The Scott Wedman Interview
By:
Michael D. McClellan
|
Sunday, November 14th, 2004
The Kansas City Kings selected Wedman sixth overall in the 1974 NBA Draft, but they weren’t the only team intrigued with his picture-perfect jumper; Memphis from the rival ABA made a play for his services, convinced that his game would flourish in the league’s wide-open, three-point atmosphere. It was a tempting offer, but at the end of the day Wedman wanted to play in a more established league – and against the best basketball talent in the world. It didn’t hurt that Kansas City was close to home, and that the team boasted one of the finest playmakers in NBA history in Nate “Tiny” Archibald. An All-Rookie nod validated not only Kansas City’s faith in Wedman, who had passed over solid talent such as Keith (later Jamaal) Wilkes, but also Wedman’s faith in himself. He realized quickly that he could play with the best, and that he could do so at a consistently high level. The games became shooting clinics. And then there were those occasions when Wedman was simply otherworldly: Witness his 45-point (on 19-of-31 shooting), 12 rebound, seven assist night against the Utah Jazz in 1980. Even more impressive was that the majority of Wedman’s points came at the expense of Jazz All-Star Adrian Dantley.
Free agency took Wedman to Cleveland (summer of 1981), and thus began a short-lived, ill-fated stint with the woeful Cavaliers. In hindsight it may not have been the best move, but it did set the stage for the 1983 midseason trade to the Boston Celtics. There would be adjustments all-around – by Wedman, who had been a starter and offensive focal point for so long; by head coach Bill Fitch, who had to figure a way to fit Wedman into the rotation; and by the Celtic players, who were gaining this unknown variable in the middle of the season and were trying to repeat as NBA champions. A playoff sweep at the hands of the Milwaukee Bucks cast further doubt on the transaction, but Wedman used the summer to rededicate himself to basketball. By 1984, the Celtics were once again NBA royalty, defeating the hated L.A. Lakers for the team’s fifteenth banner. Wedman, now comfortable in the role of instant offense off of the bench, had helped turn the Celtics into a deeper, more dangerous squad. And, at long last, he was finally on a championship team.
Los Angeles would get its revenge the following season, but not before Wedman had put on one of the greatest shooting exhibitions in NBA history. In Game 1 of the 1985 NBA Finals, Wedman finished a perfect 11-for-11 from the floor. Four of those shots were three-pointers. The 148-114 rout became known as the Boston Massacre, and Wedman’s fingerprints would be indelibly linked to the crime.
1986 brought the arrival of Bill Walton to Boston, and the Celtics now had the deepest bench in the NBA. With Walton, Wedman and Jerry Sichting in the rotation, Boston rampaged through the regular season en route to its sixteenth crown. That team is still recognized as one of the greatest ever.
Scott Wedman would retire one season later, but his mark – and his marksmanship – will never be forgotten. He remains a class act in every sense of the word, a thoughtful, introspective man who has been kind enough to grace Celtic Nation with this interview. It is with great pleasure that we share his story with you.
