Today in Boston Celtics history, Hall of Fame Boston point guard Bob Cousy was born in Manhattan, New York City, New York. He played college basketball at the College of the Holy Cross, where he won an NCAA championship in 1947. Although Celtics President of Basketball Operations of that era, iconic GM Red Auerbach, overlooked Cousy during the NBA Draft, he ultimately joined the Boston Celtics through the dispersal draft for the Chicago Stags, who held his rights at that time. The Manhattan native earned selections to 13 consecutive All-Star teams with Boston, prompting Auerbach to swiftly reconsider his initial assessment.
After drafting future Hall-of-Famers Bill Russell and Tommy Heinsohn in 1957, Cooz won the first of six titles with the Celtics,
earning a Finals MVP that season. Cousy led the NBA in assists for eight seasons between 1953 and 1960 and make 12 All-NBA teams while a Celtic. Cooz retired in 1963 at age 34 (he briefly unretired as coach of the Kansas City Royals — now Sacramento Kings — to play for the team as well to sell tickets), and was elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1971.
The New Yorker remains a part of the organization to this day, working as a marketing consultant for the team.
Birthdays
Other birthdays include former Celtics center Joel Anthony and ex-Celtic guard Carlos Arroyo. Joel Anthony was born this day in 1982 in Montreal, Canada, and played his NCAA basketball for UNLV. He played for the Miami Heat before joining the team in the deal that sent MarShon Brooks and Jordan Crawford to the Golden State Warriors. The former Runnin’ Rebel played 21 games for the Celtics in the 2013-14 season, averaging 1 point and 1.5 rebounds per game.
Arroyo was born in Fajardo, Puerto Rico on this date in 1979, and played for Florida International University at the college level. He played stints with the Toronto Raptors, Denver Nuggets, Utah Jazz, Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, and Miami Heat as journeyman’s journeyman. Boston was the last stop of his career, with whom he signed as a late-season addition in 2011. Arroyo logged 2.4 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.7 assists over 16 games with the team.
The players share their birthday with ex-Celtics coach Ime Udoka, born in 1977 in Portland, Oregon. Udoka played NCAA ball at USF and Portland State, and signed with the Los Angeles Lakers after time in the D League (as the G League was called). The Portland native also played for the New York Knicks, Portland Trail Blazers and Sacramento Kings before finishing his career with the San Antonio Spurs. There, he made the leap to assistant coaching, winning a title with San Antonio in that role in 2014, and also had stops with the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets. Udoka and the Celtics parted ways after one season after the coach had an inappropriate workplace relationship.
Transactions
It is also the date former Celtics center Glen Davis re-signed with Boston on a two-year, $6.5 million contract.
Davis had come to the team in the trade that brought Ray Allen in 2007 and played four seasons for the club, winning a title with them in 2008. He averaged 7.6 points and 4.1 points per game while with Boston.
This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Today in Boston Celtics history: Cousy, Anthony, Arroyo, Udoka born; Davis re-signs
