That day at Boston Celtics Traditionally, taking pictures guard Chris Ford was traded to the Detroit Pistons with draft belongings for Earl Tatum in 1978. Ford, a product of the Villanova Wildcats, was chosen by the Pistons with the seventeenth total choose. complete within the 1972 NBA draft after spending 4 seasons along with his alma mater. He performed for Detroit for seven seasons earlier than being traded to the Celtics, growing a long-range shot that he would finally use to attain the primary 3-pointer in NBA historical past, though he didn’t was not used as usually as it’s. At this time.
In a pleasant twist from the story, all 3 entered the identical match. Boston icon Larry Chicken made his NBA debut in 1979. Ford would go on to win a title with the Celtics in 1981, and after he started teaching after retiring as a participant. in 1982, he gained two extra with the workforce as an assistant coach in 1984 and 1986.
He would function the workforce’s head coach for 5 seasons after which a number of different groups across the league. He averaged 10.3 factors, 2.3 rebounds and three.3 assists per recreation as a Celtic.
It is also the date that massive man Steve Downing and ahead Phil Hankinson made their debuts for the workforce in 1973 in a 133-102 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. Each performed for 5 minutes of play, with Hankinson having the higher debut with 6 factors, a board and an help. Downing had one level and as many assists in his humble beginnings.
It was additionally the day that winger Greg Minor signed with the workforce in 1994. A product of Louisville taken by the Los Angeles Clippers with the twenty fifth choose within the NBA draft that very same yr, Minor can be included within the draft. a commerce sending him to the Indiana Pacers. He can be launched by Indiana earlier than the beginning of the common season and was picked up by the Celtics on that date. Minor would play 5 seasons with Boston, averaging 4.9 factors, 2.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists per recreation with the workforce.
Wingers Kevin Stacom and Glenn McDonald additionally share their debut, a yr later in 1974. It was a 113-95 victory over the (then) Buffalo Braves (now, technically the Celticseven when it is a lengthy story) on the street. Each had quiet begins, with McDonald going scoreless with 1 rebound in 5 minutes of play, whereas Stacom logged 4 minutes in 6 minutes of play.
Celtics Corridor of Famer Cedric Maxwell additionally performed his first recreation with the workforce on this date, a 114-109 loss to the San Antonio Spurs in 1977. The longer term NBA Finals MVP recorded a stable inaugural efficiency of 6 factors and three rebounds with Boston.
Lastly, it is also the date that former Celtics proprietor Harry Mangurian died in 2008. Mangurian was a co-owner of the Buffalo Braves earlier than that workforce’s possession group swapped franchises with Boston (one more instances, a protracted story).
Mangurian would purchase out his co-owner (John Y. Brown) and was the only real proprietor of the workforce on the daybreak of the title contending period within the Eighties, however bought the workforce in 1983.
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This text was initially printed on Celtics Wire: Celtics historical past: Ford deal; Hankinson, Stacom, Maxwell and Downing make their debuts
