But the Celtics do become unimportant nationally if they are not contending. In the 1990s, there were years in which they were not scheduled for a single nationally televised game at the start of those seasons because, unless they are winning, they are not a national draw. I remember Red Auerbach being interviewed in about 1988 and he was asked about the impact of the death of Len Bias. He said it won't be that noticable right now, but half a dozen years from now, if things aren't going well, it will be the reason because you only draft in the top 2 once in a decade and when you do, the guy you pick is supposed to be the one you build around for that next decade. Even when the Celtics got back to the playoffs with Pierce and Walker, they generated no interest nationally.
When the Celtics Mt Rushmore is chiseled, it should include Red Auerbach for landing Bill Russel and Larry Bird, Bill Fitch, for arranging the Joe Barry Carroll for Parrish and McHale swap, and McHale himself for "giving" the Celtics Kevin Garnett. Without Garnett, the Celtics would have been nearly irrelevant over the past four seasons.
