Tag: semih erden

On this day: Celtics first game ever in 1946, MANY players, coach John Russell debut; Hal Crisler passes

On this day in Celtics history, the storied franchise played its first game.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, the storied franchise played the first game of its storied history in 1946 as it kicked off play in the brand-new Basketball Association of America, which became the National Basketball Association in 1949).

That first contest was not an auspicious one. The Celtics dropped their inaugural game to the (now defunct) Providence Steamrollers, 59-53. Boston fell to 0-1 to start the 1946-47 BAA season on a sour note that offered no hints of the many wins to come.

It was of course the Celtics’ debut for the entire team, but in that era, sparse counting stat records were kept — or even conceived of. With that in mind, let’s review the details we do have.

On this day: Smart, Walker, Fox drafted; Perkins, Banks traded for

On this day, the Boston Celtics drafted Marcus Smart, Antoine Walker and Rick Fox, and traded for Kendrick Perkins and Marcus Banks.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, the Boston Celtics selected two players of note in the 2014 NBA draft, held in Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The first was 6-foot-3 combo guard Marcus Smart out of Oklahoma State University, taken with the sixth overall pick of the draft. A native of Flower Mound, Texas, Smart fit in well almost immediately and would make the 2014-15 All-Rookie Second Team in his inaugural season with the Celtics.

Smart’s brand of intense, all-out attack frequently saw the former Cowboy banged up with a litany of minor injuries, and his professionalism and dedication would position the young guard as the “heart and soul” and unofficial captain of the team in just a few short seasons.

Still with the team, he has averaged 10.2 points, 3.6 rebounds 4.2 assists and 1.6 steals per game over seven seasons with the franchise, making the 2018-19 and 2019-20 All-Defensive First Teams.

On this day: Bowen, Declercq sign; Erden, Williams born

On this day, former Boston Celtics Bruce Bowen and Andrew DeClercq signed deals with the franchise, and big men Semih Erden and Willie Williams were born.

On this day in 1997, former Boston Celtics small forward Bruce Bowen signed as a free agent with the team.

A native of Merced, California, the contract would be Bowen’s first real shot in the NBA (he had turned a pair of 10-day deals with the Miami Heat into a rest-of-season contract the season before but only played in a single game) after going undrafted out of Cal State Fullerton in the 1993 NBA Draft.

After stints overseas and in the Continental Basketball Association (a predecessor to the G League), Bowen would latch on to the Heat and then Celtics, for whom he would play two seasons.

He would average 4.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game while showing hints of becoming the fearsome defender he would later be known for.

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On this day: Marcus Smart, Semih Erden signed; Bob Duffy born

On this day, veteran guard Marcus Smart and former Celtic center Semih Erden signed contracts with Boston, and former Celtic forward Bob Duffy was born.

On this day in 2014, Boston Celtics veteran guard Marcus Smart signed his $14.8 million rookie-scale contract with the team.

Drafted by the Celtics out of Oklahoma State with the sixth overall pick of the 2014 NBA Draft, the Flower Mound, Texas native was named to All Rookie Second Team in his inaugural season.

Crafting a reputation as one of the NBA’s most dogged defenders, the 6-foot-3 floor general would later make All-Defensive First Team in 2019.

Now in his sixth campaign with Boston, Smart has averaged 9.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, 4 assists and 1.6 steals per game over his career with the Celtics.

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