On this day in Boston Celtics history, point guard Arthur Lemarcus “Marcus” Banks III was born in Las Vegas, Nevada in 1981. Better known to fans of the Celtics as Marcus Banks, the former Boston floor general played his basketball at the NCAA level with the University of Nevada – Las Vegas Runnin’ Rebels, where he would be named Co-Defensive Player of the Year as a senior.
Banks would be taken with the 13th overall pick of the 2003 NBA draft by the Memphis Grizzlies but would be dealt to the Celtics in a draft-night deal that sent him and future champion Boston center Kendrick Perkins to the Celtics in exchange for Troy Bell and Dahntay Jones.
The Nevada native would nearly be traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2004 in a deal that would have sent famed guard Gary Payton to Boston.
Happy birthday Marcus Banks! #Celtics pic.twitter.com/qcBlaFIsjG
— Honest☘️Larry (@HonestLarry1) November 19, 2020
The UNLV alum survived the cut as the trade was amended due to Payton’s refusal to take a physical, however.
Banks would play a total of 180 games for the Celtics over parts of three seasons, averaging 5.3 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 2 assists per game.
It was also on this date in 1992 that former Boston big man Joe Wolf was waived by the team.
The UNC alum came to the Celtics as a free agent signing in October of that year, having last played with the Denver Nuggets.
He would appear in just 2 games for Boston, averaging 1.5 rebounds per game with the team over that briefest of stretches. He has since shifted to the other side of the clipboard with a successful career in coaching.
Happy birthday in heaven Phil Hankinson. Boston Celtics. Champion. Tragedy. pic.twitter.com/lnidvF4uMq
— Honest☘️Larry (@HonestLarry1) July 26, 2021
Finally, it is also the date that Celtics small forward Phil Hankinson left us in 1996.
A Penn product who was taken by Boston with the 35th overall pick of the 1973 NBA draft, Hankinson would play two seasons with the Celtics, winning a title in a reserve role in 1974.
The Georgia native averaged 3.9 points and 1.8 rebounds per game with Boston over that period — rest in peace, Phil.
Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi
YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ
