On this day in Boston Celtics history, the storied franchise bought the rights to forward Willie Naulls’ contract from the (then) San Francisco (now Golden State) Warriors in 1963. It was the final stop in a long NBA playing career for the Dallas, Texas, native, which began after playing for the University of California Los Angeles Bruins at the NCAA level.
Naulls, who moved to California as a young child with his family to escape segregation in the southern United Statesm was shocked after being drafted by the (then) St. Louis (now, Atlanta) Hawks in the 1956 NBA draft at the local treatment of Blacks.
Buy Celtics TicketsHe later played for the New York Knicks and the Warriors before joining the Celtics, where he won three titles between 1964 and 1966.
Dec. 26, 1964 (St. Louis): The @celtics made @NBAHistory
when five African-American players – K.C. Jones, Sam Jones, Willie Naulls, Bill Russell, Satch Sanders – took the floor as a starting unit.#NBAVoices #BHM pic.twitter.com/qJKPx0bqGL— NBA (@NBA) February 29, 2020
He also became part of the first all-Black starting lineup in NBA history with Bill Russell at center, KC and Sam Jones in the backcourt, and Satch Sanders as forward in 1964.
Naulls played three seasons for the Celtics, averaging 10.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per game before retiring in 1966.
Happy birthday to Providence College and World Champion Boston Celtics’ own Kevin Stacom! pic.twitter.com/9oOzMWNbMo
— Honest☘️Larry (@HonestLarry1) September 4, 2020
It is also the birthday of former Celtic shooting guard Kevin Stacom.
Born this day in 1951 in New York City, New York, Stacom attended both Holy Cross and Providence College, drafted out of the former by the Celtics in the 1974 NBA draft with the 35th pick.
Stacom played five seasons with Boston in two stints, leaving as a free agent for the Indiana Pacers in 1978, only to see the Pacers sell his rights back to the Celtics the following year.
The New Yorker averaged 5.3 points, 1.5 rebounds, and as many assists in his time as a Celtic. He won a title with the team in 1976.
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