On this day in Boston Celtics history, the 1998 NBA draft was held in General Motors Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and in it, the Celtics took only one player of note. The Celtics selected forward Paul Pierce out of Kansas with the 10th overall pick of the draft, a team the Californian was no fan of as a youth.
Even casual fans know the legacy of βthe Truthβ β as he was dubbed by future teammate Shaquille OβNeal in 2001 β has had on the franchise. An instrumental part of the 2008 title that brought Boston its league-record 17th championship, the Oakland native racked up a finals MVP for that series as well.
Over the course of his career with the Celtics, Pierce amassed 10 All-Star and four All-NBA elections, All-Rookie First Team, election to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, and several other honors
Boston Celtics small forward Paul Pierce (34) shoots a free throw against the Orlando Magic during the first quarter at the Amway Center. Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
He averaged 21.8 points, 6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.3 steals per game with Boston over 15 seasons.
It is also the date of the 1992 NBA draft β held in Portland, Oregonβs Memorial Coliseum β in which the Celtics took two players of note.
The first was shooting guard John Barry (son of Rick and brother of Scott, Brent, and Drew), taken with the 21st pick out of Georgia Tech.
Barry never played for Boston however, traded to the Milwaukee Bucks for big man Alaa Abdelnaby.
The Celtics also drafted center Darren Morningstar out of Pitt with the 47th overall pick.
Like Barry, Morningstar never suited up for Boston, waived before he made the regular-season roster.
(AP Photo/J. Pat Carter)
This is also the date of the 2004 NBA draft, held in Madison Square Garden in New York City.
The Celtics took four players of note, the first of which being forward Al Jefferson, taken 15th overall directly out of high school.
Atlanta Hawks forward Antoine Walker, right, admires his former jersey while joking with Boston Celtics rookie forward Al Jefferson during the third quarter in Boston, Friday, Jan. 14, 2005. Walker, who was captain of the Celtics, played in Boston from 1996 to 2003. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Jefferson made All-Rookie Second Team in his first season with Boston and would…
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