Red and Dotie Auerbach: An NBA Love Story

The expectations were high in Boston, and it was Red Auerbach time—the NBA Playoffs. Red lived for this time of year.  

When Red Auerbach died on Saturday, October 26, 2006 the world of sports lost a true giant.  He left a legacy of NBA success that will never be matched in our lifetime.  

Despite relinquishing the division title to Cleveland this year due to injuries, Boston was still the team to beat. They lost the cornerstone of the team, Kevin Garnett, and it proved to be too much. 

The Chicago and Miami series proved you can’t measure the heart of a champion, Celtic Pride, or the spirit of Red Auerbach.  This was a Red Auerbach kind of team—it was never over until it was over.

We all know that Red Auerbach was the greatest coach in the history of team sports. Phil Jackson is a great coach—but he is nobody’s Red Auerbach.  There is definitely a great possibility that Phil Jackson will surpass Red in the number of NBA Championships won in 2009, but that is just a number. Red was genius.

Despite his death, Red is still coaching. His coaching spirit lives in Danny Ainge, Doc Rivers, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and the entire Celtics’ organization. The Boston Celtics' fantastic 2008 run to last year’s NBA Championship had the touch of an angel—and that angel was Red.

Red was not only a great basketball coach, but his won-lost record in Human and Civil Rights in pro sports is unmatched.  Thanks to Red and Celtics owner Walter Brown, the NBA is now the most integrated franchise in professional team sports.

I met Red and Dotie Auerbach on a Chevy Chase playground in a Maryland suburb of DC in the late '60s. They were hanging out watching Summer League Basketball.

I found Dotie sitting alone outside the fence watching the action. We struck up a conversation about one of the players. I thought to myself, “This little white lady sure knows a lot about the game of basketball.”

We talked basketball for the next 30 minutes when suddenly her husband showed up with cold drinks.  Her husband was the one and only Red Auerbach.

Dotie introduced us and Red growled something sarcastic and she said, “Arnold, stop acting up.” Red had a demeanor of a tiger when he didn’t want someone getting too close, but in reality he was nothing but a pussycat.

For the next 30 plus years Red and Dotie Auerbach would become a fixture and supporters of Kids In Trouble, Inc and Inside Sports. During that relationship, my wife Hattie and I would visit their home on Mass. Ave. in upper NW DC. We would often have lunch with Dotie and she would show off her antiques and art collection in the added room of a next-door apartment.

The walls of the apartment had been knocked down to accommodate the collection.  Red would usually be out playing cards or tennis at Woodmont Country Club in Bethesda, Md.  Dotie was a classy down to earth lady and we fell in love with her. We were and still are benefactors of their generosity and kindness. Their spirit lives in us.

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