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Today in Boston Celtics history, Reggie Lewis unexpectedly passed away after collapsing on a basketball court at Brandeis University while training during the offseason in 1993. Previously diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat following another collapse during the prior season, Lewis died despite local police's unsuccessful attempts to resuscitate him. Selected as the 22nd overall pick in the 1987 NBA Draft by the Celtics, Lewis was regarded as a pivotal element of Boston's future following the era of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish.
Along with the loss of forward Len Bias in 1986, this was a major contributing cause to the team's 'wilderness era' of mediocrity that lasted more than a decade. The Baltimore native played six seasons for the Celtics before his passing, owning a career average of 17.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.3 steals per game, and an All-Star nod in 1993.
His No. 35 jersey was retired by the team in 1995.
On this day in 2016, Jaylen Brown signed a four-year, $21,404,269 rookie contract, which he followed by inking a four-year, $107 million extension in 2019. The Georgia native had been drafted third overall in the 2016 NBA Draft out of Cal-Berkeley and would help Boston win a title in 2024 before being dealt to the Philadelphia 76ers in 2026.
Gerald Green signed a one-year deal for $1,410,598 on the same day. It marked the start of his second stint with the team, the first being when he'd been drafted by the team directly out of high school in the 2005 NBA Draft with the 18th overall pick. Green put up 8 points and 2.1 rebounds per game over three seasons with the team, and left the franchise in free agency the second time around.
Tyler Zeller signed a deal on the same day after having been traded to the team from the Cleveland Cavaliers as part of a salary dump to make space for the contract of LeBron James in 2014. Zeller recorded a career average of 7.1 points, 4 boards, and an assist per game with Boston. Providence College alum Ben Bentil signed a deal with the team that day as well, but never suited up for the Celtics. Instead, he was waived by the team and failed to latch on elsewhere.
It was the same day Terry Rozier inked a four-season, $8,769,710 rookie contract, drafted out of Louisville earlier that summer with the 16th overall pick of the 2015 NBA Draft. The Ohio native put up 7.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists while with Boston.
Celtic draftee RJ Hunter signed his rookie deal that day too – a two-year, $2,348,880 deal. Hunter, drafted 28th overall in the 2015 NBA Draft out of Georgia State, played 37 games with the Celtics over two stints. He averaged 3.1 points and 1.1 rebounds per game over that stretch.
It is also the date of Zoran Dragic being traded from the Miami Heat to Boston for a heavily protected draft asset. The brother of Miami guard Goran Dragic, Zoran never suited up for the Celtics, waived by the team instead. Former Celtics shooting guard Allan Ray was waived on this date in 2007 after playing one season with the team. Ray recorded 6.2 points and 1.5 boards per game with the team that season, his sole in the NBA.
Finally, ex-Celtic forward Marvin Barnes was born on this day in 1952 in Providence, Rhode Island.
Traded to the team from the Buffalo Braves as part of the exchange of players occurring after the team's owners also exchanged franchises in 1978, he played just 38 games for Boston before being waived the following February.
This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Today in Boston Celtics history: Reggie Lewis dies; Brown, Rozier, Green, Crowder sign
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Along with the loss of forward Len Bias in 1986, this was a major contributing cause to the team's 'wilderness era' of mediocrity that lasted more than a decade. The Baltimore native played six seasons for the Celtics before his passing, owning a career average of 17.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.3 steals per game, and an All-Star nod in 1993.
His No. 35 jersey was retired by the team in 1995.
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On this day in 2016, Jaylen Brown signed a four-year, $21,404,269 rookie contract, which he followed by inking a four-year, $107 million extension in 2019. The Georgia native had been drafted third overall in the 2016 NBA Draft out of Cal-Berkeley and would help Boston win a title in 2024 before being dealt to the Philadelphia 76ers in 2026.
Gerald Green signed a one-year deal for $1,410,598 on the same day. It marked the start of his second stint with the team, the first being when he'd been drafted by the team directly out of high school in the 2005 NBA Draft with the 18th overall pick. Green put up 8 points and 2.1 rebounds per game over three seasons with the team, and left the franchise in free agency the second time around.
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Tyler Zeller signed a deal on the same day after having been traded to the team from the Cleveland Cavaliers as part of a salary dump to make space for the contract of LeBron James in 2014. Zeller recorded a career average of 7.1 points, 4 boards, and an assist per game with Boston. Providence College alum Ben Bentil signed a deal with the team that day as well, but never suited up for the Celtics. Instead, he was waived by the team and failed to latch on elsewhere.
It was the same day Terry Rozier inked a four-season, $8,769,710 rookie contract, drafted out of Louisville earlier that summer with the 16th overall pick of the 2015 NBA Draft. The Ohio native put up 7.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists while with Boston.
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Celtic draftee RJ Hunter signed his rookie deal that day too – a two-year, $2,348,880 deal. Hunter, drafted 28th overall in the 2015 NBA Draft out of Georgia State, played 37 games with the Celtics over two stints. He averaged 3.1 points and 1.1 rebounds per game over that stretch.
It is also the date of Zoran Dragic being traded from the Miami Heat to Boston for a heavily protected draft asset. The brother of Miami guard Goran Dragic, Zoran never suited up for the Celtics, waived by the team instead. Former Celtics shooting guard Allan Ray was waived on this date in 2007 after playing one season with the team. Ray recorded 6.2 points and 1.5 boards per game with the team that season, his sole in the NBA.
Birthdays
Finally, ex-Celtic forward Marvin Barnes was born on this day in 1952 in Providence, Rhode Island.
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Traded to the team from the Buffalo Braves as part of the exchange of players occurring after the team's owners also exchanged franchises in 1978, he played just 38 games for Boston before being waived the following February.
This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Today in Boston Celtics history: Reggie Lewis dies; Brown, Rozier, Green, Crowder sign
Continue reading...
