On this day in Boston Celtics history, former Celtics point guard Dave Bing was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield Massachusetts in 1990 along with iconic big man Elvin Hayes, legendary Philadelphia Warriors center Neil Johnston, and famed guard Earl “The Pearl” Monroe.
After spending the bulk of his career with the Detroit Pistons — a city he would one day become the mayor of — the Washington, D.C. native would play two seasons with his hometown Washington Bullets before signing with the Celtics as a free agent in the final season of his storied career.
He joined Boston for its 1977-78 campaign and scored 13.6 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game before retiring from the NBA at the end of the season.
It is also the birthday of former Celtic “big” man Virgil Vaughn, who stood just 6-foot-4. Vaughn was a member of Boston’s inaugural season as a Basketball Association of America team, in the days before that organization became the NBA.
The Western Kentucky product played just 17 games for the team that season, averaging 2.6 points and 0.6 assists — rebounds, blocks and many other stats had yet to be recorded.
March 17, 1973; Atlanta, GA, USA; Boston Celtics forward Don Nelson (19) in action against the Atlanta Hawks at The Omni. Mandatory Credit: Manny Rubio-USA TODAY Sports
Today is also the birthday of famed former Boston forward Don Nelson, perhaps better known today for his niche agriculture than time in green and white.
But, Nelson was a key part of the latter end of the Celtics juggernaut of the 1960s, winning three banners in that halcyon era and two more in the 1970s.
BOSTON – 1976: (L-R) Dave Cowens #18, Don Nelson #19 and John Havlicek #17 of the Boston Celtics sit on the bench during a game in the 1976 NBA Finals at the Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Celtics…
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