Six players have worn No. 54 in the seven-decade history of the Boston Celtics, and in our series documenting the best to wear each jersey, it’s the next on the Celtics Wire’s list to analyze.
Working our way from 99 on down to 00, we’re starting with the most popular unretired jerseys, those worn by at least three players over the history of the franchise to date.
Spanning the years between 1978 and 2012, there was a lot of basketball that was played in this jersey — and some of it quite good. There was one nearly-forgettable season offered up by a player wearing No. 54, though.
Let’s get that out of the way first.
Honorable mention – Larry Sykes (1995)
Poor Larry Sykes is far and away the worst of any player to don No. 54. But you can hardly blame him with but one game with the Celtics — and if we’re being complete — the NBA to have worn it in, so it’s not fair to judge Sykes too harshly.
In his sole appearance at the NBA level, the 6-foot-9 power forward out of Toledo, Ohio recorded two rebounds in as many minutes of play.
Larry, we hardly knew ye!
No. 5 to wear No. 54 – Zaid Abdul-Aziz (1978)
Donald A. Smith before he converted to Islam in 1976, Abdul-Aziz played for the Celtics for just two games in 1978. Unlike our friend Larry Sykes, Abdul-Aziz was a pretty solid NBA player near the end of his career.
After being waived by Boston, the Iowa State product would be picked up by the Houston Rockets for another 14 games, the last stop in the Brooklyn native’s NBA career.
He did log 4 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game over his very brief Celtics tenure, though — good enough for fifth all-time to wear No. 54.
No. 4 to wear No. 54 – Greg Stiemsma (2011-12)
A late-season addition in December of 2011, Stiemsma was primarily a defensive specialist who was brought on to help short up Boston’s frontcourt.
The Wisconsin-Madison product, a 6-foot-10 undrafted forward, managed to parlay his stint with the Celtics into a Nike sponsorship deal and a guaranteed contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Steimsma averaged 2.9 points, 3.2 boards and 1.5 blocks per game while with Boston.
No. 3 to wear No. 54 – Brad Lohaus (1987-89)
Lohaus played two seasons for the Celtics, drafted by Boston 45th overall in the 1987 NBA Draft out of Iowa.
A native of Minnesota, the former Hawkeye was a promising frontcourt prospect for the Celtics, who would trade the big man along with current team president Danny Ainge to the Sacramento Kings for Joe Kleine and Ed Pinckney in 1989
The 6-foot-11 center averaged 4.8 points and 2.4 boards over two seasons with Boston.
No. 2 to wear No. 54 – Rodney Rogers (2002)
Rodney Rogers was not exactly a Celtics lifer with only 27 games to his tenure, but he made up for it with quality over quantity.
The 6-foot-7 forward out of Wake Forest was dealt by the Phoenix Suns with Tony Delk to Boston for Randy Brown, Joe Johnson, Milt Palacio and draft assets in February of 2002, and finished out the season with the team.
Rogers logged 10.7 points, 4 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game over that 27-contest stretch.
No. 1 to wear No. 54 – Ed Pinckney (1988-94)
E-Z Ed was a six-season member of the Celtics’ roster in a time of near-constant upheaval, traded by the Sacramento Kings with Joe Kleine to Boston for Danny Ainge and Brad Lohaus on the other side of a deal discussed for the latter.
Pinckney would eventually be dealt again, this time from Boston as part of a package for the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Blue Edwards and Derek Strong.
In the interim, the NCAA champion would average 6.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per game over his 6 seasons with the Celtics, good enough for the best all-time to wear No. 54.
