Former Boston Celtics star Kevin McHale put basketball over his health when he played an astounding 77 of 82 games in 1987 with a fractured foot. And that comes as news amid all the “load management” chatter in the NBA at present.
Per UPI’s Archives, the forward suffered a hairline fracture of a small bone on his right foot. X-rays showed that he had a “pre-existing, non-displaced, incomplete hairline fracture of the tarsal navicular bone of his right foot.” However, that didn’t deter him from playing almost the entirety of the season.
Playing through the pain, McHale, one of the best dominant forwards in the league at the time, averaged 26.1 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 2.6 assists. However, his heroics was in vain as the Celtics fell short in the NBA Finals going down 4-2 to the Los Angeles Lakers.
By risking time on the hardwood, McHale aggravated his injury to the point where there was a further separation in the bone which was one of the key reasons for his career to come to an end. He eventually called time on his decorated career in 1993.
This comes as a riveting example of a player’s commitment and resolve, especially when modern-day athletes, irrespective of the sport have been subject to load management.
Kevin McHale Notched Up The Numbers And Formed The Celtics’ Power Trio Alongside Larry Bird And Robert Parish
At 6’10” and 210 pounds, Kevin McHale was an absolute beast on the hardwood and was one of the more reliable and talented big men in the 80s. He teamed up with Larry Bird and Robert Parish on the Celtics — a team that was an absolute powerhouse in the 1980s.
McHale had a roster of moves at his disposal in all of his 13 impressive seasons with the Celtics. Starting off as a player coming off the bench, he went on win two sixth man of the year awards before making a mark as a full-time starter in 1986. He helped Boston win three championships in his 13 years and the numbers were nothing if stacked.
The forward averaged 17.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in the 971 games he suited up for and became a vital cog in the Boston unit, rightly making his case to be part of our Celtics’ All-time GOAT pyramid.
McHale’s 77 games despite his fractured foot are a testimony of what it means to win and win at all costs — something the current NBA crop of players could take a leaf out of.
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