On this day in Boston Celtics history, legendary Celtics small forward and future Hall of Famer John Havlicek played the very first game of his storied career with Boston in 1962.
An alum of the Ohio State’s Buckeyes men’s basketball program, Hondo — as Havlicek was sometimes called — had been selected ninth overall in that year’s NBA draft and played a major role for the team from the very first moment he played in the league, gracing the floor for 25 minutes of game time in his inaugural performance. That game happened to be a 149-116 obliteration of the New York Knicks, though Havlicek had a modest stat line in it.
The Martin’s Ferry native logged 6 points and 4 assists in the win.
Happy birthday in heaven Dan Swartz. Boston Celtics. Champion. pic.twitter.com/hRt2fV0bvt
— Honest☘️Larry (@HonestLarry1) December 23, 2020
It was the same game that Morehead State product Dan Swartz made his debut as well. Drafted by Boston in 1956, the Kentucky native had played in minor leagues for several years before joining Boston for what would be his sole season in the NBA.
It was a solid first outing for Swartz, who put up 7 points and 2 assists in 10 minutes of game time.
Happy birthday Mark Minor! You were drafted with the ninth pick in the eleventh round of the 1972 NBA draft by the Boston Celtics. Couldn’t find any media of you with the good guys but did find footage of the brawl you were part of when you played at Ohio State: pic.twitter.com/IgWP9D25wM
— Honest☘️Larry (@HonestLarry1) May 14, 2021
Exactly a decade later on this day in 1972, Celtics small forward Mark Minor debuted for the team in a 126-118 win over the (then) Buffalo Braves (now, the Celtics — it’s a long story).
The fellow Ohio State alum recorded 3 points and 2 rebounds in 8 minutes of play.
Guerschon Yabusele made his debut on this date as well, playing his first game with Boston in a 102-92 win over the Philadelphia 76ers in 2017.
The Dancing Bear — as Yabusele is sometimes called — had a very modest 3 points and 1 board in just over 3 minutes of play.
This was the date of a three-team trade in 1976 that sent veteran power forward Paul Silas to the Denver Nuggets, ending a four-season stint in Boston.
The Pistons (the third team) dealt forward Curtis Rowe to the Celtics in return.
It is the date that Boston ended Antoine Walker’s first stint with the team as well, sending the Kentucky product to the Dallas Mavericks in 2003 with Tony Delk for Raef LaFrentz, Chris Mills, Jiří Welsch, and draft assets.
Drafted by Boston in 1996, Walker would briefly return to the Celtics in the 2004-05 season.
1948 #5 pick Ed Mikan. Illinois native played for the Chicago Stags for 6 years. #dpubb #DePaulDriven #NBADraft2015 pic.twitter.com/nkry4dy0Yr
— DePaul Basketball (@DePaulHoops) June 26, 2015
On this day in 1925, former Boston Celtics big man Ed Mikan was born in Joliet, Illinois. The younger brother of better-known Los Angeles Lakers frontcourt legend George Mikan, he joined George as a member of the DePaul Blue Demons to play at the collegiate level.
He would be picked fifth overall in the 1948 Basketball Association of America Draft (BAA — a precursor league to the NBA) by the now-defunct Chicago Stags, for whom he would play two seasons.
Mikan would later play stints with a number of teams after the Stags folded before signing with the Celtics as a free agent in 1953. The 6-foot-8 Illinois native played just one season with the team, averaging 2.3 points and 2.2 rebounds per game with the team in a reserve role.
He would later serve as a supervisor for officials in the American Basketball Association (ABA) after retiring as a player.
Finally, it is also the day that small forward Justin Reed passed away in 2017 after a bout with a rare form of blood cancer.
Reed had played collegiately for Ole Miss and was taken by the Celtics with the 40th pick of the 2004 NBA draft, playing in parts of two seasons for Boston before being dealt with Marcus Banks, Mark Blount, Ricky Davis, and draft assets to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Dwayne Jones, Michael Olowokandi, Wally Szczerbiak and draft considerations.
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