Born on December 19, 1957, Kevin attended Hibbing High School in MN, in the same town which he was born. Kevin will always be known to any Boston Celtic fan as one of the best, if not the greatest, power forward that ever played the game of basketball. Kevin dominated under the hoop with his long arms and his 6 foot 10 inch frame. His rough physical play was complemented by his pivots and his successful jump shots.
Kevin McHale's basketball playing days began well before high school. During his high school days, Kevin's height was an instant advantage, even so throughout college. Kevin attended the University of Minnesota. Throughout his collegiate career, Kevin averaged 15.2 points per game and 8.5 rebounds. He graduated ranking second in points and rebounds, with 1,704 and 950 respectively1. During UM's 100th anniversary, Kevin was honored as a top player in the university's basketball history.
After graduating from college, Kevin was picked third by Celtics in 1980 draft. The Celtics were able to get the pick in a trade with the Golden State Warriors, who traded the pick and The Chief, Robert Parrish, for the first and second pick in the draft. The Celts got the better end of the deal for Robert Parrish and McHale would go on with Larry Bird to become one of the strongest frontlines in basketball history. The three would play together for over a decade and were instrumental in the Celtics' three championships. In that time, the Celtics compiled a 690-276 record and won nine Atlantic Division titles and five Eastern Conference championships.
Kevin was a defensive monster, not afraid to be a bit physical with his large frame. Kevin was named to the All Defensive first team in 1986, 87, and 88. Kevin was a 7-time all star from 84-1991, sans 1985 in which he wasn't voted to the game. While known for his defense, and not for being a scoring powerhouse like Larry Bird or Michael Jordan, Kevin blew up against the Detroit Pistons on March 3, 1985. He made the Pistons look silly as he scored 56 points against them. That's also the second most points scored by a Celtic, behind only the greatest shooter Larry Bird, who scored 60 points against the Atlanta Hawks a week later. On Boston's all-time lists, he ranks second in field goal percentage (6,830-12,334, .554), third in games (971), fourth in points (17,335) and field goals made (6,830) and sixth in rebounds (7,112) and minutes (30,118)1.
After the 1992-1993 season, Kevin decided to stop playing the game of basketball. Even though he retired from play, Kevin is still involved as the Vice President of Basketball operations for his hometown team, the Minnesota Timberwolves. He is also a broadcaster for the team. The number he made famous, 32, is hung proudly in the Boston Fleetcenter, along with other Celtic legends. Kevin was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999 and was voted as one of the 50 greatest players to play the game.
PPG RPG APG BPG
Career 17.9 7.3 1.7 1.7
sources
- http://www.unc.edu/~lbrooks2/mchale.html
- http://www.hoophall.com/halloffamers/McHale.htm
- http://www.kurtrambis.com/anti-mchale.html