Today in Boston Celtics history, Jaylen Brown was born in Marietta, Georgia, in 1996. He played his college basketball for the University of California-Berkeley Golden Bears, earning Pac-12 Freshman of the Year honors in 2016. Brown was selected by the Celtics with the third overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft and made his NBA debut on October 26, scoring 9 points and blocking 2 shots.
He was named to the All-Rookie Second Team at the end of his first season. Initially, Brown did not hire an agent, relying on his personal network for guidance until negotiating a rookie extension. His intellectual pursuits and commitment to social justice have distinguished him among peers and fans, complementing his impressive performance on the court during his time
with the Celtics.
Ending in an unexpected trade to the Philadelphia 76ers in the summer of 2026, Brown left Boston with a title won, a finals MVP award in winning it, a likely Hall of Fame nomination coming after his time in the NBA, and a record of 20.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.0 steals per game.
Birthdays
It is also the birthday of former Celtic shooting guard RJ Hunter, born this day in 1993 in Oxford, Ohio.
An alum of Georgia State University — where his father coached — Hunter earned Sun Belt Player of the Year honors in 2014 and 2015 before being selected by Boston 28th overall in the 2015 NBA Draft.
It is also the birthday of former Celtics center Nikola Vučević. Born this day in 1990 in Morges, Switzerland. Moving to the US for high school basketball, he attended USC to play at the NCAA level, followed by a stint with Budućnost before he was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2011 NBA Draft with the 16th overall pick.
He also played for the Orlando Magic and Chicago Bulls before he was dealt to Boston for Anfernee Simons and draft assets in February 2026. His stay with the team lasted until he returned to the Magic in free agency that summer. During his time with the Celtics, Nikola Vučević put up
Debuts
Finally, it is also the date of the debut of forward Tom Boswell, which came in a 109-94 win over the Houston Rockets in 1975.
The South Carolina alum — Boston’s No. 17 pick in that year’s draft — would go scoreless in 2 minutes of floor time.
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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Today in Boston Celtics history: Brown, Hunter, Vučević born; Boswell debuts
