On this day in Boston Celtics history, Hall of Fame small forward Dominique Wilkins signed with the Celtics in free agency in 1994. The Human Highlight Film — as Wilkins had come to be called for his frequent, flashy dunks — went on to win a gold medal in the 1994 World Championship of Basketball with the so-called “Dream Team 2” before joining the team in the fall.
Wilkins would play but one season with the Celtics, putting up a very respectable 17.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game in his age-35 season, displaying an exceptionally rare high-level longevity.
After the season was over, Wilkins would head overseas to play for Greek club Panathinaikos, with whom he would win a EuroLeague championship.
On the same date in 2003, former Boston point guard Mike James signed as a free agent as well.
Previously playing for Miami Heat, the Duquesne product played 55 games for the Celtics in the 2003-04 season before being dealt to the Detroit Pistons in February 2004 as part of a three-team trade that sent Chris Mills to the Atlanta Hawks and sent Chucky Atkins and Lindsey Hunter to Boston.
James averaged 10.7 points, 3.2 boards, and 4.4 assists per game while with the Celtics.
Ex- Boston big man Nenad Krstić was born today in Kraljevo, Serbia in 1983.
The Serbian center was dealt to Boston from the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2011 with Jeff Green for Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson and would play 24 games that season for the Celtics.
He logged 9.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per game while with the franchise, his last stop in the NBA.
Former Celtics reserve guard Brad Wanamaker turns a year older today, born in 1989 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
An undrafted product of Pitt, Wanamaker signed with Boston in the summer of 2018 and became a trusted part of the team’s rotation.
He played a total of two seasons with the Celtics in which he averaged 5.9 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game.
Happy birthday in heaven Mel Riebe. #Celtics pic.twitter.com/9jmQvkUS3J
— Honest☘️Larry (@HonestLarry1) July 12, 2021
Finally, it is also the day we lost wing Mel Riebe in 1977. The College of Wooster product was picked up by the Celtics in the dispersal draft from the defunct Cleveland Rebels franchise in the summer of 1947.
Riebe played a total of 81 games for Boston over two seasons before he was dealt to the (also defunct) Providence Steamrollers, and averaged 10.5 points and 1.7 assists per game. Rest in Peace.
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