Amherst coach Hixon to retire after 42 years

On this day 26 years ago, Michael Jordan made six straight 3s in an NBA Finals game against the Portland Trail Blazers. After the sixth make, we got one of the most iconic moments in the history of basketball. As if the greatest basketball player ever needed it, Jordan had extra motivation to dominate the Blazers in that series. Portland’s best player was Clyde Drexler, who, at the time, was considered one of Jordan’s rivals for the “best player in the league� title. That didn’t sit well with the ultra-competitive Jordan. Not at all. And he made it his personal mission to destroy Drexler — both mentally and physically — during the series. David Halberstam wrote about Jordan’s fixation with embarrassing

After Brad Stevens led the Butler Bulldogs to consecutive NCAA Div. 1 Championship games, Danny Ainge knew he was something special. So special, in fact, the Boston Celtics president of basketball operations referred to Stevens as the best coach in college basketball in 2010 to co-owner Steve Pagliuca, per Boston.com’s Nicole Yang. After the head coach spot became vacant after the 2013 season, Ainge, Pagliuca, along with assistant general manager Mike Zarren and team owner Wyc Grousbeck, went to Indiana to visit Stevens at his home. He told the four of them he loved Boston for its “extensive basketball history� and voiced confidence he could be a difference-maker for the team. There was, however,