NBA: 1980s All-Decade second team

Second Team: F – Kevin McHale

1980s Resume: Nine seasons, five NBA Finals appearances, three NBA titles, two NBA Sixth Man of the Year awards, one-time All-NBA First Team, three-time NBA All-Defensive First Team, two-time NBA All-Defensive Second Team, five-time NBA All-Star, 18.7 PPG, 7.7 RPG and 1.8 BPG, 19.9 average PER

McHale might have had one of the goofiest bodies in the history of NBA, but boy did he know how to use it on both ends of the floor. When coaches want their frontcourt players to learn quality post moves, the two names that come up the most frequently are Hakeem Olajuwon and Kevin McHale. Quite possibly the greatest Sixth Man in the history of the NBA, McHale was capable of beating you with sublime footwork on one end and strong interior defense on the other.

With freakishly long arms, McHale was capable of guarding taller opponents. Thanks to his intelligent passing skills, the Boston Celtics’ offense hummed when he entered the game. His two Sixth Man of the Year awards don’t even do him justice, since McHale was an essential cog on three title teams. Other than the 1986-87 season in which he averaged 26.1 points per game, McHale was never really a dominant scorer, but he did just enough on both ends to help his team win.

Most people remember McHale by his goofy appearance or the highlight of him with his arms above his head in disbelief at Jordan’s 63-point night in the Boston Garden. But McHale had a nearly unlimited arsenal of post moves that made him unstoppable in the paint, he was a crucial defender on the other end and the intangibles he brought to the table helped make the Celtics-Lakers rivalry of the 80s truly memorable.