On this day in Celtics history, iconic big man Bill Russell was born, as was center Scott Pollard on a day the team traded for Bob McAdoo.
On this day in Boston Celtics history in 1934 in West Monroe, Louisiana, one of the game’s all-time greats was born: legendary Celtics Hall of Fame big man William “Bill” Fenton Russell.
Widely considered one of the greatest frontcourt players to ever play the game, Russell was renowned for his unearthly defensive skills and timing, especially rebounding and shot-blocking. To this day, he is still in second place for both total rebounds and rebounds per game in the NBA with 21,620, and along with Wilt Chamberlain, is one of two players to ever have over 50 rebounds in a game.
He’s also one of only seven players to win Olympic Gold, an NCAA championship.
No team in NBA history has produced more. How many can you name?
With Boston Celtics Hall of Fame Paul Pierce officially part of the incoming 2021 class and big man Kevin Garnett getting his formal induction into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame in May 2021 — nearly a year after getting the nod due to the pandemic — all three members of the so-called “new Big Three” of KG, Pierce and Ray Allen have been ensconced in what serves as the Valhalla of basketball.
But they are far from the only Celtics so honored. In fact, there is a veritable host of Boston legends populating the Hoop Hall in Springfield, Massachusetts, just a short drive away from the NBA’s titletown. The Celtics have more players than any other team in league history.
Let’s take a look at the 40 Celtics who have been honored with a Hall of Fame induction.
Kevin Garnett's grandmother once got out a shotgun when a recruiter tried to bribe him https://t.co/v3XM1oyfol
A couple of hours down the Mass Pike in Springfield, no fewer than four dozen players, coaches, and contributors with ties to the Celtics franchise have been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame over the years, spanning the decades from the first years of the storied ball club’s existence up to the team’s last era of contention.
Below, Celtics Wire celebrates the 49 members of the Hall of Fame with Celtics connections in a photo gallery.
Damon and Mark Wahlberg, sitting courtside with floor seats, were enthusiastically cheering for the Celtics when Jackson lost his cool and shouted at them https://t.co/eASRHKFXMU
On this day in 2000, Boston Celtics icon Paul Pierce narrowly survived being stabbed 11 times in his face, neck, and back – only to return and play all 82 games that season.
On this day in Boston Celtics history, Hall of Fame Celtics champion small forward Paul Pierce was nearly stabbed to death in a Boston nightclub 22 years ago today.
The University of Kansas standout was taken by the Celtics with the 10th pick of the 1998 NBA draft and was poised to return for his third season in the league when he was stabbed 11 times in the face, neck, and chest at the popular “Buzz Club” in the city of Boston’s Theater District. Teammate Tony Battie saved Pierce’s life, quickly rushing the Los Angeles native to a nearby hospital to treat his wounds.
There, Pierce underwent emergency surgery that likely saved his life.
A look back at Bob McAdoo, who was the final piece the Lakers needed in the early 1980s to become “Showtime.”
In this ongoing series, we will take a trip to yesteryear to highlight some Los Angeles Lakers players whom some fans may have forgotten. These players didn’t get the billing that some others enjoyed, but they were very instrumental to the Lakers’ success.
In the 1970s, Bob McAdoo was a legitimate NBA superstar, but his stock declined toward the end of the decade, and in the early 1980s it looked like his career may have been over. But the Lakers took a flyer on him, and it turned out to be a decision that helped them go from a one-hit wonder to “Showtime.”
Today’s installment focuses on the 29 players who wore No. 11 over the years as of September 2023.
The Boston Celtics have more retired jerseys than any other team in the NBA, but that doesn’t mean the rest of their jerseys have little history of interest tied to them.
In fact, with 17 titles to their name and decades of competitive basketball played in them, their unretired jersey numbers pack in some of the most history not hanging from the rafters of any team in the league. To that end, we have launched our accounting of that history, with every player in every jersey worn by more than one Celtics player in the storied franchise’s history accounted for.
Today’s installment focuses on the 29 players who wore No. 11 over the years as of September 2023.
Ainge started his athletic journey as a multi-sport athlete in high school, excelling in basketball, football, and baseball. https://t.co/4PnH3CVgoh
On this day, the Boston Celtics traded away big man Bob McAdoo and forward Cedric Maxwell to the Pistons and Clippers, respectively.
On this day in Boston Celtics history, the storied franchise traded away Hall of Fame big man Bob McAdoo. His tenure with the Celtics was a short and awkward one. McAdoo did not want to play for Boston, and team general manager Red Auerbach nearly quit his job after owner John Y. Brown used multiple draft picks to secure McAdoo’s services.
The Celtics already had a future Hall of Fame center — Dave Cowens — who was also the head coach, so Brown’s meddling very nearly became a serious disaster. Red decided to stay and McAdoo was traded as compensation for Boston signing future coach and general manager M.L. Carr as a player.
Ironically, Boston ended up getting back the draft assets that would be used to get both Kevin McHale and Robert Parish.
On this day in 2000, former Celtic short-timer Bob McAdoo was inducted into the Hall of Fame, and the Red Claws became the Maine Celtics.
On this day in Boston Celtics history, former Celtics forward Bob McAdoo was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame alongside Detroit Pistons point guard Isiah Thomas and several others in 2000.
McAdoo was, at best, a reluctant Celtic, traded to the franchise from the New York Knicks. He was concerned about the racial climate of the city, which had a reputation for being particularly hostile to African Americans. Conversely, team president Red Auerbach had not been consulted on the deal by ownership and nearly quit as a result. But all parties stuck it out for six months, and McAdoo was dealt to the Detroit Pistons for draft assets.
McAdoo played 20 games for Boston, averaging 20.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 2 assists per game with the franchise.
There is no better person to ask than someone who was actually on those teams playing the games, and NBA legends Bob McAdoo, Michael Cooper, and Cedric Maxwell did just that.
Which NBA conference was the better of the two in the 1980s? The league’s Eastern Conference had the Boston Celtics of course, as well as the Bad Boy Detroit Pistons, and at different parts of the decade, dangerous New York Knicks and Chicago Bulls teams.
The Western Conference had the Los Angeles Lakers, the Houston Rockets, Utah Jazz, and Seattle SuperSonics (today’s Oklahoma City Thunder for you younger fans) as a few examples, with the Lakers and the Celtics dominating the postseason runs of the early to mid-1980s in particular. There is no better person to ask than someone who was actually on those teams playing the games, and NBA legends Bob McAdoo, Michael Cooper, and Cedric Maxwell got together to talk it over for the CLNS Media “History and Legends” YouTube channel in a recent clip.
Take a look at the video embedded below to hear their perspective on whether it was the East or the West reigning supreme in the eighties.
On this day in Celtics history, iconic big man Bill Russell was born, as was center Scott Pollard on a day the team traded for Bob McAdoo.
On this day in Boston Celtics history in 1934 in West Monroe, Louisiana, one of the game’s all-time greats was born: legendary Celtics Hall of Fame big man William “Bill” Fenton Russell.
Widely considered one of the greatest frontcourt players to ever play the game, Russell was renowned for his unearthly defensive skills and timing, especially rebounding and shot-blocking. To this day, he is still in second place for both total rebounds and rebounds per game in the NBA with 21,620, and along with Wilt Chamberlain, is one of two players to ever have over 50 rebounds in a game.
He’s also one of only seven players to win Olympic Gold, an NCAA championship.
