Kevin McHale was one of the best power forwards to play the game during his time, and he used to routinely risk it all on the NBA court, no matter what dangers he faced.
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McHale was an unstoppable presence on the court. He used his long arms and legs to put defenders in positions where they can’t do anything but watch as he scores over them.
McHale formed a formidable trio with Larry Bird and Robert Parish on the Boston Celtics, a team that was unstoppable in the 1980s alongside the Los Angeles Lakers.
McHale was 6’10” and weighed 210 pounds when he played, making for a dominant physical force. He was one of the best low post scorers, but he could do so much more as well.
– “Kevin McHale couldn’t play today. Too unathletic & goofy”
– McHale in the Finals against Hakeem Olajuwon & 7″4 Ralph Sampson averaged 25.8 PPG on 57.3%. Both of those guys were athletic freaks along with being 2 of the most talented bigmen of all time. McHale dominates today. pic.twitter.com/VWWa1xFIXV— BBall Study Hall (@Bball_StudyHall) January 7, 2023
Kevin McHale risked ending his basketball career by playing on a fractured foot
In the 1980s, there was a big rivalry brewing between two major teams: the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics. Both teams were led by stars Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, but the role players on both teams were legends as well.
James Worthy, Kevin McHale, Kareem Abdul Jabbar (albeit past his prime), Robert Parish, and more headlined the games every time these two teams played.
Knowing the importance of these Finals, neither team wanted to back down and that extended to the players’ mindsets as well. In the 1987 Finals, Kevin McHale showcased this resolve.
McHale had fractured his foot well before the Finals, and to everyone around him, it was a miracle that he was playing. By playing, he risked aggravating his fracture, leading to a further separation in the bone, and potentially ending his basketball career. He didn’t care though.
“Oh, absolutely,” McHale said when asked about it. “Hell, yeah. I’m going to continue to play on it.”
The doctors were concerned, but at the end of the day, they realized it was McHale’s decision, and they couldn’t do much about it if McHale was that intent on playing.
“It’s his decision (to play tonight),” Dr. Tony Daly explained after game 1. “I can only point out the risks and stuff.
“I think it’ll be OK. My gut feeling is if it hasn’t loosened by now, it won’t.
” . . . If it had happened yesterday, my advice would be different: I would tell him not to play.”
McHale and the Celtics couldn’t pull off a Finals win
Although McHale was determined to do anything to lead his team to victory, at the end of the day, the Lakers were a little bit too much for Boston to handle.
They won the first 2 games of the series and took an unassailable 3-1 lead. Boston would fight back to make it 3-2 and force a game 6, but that was as far as they would go.
The Lakers closed out the Celtics 106-93 to capture another title and showcase more of their dominance.
Also Read: WATCH: 2 Minutes of Michael Jordan Making Basketball’s Toughest Moves Look Criminally Easy
