Today in Boston Celtics history, Artis Gilmore was born in the small southern town of Chipley, Florida, in 1949. In 1970, Gilmore guided Jacksonville University to the NCAA title game against the University of California, Los Angeles. He began his professional career in the American Basketball Association with the Kentucky Colonels. In 1976, he was selected by the Chicago Bulls as the first pick in the ABA dispersal draft, which occurred following the merger of the ABA and NBA, resulting in the dissolution of several teams.
The Colonels were one of them. He played stints with the Bulls and San Antonio Spurs before joining the Celtics as a free agent in 1988 ahead of his final season.
Gilmore played in 47 games for Boston in the 1988-89 season,
averaging 3.5 points and 3.1 rebounds per game.
Historic milestones
It is also the date that news of Celtics coach Ime Udoka's improper relationship with a female staffer broke in 2022, setting in motion a turbulent end to Udoka's relationship with the team.
First suspended indefinitely as then-assistant Joe Mazzulla took on the role of interim head coach just days before the Celtics' training camp, Udoka and Boston would agree to part ways permanently later that season.
Gone too soon
It is also the date of former Celtics center Bob Donham's passing in 1983. Born in Hammond, Indiana, in 1926, Donham was drafted out of Ohio State by the Celtics in the 1950 NBA Draft.
He played four seasons with the Celtics – the whole of his NBA career – and he averaged 6.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game.
This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Today in Boston Celtics history: Artis Gilmore born, Bob Donham passes, Ime Udoka scandal
