Hardwood Houdini
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Happy Birthday to the Houdini of the Hardwood

By Joshua Bateman

BOSTON, MA - DECEMBER 22: From left: Boston Celtics legends Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, John Havlecek, K.C. Jones, and Tom Heinsohn wave to the crowd at the conclusion of the halftime ceremonies regarding the last game on the original Boston Garden parquet floor at the FleetCenter in Boston on Dec. 22, 1999. (Photo by Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - DECEMBER 22: From left: Boston Celtics legends Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, John Havlecek, K.C. Jones, and Tom Heinsohn wave to the crowd at the conclusion of the halftime ceremonies regarding the last game on the original Boston Garden parquet floor at the FleetCenter in Boston on Dec. 22, 1999. (Photo by Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) /
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Happy Birthday to one of the greatest legends the NBA has ever seen, Bob Cousy

No, this is not the birthday of the site, and yes you should be ashamed if you are sitting there wondering who the Houdini or the Hardwood is. Before the high flying Golden State Warriors, before the pace pushing of Steve Nash, before pretty much any game changing point guard you can mention, there was the Houdini of the Hardwood, Bob Cousy.

Maybe the first real legend on the most legendary franchise in the history of the NBA turns 89 years old today. There are more than enough former birthdays worth celebrating, but Cousy will always be a little more special for this site.

Just in case you are not familiar with why Cousy got the nick name “Houdini of the Hardwood”, check out this video.

Before the Celtics had Bill Russell, Cousy was there laying the foundation, and orchestrating the most successful team in the history of the NBA.

Cousy was the most beloved player in the history of the Celtics, and it took generations before that was able to change.

Russell deservedly gets the credit for the unprecedented run of 11 championships in 13 seasons, but that does not happen with Cousy. Russell is the greatest leader this game has ever seen, and it was Cousy running the show and playing that role when Russell was a championship in his rookie season in 1957.

Of course, he also went on to win five more of those 11 championships in the next six seasons, allowing him to retire a champion.

Cousy might be the biggest reason why those Celtics cores have so many different Hall of Famers. He is certainly the reason they were a revolutionary offensive team, without needing anyone to score the way Jerry West or Wilt Chamberlain had to for their team.

There is no better example of a point guard making his teammates around him better than Cousy, and as you can tell from that clip above, he changed everything with the fast pace and fast breaks.

With Russell anchoring the defensive end, he and Cousy made up maybe the most dynamic duo the league has ever seen.

Next: Are the Celtics Expecting Too Much From Youth?

The Celtics are not the franchise they are right now without Cousy, in fact, it probably would not even be close. So take a moment and appreciate everything that Bob Cousy means to the Celtics as you celebrate his 89th birthday.

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