On this day in Boston Celtics history, champion shooting guard Tony Allen played his first game for the team in a 98-95 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers in 2004.
The former Oklahoma State Cowboy — taken by the Celtics with the 25th pick of that summer’s draft — didn’t have the most spectacular outing in his first appearance in green and white. However, the performance wasn’t indicative of his potential, thankfully. Allen put up 2 points on a single shot attempt and grabbed as many rebounds in his inaugural performance against the 76ers.
He was on the floor for just inside six minutes, with a single turnover and one personal foul.
It is also the date former Celtic forward Eric Williams made his debut for Boston in another close one, a 101-100 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The onetime Providence College standout logged 16 points, 6 rebounds and an assist in 20 minutes of floor time.
These two share their debut date with former Celtic center Al Jefferson, who debuted in the same game as Tony Allen against the Sixers.
It was an especially rough game for the Mississippi native, who went scoreless in 3 minutes, logging 2 personal fouls.
Happy birthday Charles Claxton! #Celtics pic.twitter.com/VowxeBnfd6
— Honest☘️Larry (@HonestLarry1) December 13, 2020
On that date in 1995, Charles Claxton debuted for the Celtics at center in a 101-100 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks in 1995 at (then) Fleet Center (now, TD Garden).
Claxton — father of Brooklyn Net Nick — ended up going scoreless as well in just 1 minute of floor time.
In the same game, Celtics center Junior Burrough played his first contest as a Boston Celtics big man.
The North Carolina native put up 4 points, 2 rebounds and a block in 14 minutes of play.
Happy birthday in heaven Hoot Gibson. #Celtics pic.twitter.com/wRYFsKmxkR
— Honest☘️Larry (@HonestLarry1) December 5, 2020
In 1949, big man Hoot Gibson debuted for the Celtics on this date, a 98-83 loss to the (now defunct) Sheboygan Red Skins.
The Creighton product recorded 5 points and a personal foul in the loss.
Happy birthday in heaven Ed Leede. #Celtics pic.twitter.com/2YxhtDzmPw
— Honest☘️Larry (@HonestLarry1) July 17, 2021
That same game was also the debut tilt for forward Ed Leede, who put up a solid 13 points and 5 personal fouls.
A Dartmouth standout, Leede had been selected by the (defunct) Providence Steamrollers in the 1949 Basketball Association of America (BAA – a precursor league to the NBA) draft.
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