Tag: wayne kreklow

On this day: Red’s jersey retired; Parish 2000th block; Jefferson, Kreklow, Kleine born

On this day, iconic Celtic GM and coach Red Auerbach’s jersey was retired, Robert Parish made his 2000th career block, and Al Jefferson was born.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, the storied franchise retired legendary head coach and team president Arnold Jacob “Red” Auerbach’s jersey number in 1986.

Of course, Auerbach had given up the sport as a player long before becoming part of the Celtics organization, having played collegiately for George Washington University before the Second World War began. Rather, it was in recognition for building the NBA behemoth that won an unprecedented total of 16 titles in his lifetime as either head coach or general manager of the Celtics in a span of years stretching from 1957 all the way to 1986.

His career as an executive was and remains unparalleled in basketball and in professional sports more generally.

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. 20

Today’s installment focuses on the 31 players who wore No. 20 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, 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 31 players who wore No. 20 over the years as of August 2023.

On this day: Rozier, Billups, Mercer, Kreklow, Hunter, Mickey drafted

On this day, the Boston Celtics drafted several players in multiple drafts, including Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier, Ron Mercer, and Wayne Kreklow.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, the storied franchise took just one player of note in the 1979 NBA draft, held in New York City at the Plaza Hotel, after having traded away their first-round draft pick. The sole player selected by the Celtics that year was 6-foot-4 shooting guard Wayne Kreklow, taken with the 53rd overall pick in the draft’s third round (drafts went on much longer then than they do today).

A native of Neenah, Wisconsin, Kreklow had been playing college ball at Drake before being drafted by Boston. He did not initially make the team, not unusual for a prospect drafted so late. But, instead of being waived, he would play a season with the Maine Lumberjacks of the Continental Basketball Association (the equivalent of the G League in that era), where he averaged 9.6 points per game.

Kreklow would join the team for the 1980-81 season, helping to win a championship in a reserve role that saw him average 1.2 points over 25 games with the Celtics in his sole season with the franchise.

On this day: Red’s jersey retired; Parish 2000th block; Jefferson, Kreklow, Kleine born

On this day, iconic Celtic GM and coach Red Auerbach’s jersey was retired, Robert Parish made his 2000th career block, and Al Jefferson was born.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, the storied franchise retired legendary head coach and team president Arnold Jacob “Red” Auerbach’s jersey number in 1986.

Of course, Auerbach had given up the sport as a player long before becoming part of the Celtics organization, having played collegiately for George Washington University before the Second World War began. Rather, it was in recognition for building the NBA behemoth that won an unprecedented total of 16 titles in his lifetime as either head coach or general manager of the Celtics in a span of years stretching from 1957 all the way to 1986.

His career as an executive was and remains unparalleled in basketball and in professional sports more generally.

Ranking every No. 53 pick made in the NBA draft by the Boston Celtics

Our fifth installment of ranking every pick from Nos. 1 to 60, we compare the five picks the Boston Celtics have made 53rd overall.

Having arrived at the sixth edition of our ranking of every Boston Celtics draft pick by the number they were drafted at Nos. 1 through 60, we arrive at No. 53, which the franchise has selected at seven times in their 70 year history.

The picks made at this number began in 1963 and continued until 2017, the most recent draft Boston selected 53rd overall.

As one might be expected in this late position in the draft, there are no stars to speak of. But there are two NBA champions to speak of, and a few faces that might be familiar to comparatively recent fans of the Celtics.

As has been the case for all installments in this series, we use a rubric which values their achievements with Boston primarily, with their successes before and after their selection being used to rank players if the differences in green and white are small — or nonexistent.

With those details attended to, who are the best players selected 53rd overall by the Boston Celtics?

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