On this day in 1997, former Boston Celtics small forward Bruce Bowen signed as a free agent with the team.
A native of Merced, California, the contract would be Bowen’s first real shot in the NBA (he had turned a pair of 10-day deals with the Miami Heat into a rest-of-season contract the season before but only played in a single game) after going undrafted out of Cal State Fullerton in the 1993 NBA Draft.
After stints overseas and in the Continental Basketball Association (a predecessor to the G League), Bowen would latch on to the Heat and then Celtics, for whom he would play two seasons.
He would average 4.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game while showing hints of becoming the fearsome defender he would later be known for.
On the same day, former Celtics center Andrew Declercq signed a contract with Boston, for whom he would play 95 games over two seasons.
The Clearwater, Florida native would put up 5.4 points, 4.8 boards and a steal per game before he was dealt with draft assets to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Vitaly Potapenko in 1999.
It was also on this date that ex-Boston big man Semih Erden was born in Istanbul, Turkey in 1986.
Selected with the 60th pick in the 2008 NBA draft, Erden would play just 37 games for the Celtics before he was traded with Luke Harangody to the Cleveland Cavaliers for draft assets.
Former Boston forward Willie Williams shares the birthday with him, coming into this world in 1946.
A product of Florida State University, Williams would be drafted by the Celtics with the 38th overall pick of the 1970 NBA Draft, and would play a mere 16 games for the team before being waived by the team that next January.
Williams logged 0.9 points and 0.6 rebounds per game while with Boston.
