On this day in Boston Celtics history, the team waived Croatian big man Dino Radja to make way for new head coach and team president Rick Pitino’s vision for the team in 1997 after Pitino assumed the roles of both team president and head coach.
Radja had been with the Celtics for four seasons after being drafted 40th overall by Boston in the 1989 NBA draft. He did not immediately join the team, however. His Yugoslavian club, Jugoplastika, fought in court to keep his rights to the end of his contract with them, which was followed by a stint with an Italian team.
He finally joined the Celtics in July 1993, but the injuries sustained toward the end of his first deal with Boston and the incoming new regime spelled the end of his time with the team. Over those four seasons with the Celtics, he averaged 16.7 points and 8.4 rebounds per game.
