Tag: kevin stacom

On this day: Baker, Shannon born; Reed debuts; Brown passes

On this day, Earl Shannon and Vin Baker were born.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, big man Vincent Lamont “Vin” Baker was born in Lake Wales, Florida back in 1971. Baker played his college ball at the University of Hartford in nearby Connecticut, where he won America East Player of the Year in 1993 before being selected with the eighth overall pick by the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA draft that same year.

The future Celtic would make the 1994 NBA All-Rookie First Team in his inaugural season in the league, and play stints with the Bucks and (then) Seattle Supersonics (now, Oklahoma City Thunder) before joining Boston.

That would materialize via Baker being traded to the Celtics with Shammond Williams to Boston for Kenny Anderson, Joseph Forte, and Vitaly Potapenko.

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.

On this day: Celtics trade for Willie Naulls; Kevin Stacom born

On this day, the Boston Celtics dealt for Willie Naulls, and ex-Celtic shooting guard Kevin Stacom was born.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, the storied franchise bought the rights to forward Willie Naulls’ contract from the (then) San Francisco (now Golden State) Warriors in 1963. It was the final stop in a long NBA playing career for the Dallas, Texas, native, which began after playing for the University of California Los Angeles Bruins at the NCAA level.

Naulls, who moved to California as a young child with his family to escape segregation in the southern United Statesm was shocked after being drafted by the (then) St. Louis (now, Atlanta) Hawks in the 1956 NBA draft at the local treatment of Blacks.

He later played for the New York Knicks and the Warriors before joining the Celtics, where he won three titles between 1964 and 1966.

Every player in Boston Celtics history who wore No. 27

Today’s installment focuses on the 12 players who wore No. 27 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 12 players who wore No. 27 over the years as of August 2023.

On this day: M.L. Carr signs; Fox, Boykoff, Eliason born; 1st Disney bubble scrimmage

On this day, M.L. Carr signed with the Celtics, and former Boston players Rick Fox, Harry Boykoff, and Don Eliason were born.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, small forward M.L. Carr joined the Celtics for the second time as a free agent in 1979. The first time Carr signed with Boston was in 1974, and he did not make the team, instead choosing to go overseas to play in Israel. When that stint ended, he would link up with the American Basketball Association’s (ABA) Spirit of St. Louis franchise.

After the ABA merged with the NBA and the Spirit of St. Louis did not make the cut, Carr would join the Detroit Pistons under Dick Vitale, and then the Celtics afterward.

“The whole country is looking for answers to the energy crisis; we found ours,” said Boston head coach Bill Fitch at the time (via the Washington Post’s Ron Rosen).

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: Baker, Shannon born; Reed debuts; Brown passes

On this day, Earl Shannon and Vin Baker were born.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, big man Vincent Lamont “Vin” Baker was born in Lake Wales, Florida back in 1971. Baker played his college ball at the University of Hartford in nearby Connecticut, where he won America East Player of the Year in 1993 before being selected with the eighth overall pick by the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA draft that same year.

The future Celtic would make the 1994 NBA All-Rookie First Team in his inaugural season in the league, and play stints with the Bucks and (then) Seattle Supersonics (now, Oklahoma City Thunder) before joining Boston.

That would materialize via Baker being traded to the Celtics with Shammond Williams to Boston for Kenny Anderson, Joseph Forte, and Vitaly Potapenko.

On this day: Celtics trade for Willie Naulls; Kevin Stacom born

On this day, the Boston Celtics dealt for Willie Naulls, and ex-Celtic shooting guard Kevin Stacom was born.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, the storied franchise bought the rights to forward Willie Naulls’ contract from the (then) San Francisco (now Golden State) Warriors in 1963. It was the final stop in a long NBA career for the Dallas, Texas, native, which began after playing for the University of California Los Angeles Bruins.

Naulls, who moved to California as a young child with his family to escape segregation in the southern U.S., was shocked after being drafted by the (then) St. Louis (now, Atlanta) Hawks in the 1956 NBA draft.

He later played for the New York Knicks and the Warriors before joining the Celtics, where he won three titles between 1964 and 1966.