Today in Boston Celtics history, Tyree Ricardo "Ricky" Davis was born in Las Vegas, Nevada, in 1979. A standout player at the University of Iowa, Davis was picked up by the Charlotte Hornets with the 21st overall pick of the 1998 NBA Draft at the end of NCAA career.
He played for the Hornets, the Miami Heat, and the Cleveland Cavaliers before being traded to the Celtics along with Chris Mihm, Michael Stewart, and draft assets in exchange for Tony Battie, Eric Williams, and Kedrick Brown in 2003. Although the trade faced initial criticism, Davis endeared himself to fans, becoming a beloved player.
During parts of three seasons with Boston, the Nevada native averaged 16.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.2 steals per game.
Birthdays
It is also the birthday
of former Boston big man Eric Montross, who was born this day in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1971. Montross played his college ball with the University of North Carolina Tar Heels, getting taken by the Celtics with the ninth pick of the 1994 NBA Draft.
The Indianian's tenure with Boston was a short one, lasting parts of two seasons. Montross was traded for picks in 1996. He put up 8.8 points and 6.6 rebounds per game while a Celtic.
Historic milestones
Finally, it is the date of the Celtics dropping Game 4 of their 2020 Eastern Conference playoff series with the Miami Heat in the Orlando bubble. Miami wing Tyler Herro produced a franchise-record 37 points. All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum put up 28 points and 9 rebounds while star forward Jaylen Brown added 21 points and 9 boards of his own, but it wasn't enough to get past the Heat, who took a 3-1 lead in the series.
"At the end of the day, we got to find a way," Celtics guard Kemba Walker said after the game via the AP. "That's really all we can do. We can do it. It's about pride. It's about wanting to do it. Next game we got to come out and show that."
This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Today in Boston Celtics history: Ricky Davis, Eric Montross born; drop G4 in 2020 ECF
