On this day in Boston Celtics history, shooting guard Chris Ford was traded to the team from the Detroit Pistons with draft assets for Earl Tatum in 1978. Ford, a product of the Villanova Wildcats, was taken by the Pistons with the 17th overall pick of the 1972 NBA draft after spending four seasons with his college alma mater.
He played for Detroit for seven seasons before he was dealt to the Celtics, developing a long-range shot he would eventually use to sink the first 3-pointer in NBA history, even if it wasn’t used anywhere near as often as it is today.
In a neat wrinkle of history, the 3 came in the same game Boston icon Larry Bird made his NBA debut in 1979.
Ford would go on to win a title with the Celtics in 1981, and after getting into coaching after his retirement as a player in 1982, won two more with the team as an assistant coach in 1984 and 1986.
He would serve as head coach for the team for five seasons, and later several other teams in the league. He averaged 10.3 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game as a Celtic.
It is also the day that wing Greg Minor signed with the team in 1994.
A product of Louisville taken by the Los Angeles Clippers with the 25th pick of the NBA draft that same year, Minor would be included as part of a trade sending him to the Indiana Pacers.
He would be released by Indiana ahead of the start of the regular season and was picked up by the Celtics on this date.
Minor would play five seasons with Boston, averaging 4.9 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game while with the team.
Happy birthday to 1974 World Champion Steve Downing! #Celtics pic.twitter.com/hmDQG3YPvm
— Honest☘️Larry (@HonestLarry1) September 9, 2021
It is also the date that both big man Steve Downing and forward Phil Hankinson debuted for the team in 1973 in a 133-102 blowout of the Philadelphia 76ers.
Both played for five minutes of game time, with Hankinson having the better debut with 6 points, a board, and an assist. Downing logged a point and as many assists in a modest debut.
Wings Kevin Stacom and Glenn McDonald share a debut as well, one year later on this day in 1974. It came in a 113-95 win over the (then) Buffalo Braves (now, technically the Celtics, though that is a long story) on the road.
Both had subdued debuts, with McDonald going scoreless with 1 rebound in 5 minutes of play, while Stacom logged 4 minutes in 6 minutes of game time.
Celtics Hall of Famer Cedric Maxwell played his first game with the team on this date as well, a 114-109 loss to the San Antonio Spurs in 1977.
The future NBA Finals MVP recorded a solid 6-point, 3-rebound inaugural performance with Boston.
Finally, it is also the date that former owner of the Celtics Harry Mangurian passed away in 2008. Mangurian was a co-owner of the Buffalo Braves before that team’s ownership group swapped franchises with Boston (again, a long story).
Mangurian would buy out his co-owner (John Y. Brown), and was the sole owner of the team at the dawn of the title contention era of the 1980s, but sold the team in 1983.
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