The Big Three

The Big Three. It means different things in different cities. In Detroit, for instance, it means General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler. But in Boston, in the 1980s, the Big Three meant only one thing: the greatest frontcourt in the history of basketball. Larry Bird, Robert Parish, and Kevin McHale. No three players in basketball history played together as long or captured as much glory. Together, they led the Celtics to three NBA championships and five straight trips to the NBA finals. On the court, the Big Three combined their skills to create a nearly unbeatable style of play. But even as they worked side by side, each remained distinct from the others. Bird was obsessed with the game; his focus and drive earned him three MVP awards and the respect of everyone in the league. McHale was much more easygoing; he practiced tirelessly to perfect his legendary post-up moves, but when the season ended he left the game behind as few of his teammates could. And Robert Parish, nicknamed "the Chief" after the silent Indian in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, anchored the trio with a combination of selflessness and strength seldom seen among today's superstars. The Big Three is the thrilling story of these three legendary stars and a celebration of the careers they've shared. Peter May chronicles the lives of the Big Three: how they grew up, and the small-town, working-class values that helped shape their lives and careers. He traces their development through high school, their distinctive college careers, and their individual paths to the NBA. May recalls how Red Auerbach and the Celtics gambled the franchise's future by drafting Bird before his senior year, hoping that they could sign him before he reentered the draft. He also recounts the maneuverings by Auerbach that led to The Trade, which brought Parish and McHale to Boston and resulted in the Big Three's first NBA title. Peter May traces Bird, Parish, and McHale's years together, describing their biggest games and th

Publishers Weekly

Only the most fanatic supporters of the Boston Celtics will want to read this account of the careers of the three men who comprised arguably the most proficient frontcourt in pro basketball history: Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish. Boston Globe sports scribe May writes in detail of the team's best and worst games, and of the determination of Bird and McHale to hang on even when serious injuries eroded their skills. He also relates how the great team of the 1980s was assembled, largely in 1979 and 1980, and therein lies the major problem: he devotes the better part of the first 100 pages to describing the trades, draft choices and other machinations that enabled the Celtics to acquire the three stars--material of only small interest to the majority of hoops fans. Still, the book should do well in the Bay State. Photos not seen by PW. (Jan.)