The rest is just noise

In preseason training camp, Greek Academy turned into Bill Fitch's slaughterhouse.

His will represents everything in it.

Bill Laimbeer didn't get Fitch's good looks because of his good performance in last season's Eastern Conference Finals.

In fact, Fitch doesn't look good on anyone.

Ranbir is his key target.

On the first day of training, he yelled at Ranbir more than once: "Bill, you run as slow as an elephant. Can't you run faster? Didn't you have enough to eat? You sissy!"

Exhausted and frustrated, Lambir knew Fitch was giving him a hard time and complained: "I can't run anymore!"

"You are such a useless loser!" Fitch scolded.

As Ralph Sampson watched these events unfold, the young superstar got the message loud and clear: Fitch and the Celtics were serious.

"If you don't want to be scolded, you have to work harder than anyone else."

Louis reminded him.

Sampson became enlightened and from the first day he ran faster than anyone else and was more fierce than anyone else in confrontation.

At Louis's signal, none of the veterans on the team competed with Sampson.

Although Sampson's talent can be seen by a blind man, he is not the kind of big man Fitch likes.

For him, the Sampson model is too "trendy".

It's just that Sampson joined the team as a rookie at the same level as Bird. He didn't make any mistakes, but his style of play didn't please him. He couldn't really torture Sampson because of his own preferences.

So he imposed his will on Laimbeer and Dave Cowens.

Laimbeer is a piece of dead pigskin. No matter how much pressure Fitch exerts, he never frowns. He just keeps spreading the negative energy on him.

Cowens is very strong, has a strong self-esteem, and often quarrels with Fitch on the training ground.

There were several times when Fitch's words touched Cowens's bottom line. When a fight was about to break out, it was only when Louis, Bird and others stepped in to pull the fight away.

Louis could see that Cowens's patience with Fitch had reached its limit.

Fitch didn't take this old-generation Celtic in his eyes at all. No matter what happened, the first ones to scold Laimbeer and Cowens were the first ones to scold him.

Cowens believed that Fitch was taking this opportunity to get revenge on him because it was he who led the team to end the Ridgefield Miracle.

As time went by, Fitch himself felt bored.

Teaching Ranbir a lesson is like punching a sandbag.

Against Cowens, although the scene was very hot, he could not get any advantage.

But he is angry every day because players often make wrong tactics, which makes him angry and he needs a venting bag.

Surprisingly, Fitch turned his ire on one of the greatest players in NBA history and perhaps the greatest college basketball player of all time, Pete Maravich.

Before the start of the new season, Maravich just finished his summer training.

His body is in the best condition. Although Fitch scolded him for losing confidence in basketball last season, this superstar who was once sought after by fans across the United States still wants to give his best for the dream of championship.

Not only is he back, he wants to compete for the starting job.

Maravich can play two guard positions. If he wants to compete for the starting position, he has two opportunities. The starting number one position belongs to Archibald, and the starting number two position belongs to John Long. The team made another trade during the offseason.

Now comes Randy Smith, and the competition is even fiercer.

Maravich is in a tough competitive environment. He is very strong and his competitive status is booming. Even if he cannot enter the starting lineup, he can create a lot of unexpected value for the team. Last season, when Archibald, Maravich

When Lavezzi and Bird are on the court at the same time, the Celtics' positional warfare offense is pleasing to the eye.

They don't need tactics, they can make tricks with the ball just by looking at each other.

Life was not always good for Maravich, and suddenly, Fitch vented all his anger on him.

He called Maravich a "long-haired freak" and a "leper."

Harshly asking Maravich to do something he can no longer do.

K.C Jones was sad to see Fitch treat Maravich like that.

"Pete works hard both offensively and defensively, and he shouldn't be treated like that." This is what K.C said to Louis.

He wants Louis to stop Fitch.

But Louis could see that Fitch was picking on Maravich purely to vent his personal anger, not because he didn't like Maravich. Maravich was wronged, but he is one of the few people on this team.

A rootless tree.

The Celtics won him in a bidding war with the 76ers last season. He is an immediate force, a mercenary, and is here to help the team compete for the championship. There are no friends of his here, maybe Cowens is one.

But Cowens himself is a thorn in Fitch's side, so how can he protect him?

