On this day in Boston Celtics history, point guard Kenneth Herman Rollins joined the team as a free agent in 1952. Rollins was a product of the University of Kentucky who competed for the United States in the 1948 London Olympics, winning a gold medal.
Before joining the Celtics, the Charleston, Missouri native had played for two professional clubs. Rollins had previously played for the Chicago Stags in the Basketball Association of America (BAA – a predecessor league of the NBA) until they folded at the end of the 1949-50 season, and after that, the Louisville Alumnites of the National Professional Basketball League in their sole 1950-51 season.
Rollins, the older brother of (then) Philadelphia (now, Golden State) Warriors 1956 NBA draft selection Phil, would take the 1951-52 season off from basketball altogether.
Rollins would return to the sport with Boston on this date in 1952, playing a total of 43 games with the Celtics before retiring from the sport for good in 1953.
He averaged 2.3 points, 1 rebound, and 1.1 assists per game over that stretch.
It is also the date the Celtics waived former Boston big man Todd Mundt.
The Memphis product joined the team as a late-season add in April of 1996 and played just nine games with the franchise, over which he logged 0.7 points and 0.3 rebounds per game.
Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi
YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ
