Chris Cenac Jr. has worn quite a few jersey numbers throughout his basketball career, and the rookie will again be sporting a different look next season with the Boston Celtics.
Cenac wore No. 12 (Riverside Academy) and No. 0 (Link Academy) in high school in Louisiana, and he also had No. 11 with USA Basketball. He changed to No. 5 last season as a freshman at Houston, helping the Cougars to their seventh straight appearance in the Sweet 16.
Joining an organization with such a storied history, the 27th overall pick had limited options when selecting his next number, with so many retired by the Celtics. As a result, Cenac opted to wear No. 12.
"I'll be wearing No. 12," Cenac said at a community event on June 30, via Celtics on CLNS. "I think it was
the best number that was available, honestly."
Freshly green ☘️ pic.twitter.com/4VGaJIxRC2
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) July 15, 2026
Cenac averaged 9.5 points and 7.9 rebounds while shooting 48.5% from the field in 37 games last season with the Cougars. He ranked eighth in the country in defensive rating (92.2) and 20th in defensive rebounding percentage (26.1).
The 19-year-old logged four appearances with the Celtics in summer league, averaging 10.5 points, eight rebounds, 2.8 blocks and one assist. He registered two double-doubles, including a 14-point, 10-rebound performance on July 10.
Cenac established himself as a first-round pick because of his rebounding, defense and intensity. The team was ecstatic to add him to the roster and is eager to see him take the court.
Throughout August, Rookie Wire is looking at every first-round pick and why each player selected their respective jersey number as they make the jump to the NBA
Previous: AJ Dybantsa | Darryn Peterson | Cameron Boozer | Caleb Wilson | Keaton Wagler | Mikel Brown Jr. | Darius Acuff Jr. | Kingston Flemings | Morez Johnson Jr. | Brayden Burries | Yaxel Lendeborg | Aday Mara | Nate Ament | Hannes Steinbach | Dailyn Swain | Bennett Stirtz | Ebuka Okorie | Christian Anderson Jr. | Allen Graves | Jayden Quaintance | Karim López | Labaron Philon Jr. | Zuby Ejiofor | Cameron Carr | Sergio De Larrea | Tarris Reed Jr.
This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: Celtics' Chris Cenac Jr. offers reasoning behind new jersey number
