Chapter 743 - 4 A Win-Win Deal

During the summer and fall of 1990, Jane Walker, the general manager of the Boston Celtics, was deep in a quagmire.

Four seasons had passed since they entered the NBA Finals in 1986, and in just four years, the green empire was visibly crumbling.

At the end of the 1986 season, they clearly had the league’s most luxurious roster of five All-Stars, all in their prime.

Yet, in the following four seasons, the Celtics gained nothing, not even an Eastern championship, let alone a league title.

Marques Johnson, who they acquired by trading away their number two draft pick of ’86, faded from the professional basketball world after his son’s tragic drowning, leaving behind only a season and a half of impact with the Celtics.

Larry Bird, plagued by back injuries, could no longer play at an MVP level—although he still remained one of the best small forwards in the league.

Kevin McHale’s heroic decision to play on a broken leg indeed shortened his prime, and after the ’87 season, his performance gradually declined.

Robert Parish was already 27 when he joined the Celtics, and by the 1990 season, he was 36 years old. Even with All-Star caliber performances, he was not destined to be a game-changer.

After playing the 1989-1990 season, Jane Walker wasn’t prepared to offer Dennis Johnson a new contract, so Dennis Johnson decided to retire.

This decision brought some criticism to the Celtics management, as Dennis Johnson, at 35, had voluntarily given his starting position to rookie John Bagley and had continued to play at a stable level.

When Bagley was out with a dislocated shoulder, Dennis Johnson returned to the starting lineup with a high level of play, serving as a veteran fixture for the team.

Despite being eliminated in the first round by the New York Knicks, causing a heavy blow to the team, Dennis Johnson was not to blame.

The Celtics still achieved a respectable record of 52 wins and 30 losses in the regular season—better than some championship teams of other seasons.

This was the Celtics management’s most painful and troubling issue: if they kept an old guard at the core, they could still compete strongly in the regular season, with 50 wins easily within reach.

But come playoff time, they were no longer a match for the Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls, or even the New York Knicks in the East—the championship had become a luxury.

The dilemma before the Celtics management was whether to maintain this aging but stable framework and continue to decay until nothing was left, or to discard their glorious past and start a complete rebuild.

When faced with this critical decision about the team’s future, Jane Walker, who became the Celtics general manager in 1985 and was involved in the Marques Johnson trade, did not hesitate to choose the former path.

It seemed almost inevitable, though the latter path appeared broader and clearer, with many unknown vistas, Walker knew there was a sign at its entrance reading "No Way Through," marked by a deep cigar burn.

It was left by Red Auerbach, the Red cardinal.

As long as Red Auerbach was there, the Celtics’ team-building and operational style would not change easily.

Auerbach disliked trades, especially those acquiring stars who had made a name for themselves in other cities.

During the glory days of the ’60s coaching Bill Russell, Auerbach made only one significant trade: Mel Koons for Bailey Howell.

He preferred drafting, loved signing obscure free agents, and then building them from the ground up, like painting on a blank sheet, without tainting them with other colors.

Not just players, but coaches, assistant coaches, scouts, consultants, and various other positions within the Celtics were also internally cultivated, handpicked from retired Celtics players or associates, and promoted step by step.

He didn’t favor professionals who had made a name for themselves with other teams, nor did he like to pay high salaries for experts—partly because the Celtics didn’t have the money.

Another reason was "loyalty," a quality Auerbach treasured most. He strived to run the Boston Celtics like a family, turning players and workers into family members.

Family members are the most deserving of mutual trust, forming an unbreakable group.

Jane Walker was a product of this system, having grown up in Massachusetts, with her father working at the Marshfield summer camp (Auerbach’s Boy Scouts), providing equipment for the camp for over twenty years.

Even as early as 1971, after graduating from Columbia University, Walker, following Auerbach’s advice, started working in the Celtics’ ticket sales department, and eventually became the team’s public manager after Auerbach’s retirement.

Jane Walker was wise and capable, meticulous in her work, and her years of experience made her familiar with every department and staff member in the Celtics, giving her a thorough understanding of team operations.

At the same time, Jane Walker lacked imagination and creativity in managing the team, with not too many ideas of her own, making her the perfect "white glove" for Auerbach, never stepping over the boundaries set by the Red cardinal.

Over these seasons, Jane Walker carried out Auerbach’s Celtics strategy, never seriously considered breaking up the frontcourt trio Auerbach built, and kept trying to cultivate new successors through the draft.