On this day in Boston Celtics history, former Boston big man Robert “Bob” Anderson Harris was born in Linden, Tennessee in 1927.
Harris played his NCAA ball with the Oklahoma State Cowboys, where he was selected to the NCAA AP All-American second team in 1949. He would be drafted by the (then) Fort Wayne (now, Detroit) Pistons with the third overall pick of the Basketball Association of America (BAA — a precursor league to the NBA) draft that same year, and play parts of two seasons with the Pistons before being traded to the Celtics in 1950 for forward Dick Mehen.
Harris would play four seasons with Boston, where he averaged 6.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.5 assists.
It is also the date of a 36-point, 9-rebound game by legendary Celtics forward Kevin McHale, who put up that stat line against the Indiana Pacers on this date in 1989.
It came in a 111-99 road win over the Pacers that also saw center Robert Parish score 21 points and 15 rebounds.
Exactly a year to the day later, Boston icon Larry Bird put up 46 points, 8 boards, and 10 assists in a game against the Orlando Magic.
Also a road game, the Celtics would win 130-127 with McHale adding 30 points and 6 rebounds.
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