Tag: glenn mcdonald

On this day: Ford trade; Minor signs; Hankinson, Stacom, McDonald, Maxwell, Downing debuts; Mangurian passes

On this day in Celtics history, Boston traded for Chris Ford, former owner Harry Mangurian passed and several players debuted for the team.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, shooting guard Chris Ford was traded to the team from the Detroit Pistons with draft assets for Earl Tatum in 1978. Ford, a product of the Villanova Wildcats, was taken by the Pistons with the 17th overall pick of the 1972 NBA draft after spending four seasons with his college alma mater.

He played for Detroit for seven seasons before he was dealt to the Celtics, developing a long-range shot he would eventually use to sink the first 3-pointer in NBA history, even if it wasn’t used anywhere near as often as it is today.

In a neat wrinkle of history, the 3 came in the same game Boston icon Larry Bird made his NBA debut in 1979.

Every player in Boston Celtics history who wore No. 30

Today’s installment focuses on the 14 players who wore No. 30 over the years as of August 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 14 players who wore No. 30 over the years as of August 2023.

On this day: Larry Bird wins his 3rd MVP; Celtics trade Chuck Cooper

Boston Celtics wing Chuck Cooper was traded to the Milwaukee Hawks on this day, the same day Larry Bird won his 3rd and final MVP award.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, the team sold the contract of small forward Chuck Cooper to the (then) Milwaukee (now, Atlanta) Hawks in 1953. Cooper, a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, had been drafted by the Celtics out of Duquesne in the 1950 NBA draft with the 14th pick.

With that selection, the future Hall of Fame wing became the first African American drafted into the league and one of the first to play in the NBA. Legendary head coach and general manager Red Auerbach famously said of the pick at the time: “I don’t give a damn if he’s striped, plaid or polka dot. Boston takes Charles Cooper of Duquesne.”

He played four seasons with Boston under team president and coach Red Auerbach, averaging 6.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game in his time with the franchise.