We hung out on the streets, played stickball, and did all of the things that other kids did.

We lived in Yorkville, which is located on the East End of Manhattan. It's further east than Hell's Kitchen, and back then it was the kind of place where the roaches and cockroaches were big enough to carry away small children.

I grew up in the heart of the Depression.

But as a coach I wanted to keep things from being too complicated.

I once heard that Paul Seymour said as much as winning an NBA Championship, he'd like to see the Celtics lose a game after Auerbach brought out the cigar so he could go up to Arnold and stuff the cigar in his face.

I was the original socially depraved shy ghetto kid.

Race wasn't an issue. My family was French, but Yorkville was a melting pot of races and cultures.