On today in Boston Celtics historical past, the franchise’s iconic small ahead Paul Pierce was born in Oakland, California in 1977. A product of the College of Kansas, Pierce managed to slip in to be taken tenth general. general decide by the Celtics within the 1998 NBA draft. becoming a member of a moribund Boston crew that had misplaced its former glory. Pierce would make the All-Rookie first crew in his inaugural season and rapidly solidified his standing as a rising star. He would make his first All-Star crew in 2002, two seasons after a stabbing incident at a neighborhood nightclub almost took his life.
Nevertheless, this didn’t trigger him to overlook a single recreation this season. The Oakland native was a loyal soldier throughout the worst seasons in Boston historical past, however started to chafe earlier than new crew president Danny Ainge introduced Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett to the Celtics in the summertime of 2007.
Boston and Pierce would win their first title collectively the next season, and though this group would by no means attain the milestone once more, Pierce would accumulate ten All-Star bids, 4 All-NBA groups, and a Finals MVP amongst a number of different honors. . to go together with his banner. Pierce averaged 21.8 factors, 6 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.4 steals per recreation with the Celtics earlier than being traded with Garnett and teammate Jason Terry to the Brooklyn Nets in 2013.
Pierce shares his birthday together with his former Celtics head coach, Glenn “Doc” Rivers, who was born on today in 1963 in Chicago, Illinois. Rivers had performed basketball with Marquette collegiately and was taken thirty first general within the 1983 NBA draft by the Atlanta Hawks.
Rivers spent his NBA profession as a participant with Atlanta, the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs earlier than teaching with the Orlando Magic earlier than becoming a member of Boston in 2004, the place he would win a training title in 2008. He coached the Celtics till 2013, when he left to handle the Los Angeles Clippers – a place he resigned from to hitch the Philadelphia 76ers in October 2020.
Sharing this birthday with them is former Celtic middle Jermaine O’Neal, who got here into the world in 1978 in Columbia, South Carolina. O’Neal was a straight-out-of-high faculty prospect drafted seventeenth general by the Portland Path Blazers, for whom he performed with the Indiana Pacers, Toronto Raptors and Miami Warmth earlier than becoming a member of the Celtics in free company in 2010.
It was a tough tenure, with O’Neal solely in a position to play 24 video games within the first of his two seasons, and solely 25 extra the following resulting from wrist accidents and accidents. The South Carolinian reportedly averaged 5.2 factors, 4.6 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per recreation with the crew.
Okay, right here we go. Each day Greatest Boston Celtics from Trustworthy Larry Productions by subject. Immediately’s quantity is 33. Immediately it is Garfield Smith. pic.twitter.com/5ilRzDO5F2
– Trustworthy☘️Larry (@HonestLarry1) Might 21, 2020
Immediately can also be the debut date of former Boston large man Garfield Smith, who first performed for the Celtics in a 114-107 loss to the New York Knicks in 1970 An Japanese Kentucky College alumnus, drafted by Boston thirty second general in 1968, Smith recorded 4 factors and 4 rebounds in 21 minutes of play, taking pictures 1 of three from the sector and three fouls for a stable first recreation on the stage. NBA.
It is also the anniversary of the debut of Celtics small ahead Jeff Judkins, who first took the court docket in Boston on the identical day eight years later in 1978 in a 115-101 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The thirtieth decide in the identical yr’s draft for the Utah Celtics, Judkins remained scoreless in 2 minutes of play, lacking his solely shot try.
This date additionally marked the debut of future Corridor of Fame large man Dave Cowens, whose profession started with a 114-107 loss to the New York Knicks on this date in 1970. The previous Florida State made an auspicious debut, scoring 16 factors. , 17 rebounds and an help in 35 minutes of play throughout the defeat.
It is the anniversary of iconic Celtics ahead John Havlicek’s No. 17 jersey retiring on the identical day in 1978, worn to the rafters at the beginning of the primary season he was now not enjoying within the league . At the moment, he led the league in video games performed and was third all-time in whole factors scored.
Lastly, it was additionally on this date in 2006 that the crew traded ahead Dwayne Jones for Cleveland Cavaliers energy ahead Luke Jackson and money, with the crew waiving Jackson after the deal. Traded to the Celtics by the Minnesota Timberwolves, Jones performed in solely 14 video games for Boston, averaging 1 level and a couple of.2 rebounds per recreation.
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This text initially appeared on Celtics Wire: Celtics Historical past: Pierce, Rivers, J. O’Neal born; Hondo jersey retired
