On this day, the Boston Celtics lost a single player to the newly-formed New Orleans Jazz expansion team in the 1974 NBA Expansion Draft.
That player — Steve Kuberski — a big man the Celtics drafted out of Bradley with the 52nd overall pick of the 1969 NBA Draft, would go on to win two championships with the franchise (1974, 1976) during the first of two stints with Boston over his eight seasons with the franchise.
Kuberski was the last player to wear jersey No. 33 before Larry Bird did, and would return to the Celtics as a free agent in 1975 after being dealt by the Jazz to the Milwaukee Bucks, who waived him — and another short stint with the Buffalo Braves (now, Los Angeles Clippers), who also waived him.
The Illinois native logged 5.9 points, 4 rebounds and 0.6 assists while with the team.
It is also the birthday of former Boston big man Dick Mehen, who came to Boston in a trade sending back Kenny Sailors and Brady Walker to the Baltimore Bullets in 1950.
Mehen would play just seven games for the Celtics, averaging 6.3 points, 3.7 boards and 1.6 assists.
He would be traded that same season to the then-Fort Wayne (Indiana) Pistons in exchange for forward Bob Harris.
It is the birthday of current Celtic center Enes Kanter as well!
Born this day in 1992 in Zurich, Switzerland to Turkish nationals, the outspoken big man would sign with Boston in free agency in the summer of 2019 after stints with the Utah Jazz, Oklahoma City Thunder, New York Knicks and Portland Trail Blazers.
Kanter has the option to remain with the team next season if he picks up the final year of his current deal, and has averaged 8.2 points, 5 rebounds and an assist per game with the team in 2019-20.
Happy birthday, Enes!
Finally, it is the anniversary of an 88-79 win over the Detroit Pistons in Game 1 of the 2008 Eastern Conference Finals.
The Celtics remained unbeaten at home in the postseason run to Banner 17 with 26 points and 9 boards for Kevin Garnett and 22 points, 6 rebounds and as many assists from Paul Pierce as well.
“They haven’t lost a game; they should be confident,” said former Celtic Chauncey Billups via ESPN. “They have been very good here at home. We are usually a really good team; we didn’t have a good game today, but we look forward to Thursday.”
