On this day in Boston Celtics history, All-Star forward Jaylen Brown played his first game for the team in 2016, fittingly a 122-117 win over the Brooklyn Nets, the team who had dealt Boston the draft pick that would be used to select him.
The former Cal-Berkeley standout put up 9 points, 2 rebounds, an assist, a steal, and two blocks, with one turnover and two fouls in 19 minutes and 27 seconds of floor time for his debut performance with the Celtics. He shot 3-of-4 from the free-throw line and hit three of his four field goal attempts as well.
Perhaps surprisingly, Brown did not attempt a 3-point shot in his inaugural game in the association.
Three years to the date, a pair of Boston big men also had their debut — Vincent Poirier and Tacko Fall.
Poirier put up 2 points on two field-goal attempts with 1 turnover and 2 personal fouls in just under 6 minutes of play in the team’s 118-95 win over the New York Knicks.
The Senegalese center logged 4 points, 3 boards, a turnover, and 2 personal fouls in just over 3 and a half minutes, hitting 2 of his 4 field goal attempts, all from 2-point range.
While the big man duo might not have put up big numbers, both had a solid first game in the league given the short run they were given.
Celtics guard Sam Vincent made his debut for the team on this date in 1985 in a 105-100 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The former Michigan State player pulled down 2 boards and doled out an assist in his first game in the league.
It is also the date that former Celtics owner Harry Mangurian was born in 1926. Mangurian had his start as an NBA owner with partner John Y. Brown Jr. as part owners of the Buffalo Braves.
Soon after, Mangurian and Brown would strike a deal with the then-Celtics owner to swap franchises so Irvin would be allowed to move his team to the West Coast.
Today, technically speaking, the team that is based in Boston was once the Braves and the team that was the Celtics is now the Los Angeles Clippers.
Mangurian would sell his stake in the team in 1983.
5/30/1990: Dave Gavitt takes reins of @celtics from Red Auerbach, becoming the new architect of the franchise.
5/30/1991: Mike Milbury steps down as @NHLBruins coach to focus on the front office, and is all but anointed the team's next GM by Harry Sinden. pic.twitter.com/uu2MFdpTX9
— Jon Couture (@JonCouture) May 30, 2020
It is the birthday of former Boston CEO Dave Gavitt, a position he held from 1990 to 1994, born this day in 1937 in Westerly, Rhode Island.
Gavitt is of course better known for his role in the creation of the Big East conference at the NCAA level.
Gavitt shares his birthday with Boston point guard Dick Dickie. The former NC State player was born in Grant County, Indiana, in 1926, and was taken by Boston 26th in the 1950 NBA draft.
He would play just one season for the Celtics, averaging 2.8 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game with the team.
Finally, it is also the date that Celtics legends Bob Cousy and Ed Macauley actually had their jerseys retired in 1963.
The team lists a date corresponding with the first game of that season, but the ceremony took place on this date.
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