On this day, a trio of former Boston Celtics were born.
The first of which is former Celtics guard Don Chaney, born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana today in 1946. Chaney would play his college ball at the University of Houston, and would be drafted 12th overall by Boston in the 1968 NBA Draft.
He would win a championship in his rookie year with the Celtics, and another with them in 1974 before season-long stints with the Spirits of St. Louis in the A.B.A., and rival Los Angeles Lakers.
Chaney would return to Boston to finish his career in 1977, retiring as a player in 1979 with the Celtics, averaging 8.7 points and 3.9 rebounds over 10 seasons with the team.
He would go on to coach basketball for 22 more years, and is the only Celtics who played with both Boston legends Bill Russell and Larry Bird.
It is also the birthday of big man Ed Macauley (born in 1928), who won an NIT championship with St. Louis before being drafted by the St. Louis Bombers in a BAA (a precursor to the NBA) territorial draft.
That team disbanded at the end of the season, and Macauley would be picked up by Boston in a dispersal draft.
The St. Louis native would end up winning MVP of the first NBA All-Star game the following season, and would get the nod five more times while with the Celtics, until the end of the 1955-56 season.
Macauley was traded to the St. Louis Hawks that summer with Cliff Hagan for legendary big man Bill Russell. He averaged 18.9 points, 8.1 boards and 3.7 assists per game with the Celtics.
Guard Brian Shaw was also born on this day, in 1966. He was drafted by Boston 24th overall in 1988 out of UC Santa Barbara, signing a one-year deal to play with the team, then heading to Il Messaggero Roma, an Italian team, for two years.
In January of 1990, Shaw signed a five-year deal with the Celtics, but informed the team he planned on laying the following season with Il Messaggero Roma.
A contract dispute ensued, and Shaw lost, forcing his return to Boston. The Oakland native would be traded to the Miami Heat in 1992 for point guard Sherman Douglas.
Today is also the day that former Celtics coach Alvin “Doggie” Julian was fired after a disappointing 47-81 record over two seasons. Julian had been a college teammate of Celtics luminary Bob Cousy at Holy Cross.
Today is also the anniversary of a pair of wins since the season Boston won its 17th championship. The first was a 100-91 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks that snapped a six-game winning streak by the latter.
Paul Pierce scored 25 points and 9 rebounds to secure the win, and Kevin Garnett added 16 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists. Guard Rajon Rondo scored 10 points and 14 assists.
Boston also beat the Indiana Pacers on this day in 2017, winning 109-100 behind a 25-point, 5-assist performance by point guard Isaiah Thomas.
Guard Avery Bradley added 18 points and 8 rebounds, and forward Al Horford contributed 15 points, 8 boards and 8 assists in the win.
[lawrence-related id=31321,31317,31296,31302]