Louis didn't act, like the others who had become accustomed to Fitch's brutality.

As training camp came to an end, Maravich felt he could no longer withstand the pressure Fitch put on him.

He made a call to Jeff Judkins SG, who had been nearly drafted by the Celtics a few years earlier.

The two were teammates in Utah.

Maravich told his old teammates that he was ready to retire.

This shocked Judkins, because Maravich is a championship-level team, and after strengthening in the offseason, the Celtics have a good chance of winning the championship in the new season.

Becoming an NBA champion is Maravich's dream, how could he give up halfway here?

The desperate Maravich said what Judkins later relayed to a Sports Illustrated reporter: "You don't understand, that guy has taken basketball out of my soul and I don't like playing basketball anymore."

Maravich is not the first player to have such thoughts about Fitch. Bird, who highly admired Fitch, admitted after retiring that if Fitch had been coaching the Celtics, he would have quit after his rookie contract ended.

Find a way to transfer.

After that day, I had a difficult morning.

Fitch presided over a very intense game. Sampson performed so well in this game that no one could stop his attack.

Maravich quietly came to Louis and informed him of his decision: "Lu, this will be the last training session I participate in. I am retiring."

"Wait, Pete!"

Louis didn't expect that Fitch could really push him to the point where he couldn't stand it.

"Think about it again?" Louis knew that there was not much he could do.

Maravich smiled miserably and said: "I have never had a happy day here."

Maravich informed Louis of his decision because the young kid was the only one on the Celtics who showed any concern for him.

Louis can't change Fitch's iron-fisted style, but he will find ways to relieve everyone's pressure.

Everyone is grateful to him, including Maravich.

But he had reached the end and could no longer hold on.

Perhaps it would have been better to join Philadelphia in the first place, but once a person chooses the wrong path, it is difficult to look back.

Louis hurriedly informed Auerbach of Maravich's decision, and Auerbach notified Fitch. Maravich's signing was negotiated by Auerbach with great efforts, but he didn't expect that Fitch would not do it at all.

Know how to make this pistol.

Not only did he not know how to use it, he also used Maravich as a punching bag.

Finally, he made Maravich collapse.

Fitch seemed to feel that he was being too harsh on Maravich, so he asked the latter's only friend on the team, Dave Cowens, to persuade him to change his mind.

Cowens promised with all his heart, and everyone expected him to persuade Maravich to come back.

Then, something full of irony and making people laugh or cry happened.

After Cowens returned, not only did he fail to persuade Maravich to change his mind, but he was persuaded by Maravich. Like Maravich, he was robbed of the enthusiasm to continue playing the game by Fitch.

I don’t want to fight either.

When the Celtics were on the bus preparing to play a preseason game, Cowens announced his decision, then took his belongings and left the bus.

Auerbach knew Cowens didn't care what others thought as long as he made the decision.

Just like when he first retired a few years ago.

He is a willful and determined person.

The two players who will be elected as one of the 50 greatest stars in NBA history in the future are obviously at an age where they can still compete and both have the will to compete for the championship. However, they were both forced to retire early by Fitch's excessive pressure⑴.

Seeing two superstars leave the team in this way, Fitch's actions have made many people dissatisfied, but they are still burdened with the pressure of winning the championship.

In the short term, Fitch's high pressure and iron fist can still dominate the team.

But how long can this mode of operation be maintained?

Louis discovered that this guy was really Larry Brown before Larry Brown. What was better about him than Brown was that he had the attributes of a stock godfather. He could find the players he needed, had a mind for making deals, and had the skills like

Brown has the ability to bring a team out of a slump as long as he is given a bunch of players he can use.

But his methods are too rough and harsh, so they never last long.

All Louis can do is learn from it.

The departure of Cowens and Maravich dealt a big blow to the Celtics' lineup depth.

However, it also became an opportunity for Laimbeer and Sampson.

In the new season, Laimbeer will be the starting center, and Sampson will absorb part of the time that Cowens has moved. Maravich's vacancy will be filled by Randy Smith.

Without two of the top 50 players in their twilight years, the Celtics' lineup can still be said to be in its prime.

If Fitch hadn't been so capable, this team could even be said to have no blind spots at all.

⑴This paragraph is basically historical fact.