On this day in Boston Celtics history, champion Celtics small forward Bailey Howell was born in Middleton, Tennessee back in 1937. Howell, who played for the Celts for 4 seasons between 1966 and 1970, was picked up by the Detroit Pistons with the second overall pick of the 1959 NBA draft after playing his college ball at Mississippi State University.
He remained with the Pistons for a total of 5 seasons until he was traded to the (then) Baltimore Bullets (now, Washington Wizards) along with Bobby Ferry, Les Hunter, Wali Jones, and Don Ohl for Terry Dischinger, Don Kojis, and Rod Thorn.
He would later come to Boston after being traded in exchange for Mel Counts in September 1966.
Howell would win two championships with the Celts, in 1968 and 1969, part of the latter end of their dominant decade of titles in the 1960s.
He averaged 18 points and 8.4 boards in his time with the club and would spend one more year in the league with the Philadelphia 76ers after being selected and traded there by the Buffalo Braves in the 1970 NBA Expansion draft.
It is also the birthday of former Celtic center Patrick O’Bryant, born this day in 1986 in Oskaloosa, Iowa.
O’Bryant would play collegiately for Bradley and was drafted ninth overall by the Golden State Warriors in the 2006 NBA draft, playing 2 seasons there before being waived.
The Celtics dealt Patrick O'Bryant to Raptors in a 3-team swap involving Kings. C's get a future conditional 2nd rounder from Sacramento.
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) February 20, 2009
He would sign with Boston as a free agent in 2008, and play just 26 games for the Celtics before injury derailed his career with the team.
Traded to the Toronto Raptors for a top-55 protected pick, O’Bryant averaged 1.5 points and 1.3 rebounds per game with the Celtics.
Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi
YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ
