Today in Boston Celtics history, Lou Tsioropoulos was born in Lynn, Massachusetts, in 1930. Tsioropoulos played his NCAA ball with Kentucky. The school became entangled in a point-shaving scandal while Tsioropoulos (he was not part of it) was playing for the team with fellow future Celtics alumnus Frank Ramsey as well as Cliff Hagan.
After Tsioropoulos, Ramsey, and Hagan finished their fourth season with Kentucky, they were selected by the Celtics in the draft (Hagan never played for Boston, his rights having been part of the package dealt for Bill Russell), but returned to play another season at Kentucky with an additional season of eligibility granted due to the penalty of their teammates involved in the point-shaving scandal.
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After an Air Force tour, Tsioropoulos joined the Celtics in 1956, playing three seasons for them, winning a championship in two (1957 and 1959). He averaged 5.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game in that stretch.
Birthdays
It is also the birthday of Boston Celtics chief operating officer Rich Gotham, who was born this day in 1964 in Norwood, Massachusetts.
May 15, 2018; Chicago, IL, USA; Boston Celtics Team President Rich Gotham (left) and Philadelphia 76ers GM of Delaware Blue Coats Elton Brand (right) smile while sitting in their shared podium seat during the 2018 NBA Draft Lottery at the Palmer House Hilton. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports
A graduate of Providence College with a degree in business administration with a concentration in marketing, Gotham made a career working in several executive capacities for internet media company Lycos before joining the Celtics as executive vice-president of sales, marketing and corporate development.
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Rest in Peace
It is also the date of former Celtics center and coaching legend John Thompson’s passing in 2020. Born on Sept. 2, 1941, in Washington, D.C., Thompson played his college ball with the Providence College Friars, from whom he was drafted 25th overall in the third round of the 1964 NBA draft (there were fewer teams and many more rounds in that era).
WASHINGTON – OCTOBER 30: Former Boston Celtics player and Georgetown University coach John Thompson talks to the news media after attending legendary NBA coach Red Auerbach’s viewing at Joseph Gawler’s Sons Inc. funeral home October 30, 2006 in Washington, DC. Auerbach, who led the Celtics to 16 NBA championships as either coach, general manager or club president, died Saturday at the age of 89. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
He played just two seasons with Boston before retiring as a player in 1966, having won a championship in each season with the Celtics.
But the future for which we remember his remarkable career in basketball had just begun. Thompson became a coaching giant at Georgetown, changing the careers of countless players and being elected to the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame as a coach in 1999.
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Transactions of note
Last but not least, it is also the date that legendary Boston big man Bill Russell signed a contract with the team in 1957.
Unknown date; Cincinnati, OH, USA; FILE PHOTO; Boston Celtics center Bill Russell (6) fights for a loose ball against Cincinnati Royals guard Oscar Robertson (14) at Cincinnati Gardens. Mandatory Credit: Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Russell had not been able to join Boston until December 1956 due to his commitment to play for the United States in the Olympics that year. He signed a deal with the Celtics at the end of the offseason after his rookie season with Boston.
This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Celtics history: Thompson dies; Russell signs; Tsioropoulos, Gotham born