On this date 52 years ago, the Boston Celtics’ 1964 No. 1 draft choice snared 25 rebounds in the sixth game of the NBA championship series … alas Mel Counts (No. 31 above) was at the time in the employ of the Los Angeles Lakers and playing against his former team.
Big Mel had been traded away 18 months before – ironically, for the very guy (No. 18) we see Elgin Baylor blowing past in the above photo.
Lest you judge too harshly, allow me to point out that, even as Counts was owning the backboards, Bailey Howell’s stat-line on the night he won his first NBA championship shows a career playoff-high 30 points (on 13-for-22 FG shooting) and 11 rebounds in 42 minutes of work.