Tag: M.L. Carr

On this day: ML Carr born; Boston forward Brandon Hunter debuted; Moe Becker passes

On this day, former Boston Celtic player and GM ML Carr was born, and forward Brandon Hunter made his debut for the team.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, future Celtics player, head coach, and general manager of the storied franchise Michael Leon “ML” Carr was born in Wallace, North Carolina back in 1951.

Carr, who is one of several former Celtics players to coach the team after having played for Boston (along with Tommy Heinsohn, Satch Sanders, Dave Cowens, Chris Ford, KC Jones, and Bill Russell), played his collegiate basketball with the Guilford Quakers, an NCAA Division III school. The North Carolina native got his start in pro ball in the American Basketball Association (ABA — a competing league that would merge with the NBA in 1978).

He played with the ABA’s Spirits of St. Louis before leaving the league to play for the NBA’s Detroit Pistons.

On this day: former Boston player, coach, GM Carr waived; Heinsohn, Sharman jerseys retired

On this day in Celtics history, ML Carr was waived, and Tommy Heinsohn and Bill Sharman had their jerseys retired.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, Celtics small forward and later head coach and general manager Michael Leon Carr (more often known as “M.L.”) was waived by the team he would one day head — but not on that day in 1974.

Carr, a native of Wallace, North Carolina, would play his college ball with the Guilford College Quakers, a Division III program in Greensboro, North Carolina. Despite the Division III status of his school, Carr managed to get selected 76th overall (there were several more rounds to the NBA draft in that era) by the then-Kansas City/Omaha Kings (now, Sacramento) in the 1973 NBA draft.

But, Carr fared better in the rival American Basketball Association (ABA) draft of that same year.

On this day: McHale, Kreklow debut; Carr signs; Hollins, Battle born

On this day, Kevin McHale and Wayne Kreklow debuted, M.L. Carr signed with the team, and Ryan Hollins and Kenny Battle were born.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, Hall of Fame Celtics big man Kevin McHale made his debut for the team in 1980 in a home game blowout win against the Cleveland Cavaliers that Boston won 130-103.

The rookie power forward put up 10 points, 3 rebounds, an assist, and 2 blocked shots in 13 minutes of playing time off the bench, and shot 44.4% from the floor and a perfect 2-of-2 from the free throw line. It was just a sample of the punishing stat lines the University of Minnesota alum would soon be delivering on the regular for the Celtics as he laid the foundation for one of the best careers at his position in NBA history.

And it certainly wasn’t a debut to sneeze at, either.

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: 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: Bias dies; Carlisle drafted; Carr hired as coach; Boston trades back for Tatum

On this day, vaunted Boston Celtics draftee Len Bias passed away, Rick Carlisle was drafted, M.L. Carr was hired as head coach, and Boston traded back for the pick used to take Jayson Tatum.

On this day in 1986, Len Bias, the Boston Celtics’ selection with the No. 2 pick of the 1986 NBA draft, died just two days after his selection by the team. Bias, a highly-rated 6-foot-8 small forward out of the University of Maryland, returned home from the June 17 draft in New York City and went to a party at his alma mater.

He and several friends used cocaine for several hours, triggering a fatal arrhythmia. The loss devastated the family, friends, Celtics, and the wider basketball world. It was a major catalyst of a two-decade decline for the Celtics.

They did not win another championship after Bias’ death until 2008.

ML Carr on when he tried to talk Gregg Popovich out of drafting Tim Duncan

As you might guess, it did not go well.

Rick Pitino is a name that has not been a popular one among fans of the Boston Celtics for many years now due to the gross mismanagement of one of the NBA’s marquee franchises during his tenure as team president and coach in the mid-to-late 1990s.

At least some of the animus against Pitino may not be entirely his fault, such as the bad luck leading to the San Antonio Spurs ending up with Hall of Fame big man Tim Duncan in the NBA draft. But that did not make the job of ML Carr any easier when it became his responsibility to try and talk the Spurs out of the top pick of the 1997 draft.

“We worked very hard to put the team in position to get, potentially, the first pick,” said Carr to NBC Sports Boston. “It didn’t happen.”

On this day: ML Carr born; Boston forward Brandon Hunter debuted; Moe Becker passes

On this day, former Boston Celtic player and GM ML Carr was born, and forward Brandon Hunter made his debut for the team.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, future Celtics player, head coach, and general manager of the storied franchise Michael Leon “ML” Carr was born in Wallace, North Carolina back in 1951.

Carr, who is one of several former Celtics players to coach the team after having played for Boston (along with Tommy Heinsohn, Satch Sanders, Dave Cowens, Chris Ford, KC Jones, and Bill Russell), played his collegiate basketball with the Guilford Quakers, an NCAA Division III school. The North Carolina native got his start in pro ball in the American Basketball Association (ABA — a competing league that would merge with the NBA in 1978).

He played with the ABA’s Spirits of St. Louis before leaving the league to play for the NBA’s Detroit Pistons.

ML Carr on his time playing for, coaching, and managing the Boston Celtics

The Celtic great recently spoke about how he found his way to play for Boston with a pit stop in Israel and through it a career built around the sport he loves.

Former Boston Celtics champion small forward ML Carr was an important part of two NBA titles won by the Celtics in 1981 and 1984 before making the leap to the other side of the sport by becoming a general manager and head coach for the Celtics — in the reverse order things tend to happen in for NBA executives, at that.

The Celtic great recently spoke about how he found his way to play for Boston with a pit stop in Israel and through it a career built around the sport he loves in an interview conducted while the North Carolina native was being honored at The Tradition.

Take a look at the clip embedded below to hear what Carr had to say about that era of his life with the Celtics courtesy of the NESN Youtube channel.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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On this day: Bias dies; Carlisle drafted; Carr hired as coach; Boston trades back for Tatum

On this day, vaunted Boston Celtics draftee Len Bias passed away, Rick Carlisle was drafted, M.L. Carr was hired as head coach, and Boston traded back for the pick used to take Jayson Tatum.

On this day in 1986, Len Bias, the Boston Celtics’ selection with the No. 2 pick of the 1986 NBA draft, died just two days after his selection.

Bias, a highly-rated 6-foot-8 small forward out of the University of Maryland, returned home from the June 17 draft in New York City and went to a party at his alma mater. He and several friends used cocaine for several hours, triggering a fatal arrhythmia. The loss devastated the family, friends, Celtics and the wider basketball world. It was a major catalyst of a two decade decline for the Celtics.

They did not win another championship after Bias’ death until 2008.