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Kevin Edward McHale (born December 19, 1957) is an American former professional basketball player, coach and analyst who played his entire professional career for the Boston Celtics. He earned the nickname "the Torture Chamber" for his exceptional footwork and post skills that consistently overwhelmed opponents. He is a Basketball Hall of Fame inductee and is regarded as one of the greatest power forwards of all time.[1][2][3][4]
After a high school career in which he was named Minnesota Mr. Basketball, he attended the University of Minnesota, where he was named to two first-team All Conference teams and set many team records that still stand today. He was selected third overall in the 1980 NBA draft by the Celtics, and spent his first six seasons as a valuable bench player, backing up forwards Cedric Maxwell and Larry Bird, being twice named the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year, awarded each season to the league's best bench player. After Maxwell was traded prior to the 1985–1986 season, McHale became a starter alongside Bird and center Robert Parish, where the three formed what is often considered one of the best front-court trios in NBA history. He won three NBA championships with the Celtics in 1981, 1984 and 1986. Having already played in an NBA All-Star game as a bench player, after moving to starter he played in an additional six All-Star games, and was named all-NBA Defensive team six total times. After injuries forced his retirement following the 1992–1993 season, he was later named to both the NBA's 50th and 75th anniversary teams.
McHale began working for the Minnesota Timberwolves immediately following his retirement in 1993 (until 2009) and at different times, as a TV analyst, general manager, and a head coach. He was the head coach of the Houston Rockets from 2011 to 2015 until being fired following a 4–7 start to the 2015–16 season.
- ^ "20 greatest power forwards ever: The HoopsHype list". HoopsHype.com. November 21, 2021. Archived from the original on December 5, 2022. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
- ^ Pavlakos, Louis (January 1, 2024). "Ranking the best power forwards in NBA history". GiveMeSport.com. Archived from the original on June 22, 2024. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
- ^ Fujita, Scott (November 10, 2022). "The Best Power Forwards In NBA History: All-Time Rankings". ScottFujita.com. Archived from the original on December 5, 2022. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
- ^ Bailey, Andy (June 18, 2024). "Ranking the Top 50 NBA Playoff Performers of All Time". Bleacher Report. Retrieved June 22, 2024.