On this day in Boston Celtics history, former Celtics forward Walter Lee McCarty was born in Evansville, Indiana back in 1974. McCarty played collegiately for the University of Kentucky under future Celtics coach and President of Basketball Operations Rick Pitino before being picked up with the 19th overall selection of the 1996 NBA draft by the New York Knicks.
He played 35 games there before being traded to the Celtics with Scott Brooks, Dontae’ Jones, and John Thomas in October of 1997 for Chris Mills and draft assets, where he played for a total of eight seasons before being traded to the Phoenix Suns for a 2007 second-round draft pick.
The Kentucky alum would average 5.7 points and 2.8 boards per game in his time in green and white as a player, and would later return to serve as an assistant coach with Boston from 2013 to 2018.
Indiana Pacers’ Mark Jackson (13) puts the ball over the heads of reaching Boston Celtics’ Chauncey Billups (4) and Andrew DeClercq, far left, during the first half of the Pacers 103-96 win Sunday, Jan. 18, 1998, in Boston. (AP Photo/Victoria Arocho)
It is also the birthday of former Celtic center Andrew DeClercq, born this day in 1973 in Detroit, Michigan.
DeClercq played his college ball at the University of Florida before being drafted 34th overall in the 1995 NBA draft by the Golden State Warriors.
The Detroit native played two seasons for that club before signing with the Celts in 1997 and averaged 5.4 points and 4.8 boards per game with the team over parts of two seasons.
Elvin Hayes (11) of the Washington Bullets, drives around Jo Jo White (10) and Fred Saunders (20) of the Boston Celtics, as he heads for the basket in the second period of their NBA game at Boston Garden, March 25, 1977. (AP Photo)
The first of February is the anniversary of former Celtics forward Fred Saunders being traded to the (then) New Orleans Jazz (now, Utah) for draft assets.
Saunders spent two seasons playing for Boston after signing as a free agent in 1976, averaging 5.1 points and 2.8 boards per game with the club.
(AP Photo/Steven Senne)
It was on this day we lost Ward B. “Hoot” Gibson Jr. in 1958 after a tragic car accident cut his life short at age 36.
Born in Des Moines, Iowa in 1921, Gibson went undrafted out of Creighton and played for the (then) Tri-Cities Blackhawks (now, Atlanta Hawks) and the Denver Nuggets (as opposed to the more recent iteration) of the NBL (a precursor league absorbed into the NBA) before joining the Celtics in 1949.
Gibson averaged 3.5 points per game with Boston — rest in peace.
Dermie O’Connell made his debut on this date in a 76-68 loss to the Rochester Royals (now, Sacramento Kings) in 1949.
The Holy Cross alum scored a single point off of a free throw. The same game was also the debut of Holy Cross alum George Kaftan.
The Celtics forward put up 10 points in his first game playing for Boston.
Houston Rockets Ralph Sampson (50) goes in for a slam during the third game of the NBA Championship in Houston, June 2, 1986. Boston Celtics Greg Kite (50) tries for the block. (AP Photo)
Finally, it’s also the anniversary of the Celtics waiving center Greg Kite after five seasons with the club.
Drafted 21st by Boston in the 1983 NBA draft, Kite was a deep rotation player who never really panned out for Boston, though he became a quality bench option later in his career.
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