Today in Boston Celtics history, the team selected small forward Cedric Maxwell from UNC Charlotte with the 12th overall pick in the 1977 NBA Draft, marking their only notable selection. Maxwell played eight seasons for the Celtics, averaging 13.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. During this period, he won two championships with Boston in 1981 and 1984, earning the Finals MVP award in 1984. Following an injury that resulted in him losing his starting position to forward Kevin McHale, the North Carolina native was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for the legendary sixth man center Bill Walton.
Maxwell maintains a close relationship with the Celtics and their fans to this day, hosting an eponymous podcast and making frequent appearances on local sports media. In that same draft (there were many more rounds to the draft in that era), the Celtics also selected Skip Johnson of Wake Forest, Jeff Cummings of Tulane, Bill Langloh of Virginia, Roy Pace of Rutgers, Dave Kyle of Cleveland State University, and Tom Harris of Bowling Green.
None of them ever suited up for the Celtics, however, not uncommon for those taken so late in the draft.
It is also the anniversary of the 1980 NBA Draft, in which the aforementioned McHale was drafted out of Minnesota with the third overall pick by Boston. The former Golden Gopher had a Hall of Fame career with the Celtics, winning three championships (in 1981, 1984, and 1986), and would be elected to seven All-Star games and six All-Defensive teams among many others. McHale would play 13 seasons for Boston, the only team he would play for as a professional. He would average 17.9 points, 7.3 boards, and 1.7 assists, and as many blocks per game over that stretch.
Along with McHale, Boston also drafted Purdue’s Arnette Hallman, Holy Cross’ Ron Perry, Idaho’s Don Newman, Iona’s Kevin Hamilton, Maine’s Rufus Hamilton, Norfolk State’s Kenny Evans, Virginia Tech’s Les Hanson, Boston’s Steve Wright, Northwestern’s Brian Jung, and Providence’s John Nolan. As with the 1977 NBA Draft, none of these players made the team.
Today is the birthday of Earl Shannon. Born in Providence, Rhode Island in 1921, Shannon played his college ball at his hometown University of Rhode Island. He kept things local when he made the leap to the pros, signing with the now-defunct Providence Steamrollers. He’d play three seasons with that team before finally leaving his home state to sign with the Celtics in 1949. In the 5 games he played for Boston before retiring, Shannon averaged just a point per game.
Shannon shares his born day with Benny Clyde, who came into the world on this day in 1951. An alum of FSU, Clyde was picked up by the Celtics in the 1974 NBA Draft and played 25 games with Boston in the subsequent season. He recorded 2.8 points and 1.6 boards over that stretch.
It is also the date that the Celtics dropped Game 3 of the 2008 NBA Finals to the Los Angeles Lakers 87-81 as Lakers star Kobe Bryant went off for 36 points. Guard Ray Allen scored 25 points and 5 assists in the loss, but no other Boston starters broke double digits in scoring besides star forward Kevin Garnett, who had 13 points, 12 boards, and 5 assists.
“As bad as we played, we still had opportunities,” Allen said at the time via ESPN. “That’s the positive. We can look at it, but I don’t think on either side of the floor we were good. We had so much more room for improvement.” Boston went on to win the series and its 17th banner.
Finally, it is also the date that we lost forward Al Brightman in 1992. A member of the Celtics’ inaugural season, he played 58 games with Boston in 1946-47 after playing his collegiate ball at Charleston. Putting up 9.8 points and an assist per game (rebounds were not yet recorded), Brightman retired and go on to coach in the rival American Basketball Association many years later, helming the (defunct) Anaheim Amigos in their first season of play.
He was replaced by fellow Celtics alum Bill Sharman in that role the following campaign when the team moved to Los Angeles and renamed itself the Stars.
This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Celtics history: Maxwell, McHale drafts; Clyde born; G3 ’08 Finals
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