On this day in Boston Celtics history, former Celtics center “Never Nervous” Pervis Ellison was born in 1967 in Savannah, Georgia.
Ellison would play his college ball at Louisville and would be drafted first overall in the 1989 NBA draft by the Sacramento Kings. He would also play for the (then) Washington Bullets (now, Wizards) after an injury-plagued rookie season, and would then sign with the Celtics in free agency in 1994. Injuries continued to limit his playing time for the duration of his career with Boston, including an off-court toe fracture damaged while moving furniture that cost him most of two seasons with the team.
After only two-and-a-half seasons’ worth of games spread across five seasons with the Celtics, Ellison would sign with the Seattle Supersonics. He averaged 4.7 points, 5 boards, and a block per game with Boston.