YouTube Gold: Satch Sanders
An unsung Celtic hero, Sanders was a real key for Boston’s first dynasty
When people think about the Boston Celtics dynasty of the late ‘50’s and ‘60’s, a lot of names come to mind: Bob Cousy, Sam Jones, KC Jones, John Havlicek, Bill Sharman, Tom Heinsohn, Frank Ramsey and most of all Bill Russell, but there were others. And one name that isn’t well remembered is that of Satch Sanders.
Sanders was drafted out of NYU in 1960 and played for the Celtics until 1973. He was a solid all-around player but Boston asked him to focus on defense, which he did for his entire career.
He was a real key for the Celtics as he was assigned to shut down players like Elgin Baylor and Bob Pettit. Playing alongside the greatest defender in NBA history in Bill Russell, not to mention the other massive talents on that team, Sanders was bound to be overshadowed to some extent. But if you asked the people he played with, they would have told you just how great he was.
This video is from the 1963 Finals and gives you some idea of what Sanders brought to the court.