On this day in 2017, the Boston Celtics landed All-Star forward Gordon Hayward after the Indiana native penned a letter in The Player’s Tribune announcing his decision to sign with the Celtics.
Earlier in the day, his agent had denied Hayward would sign with Boston by ESPN’s Chris Haynes, but the Butler product decided on a reunion with his college coach Brad Stevens, who had since joined the Celtics in the same role.
“There were so many great things pulling me in that direction,” Hayward explained. “There was the winning culture of Boston, as a city — from the Sox, to the Pats, to the Bruins.
“There was the special history of the Celtics, as a franchise — from Russell, to Bird, to Pierce, and it goes on,” he added.
“And of course, there was Coach Stevens: Not just for the relationship that we’ve built off the court — but also for the one that we started building on the court, all of those years ago, in Indiana.”
It is also the birthday of former Celtic wing Adrian Griffin, born this day in 1974 in Wichita, Kansas.
Signed by Boston as a free agent in 1999 after going undrafted in the 1996 after an NCAA career with Seton Hall. He would play two seasons with the Celtics, averaging 5 points, 4 rebounds and 1.8 assists with the team.
Ex-Boston guard and forward Al Lucas was born today as well in 1922.
A product of Fordham, the 6-foot-3 wing played just two games for the Celtics in the 1948-49 season, putting up 1 point per game in his very short stint with the team.
