RIP Tommy Heinsohn

[Family]

Hey man, why you always making me disagree?
Westy wanted out. Didn't like the team concept. It's his right. But crap, imagine if Sam Jones took that attitude when he started here.

Red had to let him go. And as Red said, we won that trade. Paul got his All-Star games, but we - with Charlie - won the title.

And I wanted Chaney to stay too. But we couldn't match the offer Don got from the ABA.

I don't remember reading or hearing about that...This article I found goes into some detail about his time with the Celtics but doesn't mention any grievance from Westphal's side:

Finally voted into Hall of Fame, Paul Westphal was the traded Celtic who rose to prominence as a Sun

After 3 years as third guard on great Celtic teams, Westy blossomed into an NBA superstar when traded to Phoenix

www.celticsblog.com

Working off memory from 45 years ago, it was Heinsohn who wanted the trade. He felt Westphal didn't run the break well as mentioned in the article.

My memory is that Westphael was shocked and disappointed at the trade.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

I don't remember reading or hearing about that...This article I found goes into some detail about his time with the Celtics but doesn't mention any grievance from Westphal's side:

Finally voted into Hall of Fame, Paul Westphal was the traded Celtic who rose to prominence as a Sun

After 3 years as third guard on great Celtic teams, Westy blossomed into an NBA superstar when traded to Phoenix

www.celticsblog.com

We tend to agonize over the losses more than celebrating the wins for some reason, but I've been wrong so many times posting I don't know how you guys put up with me.

The Auerbach quote is accurate; but it was in the context of defending the trade in the midst of the Celtics' period of misery from 1977-79 which was comparable to or even worse than ours for the Patriots from 1989-1992. From ownership being a circus to calamity and miserable losing on the court; John Y. Brown very nearly drove Red out of town at its nadir. But Red is Red. Both he and another Paul, Silas, admitted they screwed up when he became a free agent in 1976, and although the fallout was a horrible mess, it did lead to drafting Larry Bird as a junior eligible. That kicked off a hot streak for Red which culminated in his magnum opus, drafting Len Bias days after winning the championship in 1986.

These are a great read:

The Paul Westphal Interview

By: Michael D. McClellan | I knew that Paul Westphal was special long before I ever had the pleasure of speaking with him about his basketball successes, of which there are many. The ye…

www.celtic-nation.com

What the Hell Happened to...Paul Silas?

Boston Celtics fan site

www.celticslife.com