That's how I remember Celtics guard Dennis Johnson from a very young age, watching the rivalry games between them and my then beloved Showtime-era Lakers. He'd be the last player you looked at, when your dad was telling you about Bird, Parish, McHale, Walton, etc. But he was one of the guys who made that frontcourt possible and so vital and lethal, and the assessment in his obituary reflects that.
"He was one of the most underrated players in the history of the game, in my opinion, and one of the greatest Celtic acquisitions of all time," said former Boston teammate Danny Ainge, now the Celtics' executive director of basketball operations.
For being the linchpin on a great team I loved to hate with my friends when we were very young, I salute you, D.J.
Friday, February 23, 2007
the quiet bad-ass.
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2 comments:
As a young Celts fan, it was absolutely phenomenal just to know that you had a guard that could do EVERYTHING well enough to make a team better.
He was a manager, for certain.
What a player.
Hopefully the Hall recognizes it and corrects itself next vote. Not that it will help, or anything, but it is fitting that the quiet assassin goes unnoticed until...
DJ, RIP.
Rarely do you get such an appreciation until the man leaves the mortal coil.
That's how good he was -- you forgot just how good, because it was expected; he set a high standard for guards, and the reason a bunch of people are saying that there wasn't another like him is because it was true.
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