Celtics Play in Springfield
Springfield basketball fans enjoyed the rare opportunity to see the defending NBA champions in action on October 7, 1963. A large crowd of 2,300 people crammed into the gymnasium at Parkview High School to see an exhibition game between the Boston Celtics and the St. Louis Hawks. Led by Bob Pettit’s 30 points and Zelmo Beaty’s 23 rebounds, the Hawks beat the world champions 134-116. Boston got off to a quick start and went up 10-2 in the opening minutes. After a strong second quarter, the Hawks led 66-51 at halftime and pulled away in the final two quarters. Boston was led by Tom Heinsohn who scored 27 points and John Havlicek with 22. Celtics great Bill Russell played most of the game but scored just 6 points.
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Legendary Celtics coach Red Auerbach was not disappointed with his team’s loss. Instead, he said “we are playing well,” and stressed all of their key players had recovered from injuries. The Celtics of that era remain one of the greatest sports dynasties in history. They won 9 NBA championships in the 1960s with a lineup that included some of the greatest players in basketball history. Although a popular and successful franchise, the Hawks were sold to a Georgia real estate developer who moved the team to Atlanta after the 1967 season.
The library has two books about the Hawks, The St. Louis Hawks: A Gallery of Images & Memorabilia and Full Court: The Untold Stories of the St. Louis Hawks, both by Greg Marecek.
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