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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Justin Quinn

On this day: Ex-Celtic champion forward James Posey signs; Jeff Green born

On this day in Boston Celtics history, forward James Posey signed with the Boston Celtics as a free agent in 2007, adding some heft on the wing to what was already clearly a title contender after the team had added Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett in blockbuster trades earlier that summer.

Posey played his college ball with the Xavier Musketeers and was drafted 18th overall in the first round of the 1999 NBA draft by the Denver Nuggets. The 6-foot-8 swingman had also played stints with the Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies, and Miami Heat before joining the Celtics on this day all those years ago.

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The Cleveland, Ohio native inked a deal worth roughly $6.67 million over two seasons, with the final season a player option.

Los Angeles Lakers’ Pau Gasol, center, from Spain, gets squeezed between Boston Celtics’ Glen Davis (11) and James Posey during the second quarter of Game 6 of the NBA basketball finals Tuesday, June 17, 2008, in Boston. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

Posey would of course win a title with the Banner 17 crew and then decided to test the waters in free agency. He would end up pricing himself out of Boston’s roster, signing with the New Orleans Pelicans instead despite hoping to return to the Celtics.

The Ohioan would average 7.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game while he was with Boston.

April 5, 2011; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jeff Green (top) finishes a dunk in front of Philadelphia 76ers players Jrue Holliday (11), Evan Turner (12), and Thaddeus Young (21) during the fourth quarter at TD Garden. Michael Ivins-USA TODAY Sports

It is also the birthday of former Celtic forward Jeff Green.

Born this day in 1986 in Cheverly, Maryland, Green would attend Georgetown University, from which he was drafted fifth overall by Boston in the 2007 NBA draft before being dealt to the (then) Seattle Supersonics in the deal that brought sharpshooter Ray Allen to the team.

Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

He would be dealt back to the Celtics in 2011 with Nenad Krstić in exchange for Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson, and played four seasons for the team, taking one of them off to address a potentially dangerous heart condition.

In that stretch, he would log 14.6 points, 4.2 boards, and 1.5 assists per game.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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