“I try to give the other guy only one option….and that is over me” - Kevin McHale had a friendly warning to opposing players in 1981

The Boston Celtics had a good 80s run, although the franchise needed to undergo several periods of rebuilding. One happened from 1977 to 1978, with Red Auerbach at the helm.

The nine-time NBA champion coach buckled down to work in 1979. The first piece was Larry Bird, followed by several moves. That included taking in Gerald Henderson and M.L. Carr, who joined Nate Archibald, Cedric Maxwell, and Dave Cowens.

Despite Bird’s sterling efforts, the Celtics still fell short that season. They were eliminated by the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference Finals, a sign that there were still missing pieces in the mix.

Auerbach’s “Steal of the Century”

Auerbach wasted no time addressing that the following season. In what was dubbed the “Steal of the Century,” the Cs were able to add Robert Parish via trade and Kevin McHale via the draft.

The 1965 Coach of the Year managed to convince the Golden State Warriors to agree to a deal involving Parish in exchange for Joe Barry Carroll and Rickey Brown.

In the draft, Auerbach would select McHale as the third overall pick, forming a vaunted Big Three frontline. Those moves paid off for the Celtics that season. Boston had a good run, ending the regular season with a 62-20 win-loss record.

The Celtics’ Swat brothers

Part of the success is the defense the Celtics displayed. The Parish-McHale combo became a lethal shot-blocking combination, with both making life hard for opposing players, per the New York Times.

"I try to give the other guy only one option…and that is over me," McHale, a rookie from the University of Minnesota, said at the time.

As for Parish, he admits to enjoying the challenge of opposing players who tried to get a shot over him.

"I enjoy getting the guy when he's making a move on me," The Chief said.

McHale had a total of 151 blocks in 82 games in his rookie season. In the playoffs, he also had 25 swats. As for Slim, he would amass 214 blocks in the regular season and 39 in the playoffs.

With the frontline trio of Bird, Parish, and McHale, the Celtics would win 1981, 1984, and 1986 titles, making one of the most memorable dynasties in the league's history.

Related: "There is only one man that can guard me, and that's God" - Robert Parish shares epic Larry Bird trash-talking story