The 1980 NBA Draft Move That Still Makes Teams Sick, and It Just Got Cemented Forever
Yo, Seattle! You hear about this? Another day, another batch of legends getting their flowers, and while it ain't our boys, it's still wild to look back at how some of these dynasties were built. On June 23, Kevin McHale, Wayne Embry, and John Thompson officially walked into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame up in Springfield, Massachusetts. Three absolute giants of the game getting their due, and honestly, one of those stories still makes you shake your head at how it all went down.
Kevin McHale, The Dynasty Builder
Seriously, let's talk about Kevin McHale for a minute. The Celtics snagged him third overall in the 1980 NBA Draft right out of the University of Minnesota. But here's the kicker, the move that changed everything: Boston landed that pick, and the legendary big man Robert Parish, by giving up their FIRST overall pick in that same draft. One of the most lopsided deals in league history, straight up! McHale immediately slotted into that young core alongside the GOAT, Larry Bird. Imagine that. They built a freaking dynasty, winning three championships in the 1980s with Parish, Cedric Maxwell, Dennis Johnson, and Danny Ainge. The dude was a beast, making seven All-Star teams, six All-Defensive teams, one All-NBA First Team, and snagging Sixth Man of the Year not once, but twice! His entire career, he averaged 17.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.7 blocks per game, all with that one franchise. A true one-team legend, made possible by a highway robbery of a draft trade.
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The Ring Chasers and Coaching Legend
Then you got Wayne Embry, a guy who was already a problem for them when he played for the Cincinnati Royals. But Bill Russell, the OG legend, talked Embry out of retirement for one last shot with Boston. Dude agreed, joined up, and got his ring in 1968, adding it to his five All-Star appearances. Over two seasons there, he put up 5.8 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists. Talk about a veteran move! And John Thompson? This guy played only two seasons in Boston after being drafted out of Providence College in 1964. He won TWO championships, 1965 and 1966. Then, get this, he was drafted by the Chicago Bulls in the 1966 NBA expansion draft. Instead of playing, he retired to become a coach! And he was so successful coaching that he literally got into the Hall of Fame for that record. He averaged 3.5 points and 3.5 boards in his short playing stint. Wild stuff, right?
The Other Moves That Day
The history books also show some other moves from this date, like big man Fred Roberts getting picked up by the Miami Heat in the 1988 NBA expansion draft. He was the only Celtics player taken by the Heat or the Charlotte Hornets that year, after coming to Boston in a 1986 trade from the Utah Jazz. Roberts gave them 5.8 points, 2.4 rebounds, and an assist over two seasons. And even the 2011 NBA Draft had some action, with the Celtics drafting MarShon Brooks then trading him for JaJuan Johnson, who played one season and averaged 3.2 points. It just goes to show you, every single draft pick, every single trade, every single player, can build a legacy that ends up in the Hall of Fame. It’s a reminder that every moment matters, and we gotta keep watching, because you never know who's writing history right in front of our eyes.
This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.