On this day in Boston Celtics history, Emmette “Em” Bryant (no relation to Kobe, if you are wondering) was traded to the Celtics from the Phoenix Suns in 1968 in exchange for a second-round draft selection for the 1969 NBA draft.
Bryant was a native of Chicago, Illinois, and would play his collegiate basketball at his hometown DePaul with the Blue Demons men’s basketball program. He would play there well enough to garner some national attention, and would be drafted 53rd overall in the seventh round of the 1964 NBA draft by the New York Knicks (there were many more rounds to the annual event in that era).
He would play four seasons with New York before being taken by the Suns in the 1968 expansion draft held to populate their roster and that of the Milwaukee Bucks, two new teams joining the NBA that year.
Bryant never suited up for Phoenix, however, with fate having other plans for his career.
The new NBA franchise instead turned around and dealt the DePaul alum to the Celtics on this date.
The former Knick would play 151 games over two seasons with Boston between 1968 and 1970, winning a title with the Celtics in 1969.
He would again be taken in an expansion draft in 1970, selected to join the newly-formed Buffalo Braves that year from Boston’s unprotected players.
Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi
YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ
