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Basketball greats honor Auerbach

Celtics legends and other great figures from the basketball world paid their respects Monday night to Red Auerbach. In over 50 years of coaching and managing basketball teams, during which he had won 16 championship titles ? nine as a coach and seven as a general manager ? Auerbach has crossed paths with many in the sport. He died near his home in Washington at age 89 Saturday night.

Larry Bird, Robert Parish, KC Jones and Bob Cousy were among the basketball legends that came, as were John Thompson and his son, John III, who brought his entire Georgetown University team. "The world thought he was tough and mean and gruff and all that - and underneath he was really a pussycat, if you knew him well," said Cousy, who played for Auerbach.

Auerbach has been an outstanding, successful coach, a tremendous scout (eleven Hall of Famers played for him) and a great person. "When you take the Celtic job and you get a relationship with Red, you realize why he won," current Boston coach Doc Rivers said.