On this day in Boston Celtics history, champion reserve big man Brian Scalabrine was signed by the team in free agency in 2005. The Enumclaw, Washington native joined the Celtics for a five-year deal worth a total of $15 million.
A product of the University of Southern California, the White Mamba — as he was sometimes called — joined the NBA via the draft, taken 34th overall by the (then) New Jersey (now, Brooklyn) Nets, where he played for a total of four seasons before leaving the team for Boston as an unrestricted free agent. Scalabrine would play with the Celtics for five more seasons, winning a title with the team in 2008.
He would later move on to the Chicago Bulls where he would finish his career as a player. He then tried his hand at assistant coaching and broadcasting, where he still works today with NBC Boston Sports.
It was also on this date that former Celtics center Greg Stiemsma left the team in free agency to join the Minnesota Timberwolves.
He played his college ball at the University of Wisconsin – Madison and spent time overseas and in developmental league play before joining Boston late in 2011.
Stiemsma would play just one season with the Celtics, averaging 2.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game.
It was enough to get him on Minnesota’s radar, where he would play one more season of his four years in the NBA.
Today is also the day that the team sent forward Antoine Walker to the Miami Heat for Curtis Borchardt, Qyntel Woods, Albert Miralles, and two future second-round picks in 2005.
Miralles would subsequently be dealt for Keyon Dooling and additional draft assets as Walker’s second stint with the Celtics would draw to an end.
He logged 16.3 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.2 steals per game that past season.
It is also the date of Boston beating the Portland Trail Blazers 128-124 in the second game of the Orlando Bubble restart after pausing several months due to the pandemic that year.
Star Celtics wings Jayson Tatum (34 points) and Jaylen Brown (30 points) were instrumental in the win, Boston’s first since the league shut down in March.
“That was a playoff-level energy that we had to play with at the end of the game,” then-Boston coach Brad Stevens said via the AP. “This is a great experience.”
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