Converse Fastbreak Hi "No Easy Buckets" Release Date

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Hard fouls in today’s NBA landscape are nothing compared to what they looked like in the ’80s. During that era, the NBA was a much different game — both in pace and physicality. Among the most forceful teams in the league were the Bad Boys of Detroit and the mighty Celtics. The latter, during the 1984 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers, saw its physical nature largely defined by one signature blow. That blow came from Hall or Famer, Kevin McHale.

During said series in Game 3, trailing the Lakers 2-1, the Celtics needed a spark. And although it could have come in just about any form, a forceful overture was most necessary. So, during a Kurt Rambis drive and subsequent dunk attempt, McHale landed a foul that registers as one of the most vicious in league history. Rambis and his teammates were enraged, inciting a brawl between the rival teams.

The blow to Rambis wasn’t just a brute act; it was a psychological one. Several members of that Lakers team would later credit that hard foul as a critical turning point in the series. They would become fixated on retaliation and less concerned with what put them up two games to one in the series leading up to that defining moment. The Celtics, of course, would go on to win the 1984 NBA championship. McHale was deemed the catalyst to that triumph.

As one part of Nike’s expansive Art of a Champion collection, the Converse Fastbreak Hi “No Easy Buckets” honors McHale’s series shifting play. Look for the release on May 17 at Nike SNKRS and select retailers.