The Boston Celtics have had players suiting up in a total of 68 different jersey numbers (and have three others not part of any numerical series) since their founding at the dawn of the Basketball Association of America (BAA — the league that would become today’s NBA), worn by well over 500 players in the course of Celtics history.
Milwaukee Bucks guard Sidney Moncrief gets a layup between Boston Celtics Ray Williams (left) and Robert Parish during a game on April 2, 1985, at the Milwaukee Arena. Moncrief was one of three Bucks to score 18 points as they led Milwaukee to a 109-103 victory.
To commemorate the players who wore those numbers, Celtics Wire is covering the entire history of jersey numbers and the players who sported them since the founding of the team.
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With 25 of those jerseys now retired to honor some of the greatest Celtics to wear those jerseys, there is a lot of history to cover.
And for today’s article, we will continue with the 15th of 31 people to wear the No. 20 jersey, Boston guard alum Ray Williams. After ending his college career at Minnesota, Williams was picked up with the 10th overall selection of the 1977 NBA draft by the New York Knicks.
The Mount Vernon, New York native would play the first four seasons of his pro career with the Knicks. He would also have stints with the (then) New Jersey (now, Brooklyn) Nets, (then) Kansas City (now, Sacramento) Kings, and Knicks again before he signed with Boston in 1985.
His stay with the team would span just 23 games, leaving in free agency the next offseason to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers.
All stats and data courtesy of Basketball Reference.
This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Celtics jersey history No. 20 – Ray Williams (1985)