On this day in Boston Celtics history, the team would waive center Tyler Zeller after three seasons of play with the team. Zeller was a 7-foot, 253-lb.big man out of the University of North Carolina taken by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the 17th overall pick of the 2012 NBA draft who came to the Celtics in a trade via the Cavs.
The former Tarheel was dealt to the franchise in a three-team trade that saw Marcus Thornton join Boston from the Brooklyn Nets as the Celtics absorbed Zeller into the team’s cap space to help Cleveland bring back hometown superstar LeBron James in free agency.
The Indiana native proved a lot more than a castoff player for Boston though, recording 7.1 points and 4 rebounds per game while with the team.
#TBT to Curtis Rowe and Sidney Wicks with the @celtics in the late 70s.#GoBruins pic.twitter.com/G6LIfbPw6j
— UCLA Men’s Basketball (@UCLAMBB) April 13, 2017
Former Boston power forward Curtis Rowe was also born on this date in Bessemer, Alabama in 1949.
Rowe played his college ball with UCLA under John Wooden and was drafted by the Detroit Pistons with the 11th overall pick of the 1971 NBA draft.
He would come to Boston in a trade that sent Paul Silas to the Denver Nuggets, and play three seasons for the Celtics between 1976 and 1979. The Alabamian averaged 8 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game over that stretch.
1970 Topps Basketball ABA NBA Original Color Negative. Rich Niemann FLORIDIANS https://t.co/r3jljLdDqL pic.twitter.com/v5afzXaHYf
— john edwardsen (@followbacksen) January 17, 2020
It is also the birthday of former Celtic center Rich Niemann, who played just six games for the team in the 1969-70 season, claimed off waivers by the team.
He would record 1 point and as many boards per game over that short run, moving on to several stints in the American Basketball Association (ABA) afterward.
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