oversee this program, which you helped to create
more than a decade ago.
Going back to your rookie year with the Boston
Celtics, do you think the RTP would have helped players
of that generation adapt to life in the NBA?
If you talk to anyone of that era who played in the NBA,
I sure that the response would be positive as far as
this program is concerned and the help that it could
have provided them.
The same is also true today.
Among other things, the program helps players
understand their transition into manhood.
It also helps them understand the
responsibilities they face, and how to deal with the
pressures that come with being a professional athlete.
It’s a great source of information for them,
which, in turn, helps them to make better decisions.
This is all especially important today, since
players entering the NBA are younger on average than the
players of a generation ago.
You have players entering the league straight out
of high school, or players who spend only one or two
seasons in a college environment.
It’s also important to understand we cannot make the decisions for the players – they have to accept responsibility for their actions, and for the decisions that they make. And they must also deal with the consequences.
