Kevin McHale

Kevin McHale is a retired professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics and former head coach and General Manager of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Mostly though, Kevin McHale is known as being Larry Bird’s sidekick in the 1980’s. In that decade the Boston Celtics, led by Bird and McHale, appeared in the NBA Finals five times, winning the NBA Championship three out of those times. Kevin McHale certainly has his place in NBA history. He was a major part of the most storied rivalry in the history of the sport with the Los Angeles Lakers vs. the Boston Celtics and he was one of the best low post players ever.

McHale wouldn’t find the same success as a basketball executive as he did as a player, but he’s still a beloved figure in the sport. Kevin McHale will always rank among the best sidekicks in sports history and rightfully so. Larry Bird couldn’t have won those three championships without Kevin McHale.

http://www.nba.com/history/finals/champions.html

Kevin McHale was drafted third overall by the Boston Celtics in 1980 and would play his entire professional career with the storied NBA franchise. Despite his talent and skill level, Kevin McHale wouldn’t become a regular starter for the Celtics until the 1985-1986 season. Before that year McHale was envision as more of a “sixth man.” His role was to provide scoring and energy off the bench. After 1986, Kevin McHale became a regular starter with the Boston Celtics and in that time he would enter his statistical prime, averaging 26 points a game in the 1986-1987 season.

Kevin would win three championships with the Boston Celtics and would be selected as one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history in 1996. McHale retired in 1993 and would later mentor Kevin Garnett as the General Manager and sometimes coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Kevin McHale currently works for TNT as an analyst and commentator. http://www.nba.com/history/players/mchale_stats.html