On at the present time in Boston Celtics historical past, the group’s taking pictures champion and penultimate president of basketball operations, Danny Ainge, made his NBA debut for the franchise in 1981. Alumnus of the At Brigham Younger College, Ainge was a three-sport star in highschool, the place he was a first-team All-American in soccer, basketball and baseball, taking part in basketball with BYU and baseball professionally with the Blue Jays of Toronto whereas he was nonetheless at college.
He would play for this group in Main League Baseball for 3 seasons earlier than deciding to strive his hand at basketball and was chosen with the thirty first choose within the 1981 NBA draft by the Celtics. Boston after all purchased him out of his take care of the Blue Jays. He would play his first NBA sport on this date in a 109-100 victory towards the (then) New Jersey (now Brooklyn) Nets.
It was removed from indicative of how the Oregon native would carry out later in his profession with the group, nevertheless, Ainge solely scored 2 factors, an help and a rebound throughout his inaugural match with the group. Precisely seven years to the day of his debut, Ainge scored a career-high 45 factors in a 121-107 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on the previous Boston Backyard. The Oregon native scored 18 factors within the fourth quarter alone.
Otis Birdsong was a little-mentioned participant throughout his time within the NBA, however he was actually good, averaging 18 factors per sport all through his 13-year profession with the Kings, Nets and Celtics. pic.twitter.com/3JZFj9Rxg4
– Sports activities Days Previous (@SportsDaysPast) July 3, 2018
It is also the birthday of former Celtic taking pictures guard Otis Birdsong, who was on the Nets group that Ainge helped beat in a wierd coincidence. The Houston alum was born in Winter Haven, Fla., in 1955, and was chosen as a Cougar by the Kansas Metropolis (now Sacramento) Kings with the second general choose within the 1977 NBA Draft .
Birdsong would play for that group and the Nets (nonetheless in New Jersey right now) earlier than becoming a member of the Celtics for the ultimate chapter of his 12-season profession.
He would common 2.8 factors and a board per sport with the group.
On at the present time in 2011, Boston traded Albert Miralles to the Milwaukee Bucks for guard Keyon Dooling. The Missouri alum would play one season with the group, serving briefly because the group’s participant growth coach earlier than retiring to affix the Memphis Grizzlies.
He averaged 4.0 factors and 1.1 assists per sport as a Celtic. That very same day additionally marks the anniversary of when the group signed huge man Greg Stiemsma as a free agent. It was the previous Wisconsin Badger’s first gig within the league that noticed him take the sphere after going undrafted in 2008, taking part in for abroad groups within the meantime.
Stiemsma performed in 55 video games throughout the 2011–12 season for Boston, leaving in free company the next summer time to affix the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Take heed to the Celtics Lab podcast on:
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi
This text initially appeared on Celtics Wire: Celtics Historical past: Ainge Debuts; Chook tune born; Dooling and Stiemsma signed
