30 Years Later, Part 6: Kevin McHale

Kevin McHale may be the best power forward to play the game before we saw Tim Duncan take the floor. McHale, the 6-10 power forward voted the #1 player in the University of Minnesota’s 100-years of basketball, was drafted third overall by the Celtics in 1980.

After playing his rookie year coming off the bench behind Larry Bird and Cedric Maxwell, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team and helped Boston win the 1981 NBA Finals. McHale was named NBA Sixth Man of the Year following the ’84 & ’85 campaigns and would also win titles with the Celtics in 1984 and 1986. Named to the All-NBA First Team in 1987, the 7-time All-Star, was also a 3-time All-Defense First Team winner. McHale’s #32 is hang in in the rafters at the TD Garden, while his #44 Golden gophers jersey is retired by Minnesota.

McHale took over the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2004-05 for 31 games, leading them to a 19-12 record. In 2008 he took the reigns again, this time for 63 games amid a 20-43 record. In 2011, the Houston Rockets hired McHale and he’s helped them progress to a Championship caliber unit, losing in the Conference Finals this past year.

You can look forward to another uptempo, chaotic brand of basketball in Houston this year as the roster has been updated and the quality of talent has been upgraded with the addition of Ty Lawson at the point.