Red Auerbach once explained why he started smoking victory cigars

[El Presidente]

“The day's work is done. Worry about the next game” - Red Auerbach once explained why he started smoking victory cigars

With all the wins the Celtics racked up under his guidance, Auerbach definitely smoked plenty of cigars.

Boston Celtics legend Red Auerbach was known for winning, and his name was also synonymous with "victory cigar" for his habit of lighting one up when the games he was coaching were already out of reach.

The act was deemed as arrogant and a way of showboating against opponents. However, Auerbach once explained that he hated coaches whose teams were up big but continued to coach like they needed to score more points to get recognition.

"To me, the game was over," he said. "The day's work is done. Worry about the next game.

"So I would light a cigar and sit on the bench and just watch it. The game was over, for all intents and purposes. I didn't want to rub anything in or show anybody what a great coach I was when I was 25 points ahead. Why? I gotta win by 30? What the hell difference does it make?"

All in a day's work

Did Red deserve to smoke all those cigars? Definitely, because before doing his celebration, he had to make sure that his wards had a commanding lead.

It's unclear, though, if there was a threshold the Celtics had to cross first before Auerbach's hands reached out to a cigar.

He once shared the story of when taking his mind off the game almost backfired. Up by three with 10 seconds left, he had lit it up already when Tom Heinsohn jeopardized his victory lap. The former Celtics star's ill-advised foul sent an opponent for an and-1 play, resulting in the contest going to overtime. Fortunately, Boston came out triumphant.

The league wasn't always thrilled to see the iconic coach whip out his signature celebration. However, Auerbach argued that it wasn't different from fans smoking a cigarette, presumably allowed back in the day.

Lighting the Association to more than 1,000 victories
Of course, not every Celtics win during his coaching stint was a blowout. Still, there were probably hundreds of them, considering that Red registered 938 regular-season wins and 99 more in the playoffs.

He retired in 1966 as the winningest coach in NBA history, a record that stood for nearly three decades. Lenny Wilkens passed him in 1995 and, in tribute to Auerbach, smoked a few puffs of a cigar.

The cigar was just one of many of the late Hall of Famer's legacy. His legacy goes beyond just winning, as he also catalyzed the de-emphasis on individual accolades and increased focus on teamwork in the sport. Moreover, Auerbach was instrumental in breaking down the color barrier in the NBA, which also proved instrumental in his racking up of victories.