Kevin McHale Two-Time Sixth Man of the Year
The Torture Chamber: A Man With a Thousand Moves
Kevin Edward McHale (born December 19, 1957) is an American former professional basketball player, coach and analyst who played his entire professional career for the Boston Celtics. He earned the nickname "the Torture Chamber" for his exceptional footwork and wide array of post moves which made him nearly impossible to guard one-on-one. Dominique Wilkins famously called him "A Man With a Thousand Moves." He is a Basketball Hall of Fame inductee and widely considered one of the greatest power forwards of all time.
- Role
- Power Forward / Sixth Man
- Team Affiliation
- Boston Celtics (1980–1993)
- Award Years
- 1984, 1985
- Career Status
- Retired, Hall of Fame Inductee
- Championships Won
- 3 (1981, 1984, 1986)
Lore & Background
After a high school career in which he was named Minnesota Mr. Basketball, he attended the University of Minnesota, where he was named to two first-team All Conference teams and set many team records that still stand today. He was then selected third overall in the 1980 NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics. Spending his first five seasons as the sixth man, he was named the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year in 1984 and 1985. After Cedric Maxwell was traded prior to the 1985–1986 season, McHale became a full-time starter alongside Larry Bird and center Robert Parish, where the three formed what is arguably the greatest frontcourt in NBA history. He won three NBA championships in 1981, 1984 and 1986. Having already played in an All-Star Game as a bench player before becoming a starter, he went on to play in six more All-Star Games and was named to the NBA All-Defensive Team six times. After injuries forced his retirement following the 1992–1993 season, he was later named to both the NBA’s 50th and 75th Anniversary Teams.
In Their Own Story
The air inside the Boston Garden was thick with the scent of popcorn and sweat, the roar of the crowd a constant hum beneath the squeak of sneakers. It was the fourth quarter, and the Celtics were clinging to a slim lead against a relentless opponent. Coach K.C. Jones signaled from the sideline, not for a timeout, but for a substitution. The starter nodded, wiping sweat from his brow as McHale stepped onto the parquet floor. The crowd sensed it immediately—the shift in gravity that happened whenever the 6'10" forward entered the fray. Within seconds, he secured a rebound, pivoted on a dime, and buried a hook shot over a defender who had just finished a grueling four quarters against Larry Bird.
Reader's Guide
McHale began working for the Minnesota Timberwolves immediately following his retirement in 1993 (until 2009) and at times as a TV analyst, general manager and head coach. He was head coach of the Houston Rockets from 2011 to 2015 until being fired following a 4–7 start to the 2015–16 season.
Did You Know?
- McHale was named Minnesota Mr. Basketball in 1976 at Hibbing High School.
- He set the Celtics' single-game scoring record with 56 points on March 3, 1985, against the Detroit Pistons.
- McHale is of Croatian descent on his mother's side and Irish on his father's.
- He was selected as the top player in the history of University of Minnesota men's basketball in 1995.
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