On this day in Boston Celtics history, former Celtics All-Star forward Gordon Daniel Hayward was born in 1990 in Indianapolis, Indiana. He would play his college basketball for the Butler Bulldogs under his coach for the Celtics — Brad Stevens — and would be drafted ninth overall by the Utah Jazz in 2010.
He would make his first All-Star appearance with that team in 2017 before leaving in free agency to join Boston that same year, where he would average 13.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists over three seasons with the team despite a career-changing ankle injury sustained just minutes into his career with the team.
Hayward would leave to join the Charlotte Hornets in free agency in November 2020.
It is also the birthday of former Celtic guard Joseph Xavier Forte, who was born in 1981 in Atlanta, Georgia.
He played two seasons at UNC-Chapel Hill before being selected by Boston 21st overall in the 2001 NBA draft. Forte averaged 0.8 points and as many rebounds and assists per game in his single season with the Celtics.
He would be traded along with guard Kenny Anderson and big man Vitaly Potapenko for forward Vin Baker and guard Shammond Williams in 2002.
Ex-Celtic wing Jeffrey Reed Judkins was also born today in 1956 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Judkins would play for the Utah Utes before being taken by Boston in 1978, at the eighth pick of the second round in the same draft as Celtics legend Larry Bird.
Judkins would play just two seasons for Boston, and averaged 7.3 points, 1.8 boards, and 1.3 assists in his time with the franchise.
It is also the anniversary of legendary Boston big man Dave Cowens being drafted by the Celtics fourth overall in the 1970 NBA draft out of Florida State despite criticisms he was too small to play the position at 6-foot-9.
The Kentuckian would win two rings with Boston and make eight All-Star games in his ten seasons with the team — among many other honors — averaging 18.2 points, 14 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in that stretch.
Former Celtic big man Ryan Hollins signed with Boston as a late-season buyout after being released by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2012.
Hollins added depth to an aging Celtics bench, and he averaged 2.8 points and 1.7 boards with Boston for the remainder of the season.
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