On this day in Boston Celtics history, former Boston big man Bob Doll was born in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Playing both the center and power forward positions, Doll played his collegiate basketball for the University of Colorado, with which he won the Most Valuable Player award for the National Invitational Tournament in 1940.
Doll played several years in the Amateur Athletic Union after college before joining the (now defunct) St. Louis Bombers, for whom he played two seasons. He signed with the Celtics as a free agent in 1948, playing two seasons for the club.
The 6-foot-5 Coloradan averaged 7.3 points and 2.4 assists per game with Boston (rebounds had yet to be tabulated).
It is also the birthday of former Boston guard Carlos Clark, born this day in 1960 in Somerville, Tennessee. Clark played his NCAA ball at Ole Miss, from which he was drafted by the Celtics with the 91st pick of the 1983 NBA draft (there were several more rounds to the draft in that era).
Clark played two seasons in a deep reserve role with Boston between 1983 and 1985, winning a title with the team in 1984.
Clark would average 2.4 points per game as a member of the Celtics before moving on to a successful overseas career.
It is also the date in 2009 that the team re-signed big man Glen Davis to a two-year, $6.5 million contract.
“Glen has been a big part of our success for the past two years and we are very excited to have him back,” said Danny Ainge via a release from the team.
Davis spent 4 seasons with the Celtics, over which he averaged 7.6 points and 4.1 rebounds per game, winning a title with the team in 2008.
One year later in 2010, the team waived veteran forward Rasheed Wallace on this date after agreeing to a buyout so the UNC product could retire.
Wallace had played 79 games for the Celtics the previous season, logging 9 points, 4.1 boards, an assist, and a steal per contest with Boston.
The same thing would happen to Zoran Dragic a half-decade later in 2015, with the lesser-known Dragic brother having recently been dealt to Boston earlier that week.
Dragic never suited up for Boston, of course, with his entire Celtics tenure taking place in the offseason.
Boston big man Luke Harangody signed on this day in 2010 after being selected 52nd overall by the Celtics in that year’s NBA draft.
The Notre Dame product played just 28 games with Boston before being traded with Semih Erden to the Cleveland Cavaliers for draft assets, averaging 2.3 points and 2 rebounds per game.
Happy birthday in heaven Derek Smith. #Celtics
— Honest☘️Larry (@HonestLarry1) November 1, 2021
We lost Celtics shooting guard Derek Smith in 1996 at the very young age of 34, suffering a massive heart attack on a cruise just 5 years after retiring as a player.
That last stop was with Boston, where he recorded 2.5 points and as many assists per game with the Celtics over just 2 contests — rest in peace.
It is also the date we lost former Celtics owner Allan N. Cohen in 2004. Cohen purchased the team along with his ownership group partners Don Gaston and Paul Dupee in 1983 and remained part of that ownership group until 1993.
Cohen also served as chairman of the NBA Board of Governors and was instrumental in the creation of the salary cap.
Rest in peace.
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