Bird made a Hall of Famer’s share of great shots in his career, but in Celtics lore he might be best remembered for his steal in the final seconds of the fifth game of the 1987 Eastern Conference finals against Detroit. He swiped Isiah Thomas’ inbounds pass under Boston’s basket and fed Johnson for the winning layup.

“He was one of those guys who just willed his team to win,” former Los Angeles Lakers forward Kurt Rambis said. “He was such a integral cog of the success that the Celtics had.”

Boston went on to beat Detroit in seven games but lost to the Lakers in the NBA finals. It was the third matchup between the cross-country rivals in four years, and it would be Boston’s last run at a title in what has now grown to more than two decades.

“It seems like just yesterday when D.J. made the shot against Detroit that allowed our Celts to go to the championship against the Lakers,” U.S. Sen. John Kerry said in a statement. “DJ brought more than trophies and triumph to Boston. He helped define one of the Golden Ages in Celtics history. It is a tragedy he was taken from us so young.”

Johnson retired in 1990 and worked as a scout and an assistant coach. He sought work as an NBA head coach, but the closest he came was as the interim boss of the Los Angeles Clippers at the end of the 2002-03 season when Alvin Gentry was fired.

“Red always told me that he’d make a hell of a coach,” said Volk, who took over as GM from Auerbach in 1984. “He was very analytical about the game. He approached the game intellectually and strategically. He had a lot of basketball ability, but he was first and foremost an intelligent player.”

Johnson went 8-16 in his Clippers audition and never got another shot as an NBA head coach. Soon after he was promoted, though, he found himself in Boston to play the Celtics, working out in their practice facility under the championship banners he helped win and another with his retired No. 3.

“You see that banner up there; you see that number? I did that,” he said to his players, a couple of rookies who might not have known. “As soon as I walked in, the feelings all came back to me. The Boston Celtic feelings. I’ve never had a bad day here. It is the best.”

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