Today in Boston Celtics history, Wyndol Woodrow Gray passed away in 1994. He was born on March 30, 1922, just a few days shy of 72 years of age prior to his death. Gray played his college basketball at Bowling Green University from 1942 to 1945, with his studies interrupted by a tour in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He played a pivotal role in leading Bowling Green to the finals of the 1945 National Invitation Tournament (NIT) and was subsequently named a consensus first-team All-American. He continued his education at Harvard University, where he contributed to the program’s first NCAA tournament appearance in its history.
His collegiate career in the rearview mirror, the Harvard alum went on to play in the newly-formed Basketball Association of America (BAA – a precursor league to the NBA) for the Celtics. Gray played 55 of the team’s 60 games in their inaugural season and averaged 6.4 points per game over that stretch.
Advertisement
The Bowling Green alum was traded to the (now defunct) St. Louis Bombers in exchange for guard Cecil Hankins.
Gone too soon
We also lost guard Thomas Edward Kelly on this date in 2008. An alum of NYU who got himself drafted by Boston despite being a walk-on, Kelly played just 27 games for the Celtics after college before retiring to a career as an engineer.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – JUNE 17: Confetti covers the Boston Celtics logo after Boston’s 106-88 win against the Dallas Mavericks in Game Five of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden on June 17, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
The New Yorker averaged 7.1 points and 1.4 assists per game for Boston in the 1948-49 season.
Transactions
Finally, it was on this date in 2025 (just weeks removed from winning Banner 18) that the investment group led by Irv and Wyc Grousbeck elected to sell the team in a process that would lead to a new ownership group taking over control of the team.
Apr 4, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Bill Chisholm, center, who leads a group that is buying the Boston Celtics, stands with current owner Wyc Grousbeck and Chisholm’s wife, Kimberly Chisholm before the game between the Boston Celtics and the Phoenix Suns at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images
Helmed by a group led by current team majority owner Bill Chisholm, Wyc Grousbeck stayed on as a minority owner, while former minority owner Steve Pagliuca moved on to other ventures after his bid for the team was rejected.
This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Celtics history: Team sold to Chisholm, Kelly Gray pass