On this day, the Boston Celtics lost three players to the 1970 NBA Expansion Draft.
The draft — the fifth expansion draft in league history — was held to populate the rosters of three new teams joining the NBA, the Buffalo Braves, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Portland Trail Blazers.
Former Celtics point guard Emmette “Em” Bryant would be drafted by the Braves after just two seasons with Boston between 1968 and 1970, with whom he won a championship in 1969.
The Chicago native holds the distinction of being one of the only players in NBA history to have been selected in multiple expansion drafts after having been selected from the New York Knicks by the Phoenix Suns in the 1968 expansion draft as well.
Bryant averaged 6.7 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.7 in his two seasons with Boston.
The Celtics also lost veteran guard Larry Siegfried to the Trail Blazers, who had been a key part of Boston’s rotation on five championship teams in the 1960s, and with the team for seven seasons.
His outstanding defense was a particularly noteworthy loss for the Celtics, and Siegfried logged an 11.6 point, 2.8 board and 3.3 assists average in his time with Boston.
Boston also saw small forward Bailey Howard selected by Buffalo after playing four seasons with the Celtics.
Howard would win two rings with Boston in 1968 and 1969, and be elected to an All-Star game in 1967. The Mississippi State product would average 18 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists during his tenure with the Celtics.
It is also the anniversary of a 120-88 blowout of the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 5 of the 2010 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals, Boston taking a 2-3 series lead with the victory.
It came with a 25-point performance from former UConn standout Ray Allen, 21 points from Paul Pierce and 18 for Kevin Garnett. “We’ve done nothing,” Rivers said via the Associated Press. “We’ve won three games but we’ve got to win four.”
While Boston wouldn’t win it all that season, they would win their next meeting, ending LeBron James’ first tenure with Cleveland on a sour note, his last home game of the season a loss.
