Red the Accountant

When Celtics owner Walter Brown hired a young Red Auerbach in 1950, the team’s debt meant Brown could only afford to offer Auerbach a one-year contract. When the Celtics traveled, Auerbach took it on himself to manage the team’s expenses. “If Red’s cab fare to the hotel was $2.85 and yours was $3.25 because the driver took a different way, you still only got $2.85,” recalled Tommy Heinsohn.