On this day: Pitino hired; DJ retired; 1968 expansion draft takes 3 Cs

On this day, Rick Pitino was hired as head coach and team president of the Boston Celtics, Dennis Johnson retired, and 3 Cs were taken in the ’68 expansion draft.

The 1968 NBA Expansion Draft was held today, in which Boston lost several players of note to help populate the rosters of the newly-formed Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns.

All three players taken from the Celtics were drafted by the Bucks, starting with wing Tom Thacker.

A former NCAA and NBA champion with Cincinnati and Boston respectively, Thacker chose to play in the ABA instead of reporting to Milwaukee, winning an ABA championship with the Indiana Pacers.

Thacker averaged 4.2 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game in his sole season with the Celtics.