planes of the court

[Bad Zebra]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Note that Larry Bird's shot would count if they were playing on a court with fan shaped backboards...

My question is: What was the Bird Man doing playing in the Hartford Civic Center? Shouldn't there have been ice on the floor for the Whalers?

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by Bad Zebra

My question is: What was the Bird Man doing playing in the Hartford Civic Center? Shouldn't there have been ice on the floor for the Whalers?

Must have been ice on the floor of the Garden that night for the Bruins.

[ODog]

I was in the house the night Bird hit that shot. It was a preseason game in the fall of '86 the season after the Celtics and Rockets played in the Finals.

The Celtics used to play three regular-season games and a preseason tilt in Hartford every year. I don't know when the agreement ended, maybe the early '90s?

As for the OP, I don't think his first question has been addressed (ball hitting the bottom of the padding from behind the backboard). That query seems to have been ignored. My feeling is that's inbounds, regardless of where the ball came from to hit that spot.

Also, the last question is also a good one (ball hitting the top from behind). Based on letter of the rule (ball can't PASS OVER), you could make the case this play is also legal.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by ODog

Also, the last question is also a good one (ball hitting the top from behind). Based on letter of the rule (ball can't PASS OVER), you could make the case this play is also legal.

As long as the ball bounces back behind the backboard, you could rule it legal.

However, if the ball thrown from behind bounces on the top and then continues to the front, it has passed over the backboard and is OOB. And a ball that hits the top and bounces backwards may likely have hit that corner at an angle that should be considered the back of the backboard, making it illegal as well.

[Scrapper1]

Originally Posted by ODog

I was in the house the night Bird hit that shot. It was a preseason game in the fall of '86 the season after the Celtics and Rockets played in the Finals.

The Celtics used to play three regular-season games and a preseason tilt in Hartford every year. I don't know when the agreement ended, maybe the early '90s?

I wasn't there for that shot, but I saw my share of Celtics games in Hartford. Those were fun nights, I have to say.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Scrapper1

I wasn't there for that shot, but I saw my share of Celtics games in Hartford. Those were fun nights, I have to say.

Then fire up the flux capacitor.

NBA Preseason: Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks in Hartford, CT, XL Center (formerly Hartford Civic Center), Saturday, Oct 13, 2012 at 7:30 p.m.

[amusedofficial]

The Celtics played a home game or two in Springfield Mass for many seasons, including when the Hartford roof collapsed. I think they also played home games in Providence over the years and maybe even Worcester Mass.

Relatives tell me they were always well behind Bruins in popularity, even when Celtics won Championships and Bruins missed the playoffs. Through most of their glory years when Celtics were owned by nine owners in 25 years, including an assortment of nutjobs, including the guy who tore down Ebbets Field, a couple of breweries and sketchy investment groups (one included Pat Summerall.)

Celtics attendance was pretty bad. Lot of doubleheaders, lots of Fabulous Magicians and Globetrotter promotions.

[Rufus]

They were called the Heartless Failures for a reason...

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Bad Zebra

Shouldn't there have been ice on the floor for the Whalers?

Great. Now I'm going to start crying. I can't hold back the tears. I had almost forgotten about Connecticut's only major league sports team (the Connecticut Sun, wimmen's basketball, doesn't count) leaving. On top of that, our professional Ultimate Frisbee team just folded. I can't imagine why?

[BktBallRef]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Great. Now I'm going to start crying. I can't hold back the tears. I had almost forgotten about Connecticut's only major league sports team (the Connecticut Sun, wimmen's basketball, doesn't count) leaving. On top of that, our professional Ultimate Frisbee team just folded. I can't imagine why?

Pretty sure they moved to Raleigh because you folks in CT didn't support them. The highest attendance average for a season in Hartford was 14,574. They average over 16,000 this year in that "Real Ice Hockey Hotbed."

BTW, they've won the Stanley Cup since they got here.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by BktBallRef

They've won the Stanley Cup since they got here.

BktBallRef: Shut up.

[Bad Zebra]

Originally Posted by BktBallRef

Pretty sure they moved to Raleigh because you folks in CT didn't support them. The highest attendance average for a season in Hartford was 14,574. They average over 16,000 this year in that "Real Ice Hockey Hotbed."

BTW, they've won the Stanley Cup since they got here.

But I think the capacity at the Civic Center was about 15,000 at the time...and I'm with Billy on the salt-in-wound thing. That still stings and I haven't even lived there since 84.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Bad Zebra

But I think the capacity at the Civic Center was about 15,000 at the time.

Much less than that when the roof caved in.