Tag: jeff judkins

On this day: Celtics Paul Pierce, Doc Rivers, Jermaine O’Neal born; John Havlicek jersey retired

On this day, Boston Celtics alumni Paul Pierce, Doc Rivers, and Jermaine O’Neal were born, and John Havlicek’s jersey was retired.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, franchise icon small forward Paul Pierce was born in Oakland, California in 1977. A product of the University of Kansas, Pierce somehow managed to slip to be taken 10th overall by the Celtics in the 1998 NBA draft, joining a moribund Boston team that had fallen from its former glory.

Pierce would make the All-Rookie First Team in his inaugural season, and quickly cemented his status as a star on the rise. He would make his first All-Star team in 2002, two seasons after a stabbing incident in a local nightclub nearly cost him his life.

Famously, it somehow did not cause him to miss even a single game of that season, however.

Every player in Boston Celtics history who wore No. 32

Today’s installment focuses on the four players who wore No. 32 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 four players who wore No. 32 over the years as of August 2023.

On this day: Robert Parish, pick used for Kevin McHale traded for; Bird, Ainge drafted

Today saw the deal for Robert Parish and Kevin McHale and the drafts that brought Larry Bird and Danny Ainge to the Boston Celtics go down.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, President of Basketball Operations Red Auerbach pulled off one of the most lopsided trades in NBA history in 1980. Auerbach dealt a pair of first-round picks used to select big man Joe Barry Carroll and center Rickey Brown to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for big man Robert Parish and the draft pick used to select Kevin McHale.

In one fell swoop, Boston’s head honcho scooped up two-thirds of one of the greatest frontcourts ever assembled. Forward Larry Bird, who had already been drafted, completed the trio that win titles together in 1981, 1984, and 1986.

It is also the anniversary of the 1978 NBA draft, in which the Celtics took three players of note.

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.

On this day: Cowens drafted; Hollins signed; Hayward, Forte, Judkins born

On this day in Celtics history, Dave Cowens was drafted, Ryan Hollins signed, and Gordon Hayward, Joseph Forte, and Jeff Judkins were born.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, former Celtics All-Star forward Gordon Daniel Hayward was born in 1990 in Indianapolis, Indiana. He would play his college basketball for the Butler Bulldogs under his coach for the Celtics — Brad Stevens — and would be drafted ninth overall by the Utah Jazz in 2010.

He would make his first All-Star appearance with that team in 2017 before leaving in free agency to join Boston that same year, where he would average 13.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists over three seasons with the team despite a career-changing ankle injury sustained just minutes into his career with the team.

Hayward would leave to join the Charlotte Hornets in free agency in November 2020.

On this day: Parish, McHale’s pick traded for; Bird, Ainge drafted

Today saw the deal for Robert Parish and Kevin McHale and the drafts that brought Larry Bird and Danny Ainge to the Boston Celtics go down.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, President of Basketball Operations Red Auerbach pulled off one of the most lopsided trades in NBA history in 1980. Auerbach dealt a pair of first-round picks used to select big man Joe Barry Carroll and center Rickey Brown to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for big man Robert Parish and the draft pick used to select Kevin McHale.

In one fell swoop, Boston’s head honcho scooped up two-thirds of one of the greatest frontcourts ever assembled. Forward Larry Bird, who had already been drafted, completed the trio that win titles together in 1981, 1984 and 1986.

It is also the anniversary of the 1978 NBA draft, in which the Celtics took three players of note.