Expert: Fabio Anderle - 6/10/2008

Question
I am 63 years old and a Philadelphian.  I need help in settling an argument...but I need a REAL OLD TIMER to help me ! I INSIST that back in the 50s, the Celtics court at the Garden had GREEN BASKETBALL RIMS.  I recall some Sport Magazine photos clearly showing these when I was a kid, but I can't PRODUCE any now !  Could you PLEASE find out if this is true or direct me to someone ELSE who could recall something THIS obscure?

Answer
Stan,

I am sorry but in my personal archives I haven't found any photo supporting your opinion. I asked to other Celtics experts too, and didn't find any conclusive evidence of green rims. I am sure that in the late 50's and in the 60's the Boston Garden's rims were painted in orange. About the early 50's all I found were black and white photos with seemingly light rims, which probably were orange too.
The only photo I saw which seemed to somewhat support your opinion is a photo of Chuck Connors (who played in Boston in the late Fourties) wielding a rim which is too dark to be orange.
Sorry, Stan, I even called up the cavalry, but nor the Celtics "old timers" nor the photos in my archive showed any evidence of rims painted green in the Fifties.


Fabio