Today in Boston Celtics history, Dave Cowens was born in 1948 in Newport, Kentucky. He played his college basketball for the Florida State Seminoles and was selected fourth overall by the Boston Celtics in the 1970 NBA Draft, following a recommendation from legendary center Bill Russell, despite Cowens being only 6-foot-9. Cowens proved his worth by averaging 17 points and 15 rebounds per game in his rookie season, earning All-Rookie First Team honors. The Celtics' decision to heed Russell's advice was clearly justified.

Cowens would go on to have a Hall of Fame career with the team, proving Russell right and then some. He won two titles with Boston in 1974 and 1976, was named the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 1973, an All-Star game MVP that same year, eight All-Star bids, three All-NBA elections, two All-Defense teams, and many other honors in his 11-season career.

In his ten seasons with the Celtics, Cowens averaged 18.2 points, 14 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.2 steals per game.

Birthdays

It is also the birthday of Boston Celtics shooting guard Romeo Langford, born today in 1999 in New Albany, Indiana. The 2018 Indiana Mr. Basketball winner stayed in his home state for college, playing for the Indiana Hoosiers for his sole season at the NCAA level. Plagued by injury, his shot was off for much of his time with the Hoosiers, causing his stock to slide in the draft to the Celtics range, which took him 14th overall in the 2019 NBA Draft.

Despite a litany of minor, unrelated injuries, the rookie had a solid first few seasons with the team, even defending some of the league's toughest covers in short stints during meaningful minutes before being dealt to the San Antonio Spurs with Josh Richardson for Derrick White at the 2022 NBA trade deadline.

Transactions

It is also the date that the team would waive guard Chris Ford in 1982 after playing the bulk of four seasons with the team, one of them resulting in a title in 1981.

The Villanova alum averaged 10.3 points, 2.3 boards, 3.3 assists, and 1.2 steals per game with the Celtics.

Historic milestones

It was on this date in 1958 that forward Benny Swain played his first game for the Celtics, a 127-125 loss to the New York Knicks. The Texas Southern alumnus had a solid debut, putting up 6 points on 2-of-5 shooting.

Exactly nine years later, forward Johnny Jones played his first game for Boston, a 118-104 win over the (then) St. Louis (now, Atlanta) Hawks. The Washingtonian had a modest debut, logging 2 points and a single board for the Celtics.

It was also the debut date for Javonte Green, though much later in 2019 in a 112-106 home win against the Toronto Raptors. The Radford alum didn't get much of a chance to show what he could do, however, with only 4 seconds of floor time in which he went scoreless.

Gone too soon

Finally, it is the date that Celtics icon Bill Sharman left us in 2013. Born in Abilene, Texas in 1926, Sharman played his college ball with USC before being drafted by the Washington Capitals in 1950. After that team disbanded in 1951, he was traded to Boston by the (then) Fort Wayne (now, Detroit) Pistons, who took Sharman in the dispersal draft.

Sharman would play 10 seasons for the Celtics, winning 4 titles, 8 All-Star bids, 7 All-NBA team elections, and many other honors on his way to a Hall of Fame career as a player. He was also later elected to the Hall as a coach, joining former teammates Bill Russell and Tommy Heinsohn as one of just five persons so honored.