On this day in Boston Celtics history, Celtics point guard luminary Bob Cousy finished his career with the Celtics with a bang in 1963, defeating the longtime Boston rival Los Angeles Lakers 112-109 in Game 6 of the NBA Finals four that year, securing Boston’s fifth consecutive NBA championship.
Cousy scored 18 points, 3 rebounds, and 7 assists in his final game as a Celtic, shooting 8-of-16 from the floor. The Holy Cross alum played for 13 seasons with Boston, virtually his entire career apart from seven games as player-coach for the Cincinnati Royals in the 1969-70 season.
He would win six championships with the Celtics, and be elected to 13 NBA All-Star Games among many other honors over that stretch. Cousy averaged 18.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 7.6 assists in his time with Boston.
It is also the date of the 1953 NBA draft, which was held in Boston, Massachusetts. Several notable players were taken by the Celtics, including a trio of Kentucky Wildcats.
Lou Tsioropoulos was the first, a forward drafted 24th overall, and would play three seasons for Boston.
Tsioropoulos averaged 5.8 points, 4.8 boards, and 1.1 assists in those seasons.
Forward Cliff Hagan was the second, selected 13th overall, but never played for the Celtics.
Instead, he served in the military and was dealt along with center Ed Macauley for big man Bill Russell’s contract in 1956.
The third of the trio was Hall of Fame wing Frank Ramsey, taken fifth overall. Ramsey would go on to win seven championships over his nine seasons in the league, all with Boston.
He averaged 13.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game over his career.
Happy birthday to 88 year old former Celtic, Dwight Red Morrison! #Celtics pic.twitter.com/476x19krVf
— Honest☘️Larry (@HonestLarry1) April 26, 2020
It is also the date of the 1954 NBA draft, held in New York City and in which Boston drafted two players of note. The first was Red Morrison, taken out of Idaho with the 14th overall pick.
The center would play two seasons with the Celtics, recording 3.8 points, 5.6 boards, and an assist per game with the team.
The Celtics selected Togo Palazzi with the 5th overall pick 68 drafts ago. And here he is tonight, 89 years young. pic.twitter.com/OR8ErEq7Oc
— Taylor Snow (@taylorcsnow) March 2, 2022
The other was wing Togo Palazzi, selected with the fifth overall pick of the draft out of Holy Cross.
Palazzi would play three seasons with Boston, putting up 5.3 points and 2.9 rebounds per game over that stretch.
Happy birthday in heaven Phil Hankinson. Boston Celtics. Champion. Tragedy. pic.twitter.com/lnidvF4uMq
— Honest☘️Larry (@HonestLarry1) July 26, 2021
Today is also the date of the 1973 NBA draft, again held in New York, in which the Celtics selected two players of note.
The first was forward Phil Hankinson, taken with the 35th overall pick from the University of Pennsylvania.
He would play two seasons with Boston — winning a title with the team in 1974 — and averaged 3.9 points and 1.8 rebounds over his career.
The other was center Steven Downing, drafted with the 17th overall pick out of Indiana.
Downing would play two seasons with the Celtics, logging 2.4 points and 1.5 rebounds per game before being waived in 1974.
