I am curious about Dr. Leach’s long and loyal friendship with John Havlicek. Why among all those Celtic players and coaches was it Havlicek that became his closest friend?
Leach has told me that they are quite different, but I see many similarities. Both are first generation in this country, children of immigrants who had to struggle initially to make it in small town America; Havlicek in Martins Ferry, Ohio and Leach, in Sanford, Maine. Neither was a stranger to hard work and both have made their way on dedication and pure hustle.
In this post Leach discusses their friendship.
Me: You say you and Havlicek are best friends to this day. Did it all start with his shoulder injury?
Leach: Well, it didn’t start there, but I think that was certainly a factor in our friendship. I think that with the shoulder I did what was best for him, and he certainly knew that. I tried hard to get him back quickly but I tried to do it in a totally non-invasive way…with taping, where further injury to him was very unlikely.
Me: Still, This is curious to me. I mean here’s this team full of players and personalities and you wind up best friends with Havlicek. How did that happen?
Leach: Honestly, I’ve never really looked at it as anything unusual. It just happened naturally. We enjoyed talking “sports,” and I have the kind of memory that retains statistics. (Indeed. Leach could accurately remember small details in specific games that happened over 40 years prior). John and his family lived near us. Our wives got along well. It just went the way normal friendships go. I think it helped that I didn’t need his friendship to reflect on me. I didn’t want or need to use his friendship in any way. I’ve never really analyzed it, but of all the guys during those days, John was just the easiest for me to talk to. We just trusted each other and the friendship worked…and it has continued.
Me: Havlicek was such a public presence in those days. Did that ever lead to some unusual or uncomfortable situations for you?
Leach: Well, there have been some humorous events caused by his celebrity.
Me: Can you give me an example?
Leach: Sure. My son happened to be wrestling in the state championships, and John wanted to come watch and support him. This, of course, was a big event for us and the family, We were all sitting together in this crowded gym, waiting nervously for his match. Then John and his wife arrive and naturally everyone in the gym sees him and recognizes him. Suddenly, all the attention gets shifted from the wrestling to John Havlicek’s arrival. That’s not really unexpected, but the fun part for me was after the match. My son (the state champ by the way) approached us with his usual, “Hi Mom. Hi Dad. Hi John. Hi Beth” as if they’re just regular members of the family. Nothing special. And that’s the way it was with him. But I think John enjoyed that victory maybe even more than the rest of us.
Me: Any others?
Leach: Well, this has nothing to do with his celebrity, but relates just to who he is. John’s a real “neatnik” and very precise. I think you see it reflected in the way he plays. Everything had to be in its proper place. I know this because we often roomed together on road trips and did some other travelling together. On this particular occasion during the finals in 1976 we were in Phoenix, and we decided to get separate rooms. I had a tennis-playing friend there, and I was getting up early to play with him to avoid the heat of the Phoenix day.
Not rooming with John I was able to keep my room at a more normal level of messiness. On this particular morning, I got back from tennis around 8 and just threw my tennis clothes on the floor, when the phone rings. Of course, it’s John who says, “I’ll be right up to get you, and we can go get breakfast.”
In a panic I say, “No! No! That’s alright. I’ll meet you downstairs.”
“No,” says John, “I’ll be right up.”
My room is a disaster by his standards. But naturally he is persistent. That’s also just like he plays. I was not going to win this. So I run around madly, grab all my clothes, throw everything under the bed and take a fast shower. By the time he gets there, the room looks good, and we go off to breakfast.
I think it took me about 30 years to tell him that story. But we had a good laugh over it.