Arnold J. "Red" Auerbach enshrined as a coach in 1969

Arnold J. "Red" Auerbach

Enshrined 1969
Born: September 20, 1917
Brooklyn, NY
Died: October 28, 2006

Red Auerbach was the architect and mastermind behind one of the most dominant franchises in professional sports history, the Boston Celtics. The cigar-chomping Auerbach expertly steered the Celtics to eight straight NBA championships, a streak unmatched in NBA history. Aggressive, demanding, and often volatile on the bench, Auerbach was the first coach in NBA history to win 1,000 games, his coaching brilliance showcased in a winning streak of eleven straight All-Star Games. Under Auerbach's watchful eye, the Celtics took ten Eastern Division titles in sixteen years. Since retiring, Auerbach has presided over the Celtics' franchise as general manager and president and has been affiliated with all sixteen club NBA titles. In 1980, the Professional Basketball Writers Association of America (PBWAA) named Auerbach the greatest coach in the history of the NBA.