Walter Brown was beginning his first season of “personal” ownership of the team – the Garden Corp. had pulled out, and Lou Pieri of Providence had come in as a partner. Pieri’s one condition was that Brown fill his coaching vacancy with Red Auerbach. [Red had just parted ways with Tri-Cities Blackhawk owner Ben Kerner; old-school Hawk fans suspect the NBA facilitated Auerbach’s move.]
As the Celtics were preparing for their fifth season, franchises in St. Louis (Bombers) and Chicago (Stags) were dissolving … from whom Auerbach would receive, respectively, second-year center Ed Macauley [No. 22] and some local yokel rookie named Cousy [No.