On this day: Heinsohn hired as coach; Embry traded for; Douglas born

On this day in Boston Celtics history, the storied franchise hired their former star forward Tommy Heinsohn as head coach. A product of Holy Cross, Heinsohn had been drafted by the Celtics as a player in 1956, the Union City, New Jersey native would play nine seasons for the team, winning titles in eight of them among many other honors.

Heinsohn retired from playing in 1965 to do play-by-play announcing (he would again after coaching) and would be hired as coach four seasons later. He would lead the Celtics to an NBA-best 68-14 record in the 1972-73 season, garnering Coach of the Year honors.

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He would win titles as a coach with Boston in 1974 and 1976 and was fired from the job after a disappointing 1977-78 season.

Boston Celtics coach Tommy Heinsohn shouts at his players to score during their game with the New York Knickerbockers in their NBA semifinals in Boston, April 14, 1972, at the Boston Garden. New York defeated Boston 116-94 to lead the best-of-seven series, 1-0. (AP Photo/Frank C. Curtin)

Heinsohn held a career 427-263 loss coaching record, good for a .619 winning record in the regular season, and won 47 postseason games while losing 33, a .588 playoff winning percentage.

He would be inducted as a coach into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015, one of only five people in the Hall as both player and coach after former teammate Bill Russell’s induction as a coach in 2021.

Dave DeBusschere (22) of the Detroit Pistons loses control of a rebound as Sam Jones (24), and Wayne Embry both of the Boston Celtics come in for the ball in their National Basketball Assn. playoff game at Boston Garden, Sunday, March 31, 1968, Boston, Mass. Looking on is Jimmy Walker (24) of the Pistons. (AP Photo)

It was also on this date that former Celtic center Wayne Embry was traded to the team from the (then) Cincinnati Royals (now, Sacramento Kings).

Embry had retired from the game to focus on his soda distribution business but was talked out of remaining retired from the sport by Boston’s Bill Russell.

Former Milwaukee Bucks center Wayne Embry looks over the trophy on December 20, 1969, made from his basketball shoe last night as Boston Celtics played Milwaukee Bucks at Milwaukee. Embry was honored for his leadership contributions to the Bucks’ first year. He was in Milwaukee working for a Boston radio station. (AP Photo)

The Springfield, Ohio native would win a title with the Celtics in 1968, playing two seasons for the team before being drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1968 NBA expansion draft held to populate that team and the Phoenix Suns.

Embry would put up 5.8 points and 4.1 rebounds per game as a Celtic.

Boston Celtics guard Sherman Douglas, center, is sandwiched by Orlando Magics Donald Royal (14) and Nick Anderson during the first half of the Eastern Conference first-round playoffs at Orlando, Fla., April 28, 1995. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)

It is also the birthday of former Boston point guard Sherman Douglas.

Born this day in 1966 in Washington D.C., Douglas played collegiately at Syracuse before being drafted 28th overall by the Miami Heat in the 1989 NBA draft.

Boston Celtics guard Sherman Douglas (20) runs into the outstretched arm of Milwaukee Bucks forward Marty Conlon as Douglas makes his move to the hoop during second-quarter action of their NBA contest in Boston Friday night, Nov. 3, 1995. The Bucks and the Celtics opened their 1995 regular season in Boston on Friday night. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)

Douglas would be traded to the team for Brian Shaw in 1992 and played parts of five seasons with the team between then and 1995 when he would be traded to the Milwaukee Bucks for Todd Day and Alton Lister.

The D.C. native averaged 11.1 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game as a Celtic.

Sep 15, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Miami Heat center Meyers Leonard (0) holds onto the ball while defended by Boston Celtics forward Grant Williams (12) during the first half in game one of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2020 NBA Playoffs at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

It was on this date in 2020 that the Celtics lost Game 1 of the 2020 Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat in the Orlando Bubble, held at Disney’s Wide World of Sports complex due to an ongoing pandemic.

The 117-114 loss was punctuated by a brutal rejection of Celtics star forward Jayson Tatum at the rim by Heat big man Bam Adebayo.

Sep 15, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) goes up for a shot past Miami Heat forward Bam Adebayo (13) during the first half in game one of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2020 NBA Playoffs at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

“Bam. That seals the game for us,” Butler said after the game via the AP. “I love how he does any and everything that you ask him to do. I really do.”

“You ask him to pass the ball, he does that. Score, he does that. Come up with a huge defensive stop, block, he does that. He’s a huge part to our winning. I’ve been saying it all year long and I’ll repeat it again.”

David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

A year later, the Celtics traded Kris Dunn, Carsen Edwards, and draft assets for Memphis Grizzlies big man Juancho Hernangomez.

The star of the Netflix “Hustle” film was not long for Boston, however, with the Madrid native playing just 18 games for the Celtics before he would be dealt to the San Antonio Spurs in a three-team deal.

He averaged 1.1 points and 1.4 rebounds per game with the team.

Phil Farbman (1948-49): Farbman played 21 games for the Celtics. pic.twitter.com/ekmpAqArRa

— Celticsupercollector (@CeltiCollector) April 18, 2022

Finally, it is also the date that we lost forward Phil Farbman in 1996. Born in Brooklyn, New York in 1924, Farbman played his college ball for City College of New York and joined the (then) Philadelphia Warriors (now, Golden State Warriors for 27 games of the 1948-49 season.

That January, his rights were dealt to the Celtics for cash, and he finished the season — his sole in the Basketball Association of America (BAA – a predecessor league of the NBA) — playing 21 games for Boston.

He averaged 3.4 points and just under a rebound per game over that stretch — rest in peace.

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