Today in Boston Celtics history, Hall of Fame general manager Red Auerbach executed one of the most unequal trades in NBA history in 1980, one so much so it is still an example of how to fleece an opposing ball club. He traded two first-round picks to the Golden State Warriors which were used to select center Joe Barry Carroll and forward Rickey Brown, in exchange for iconic center Robert Parish and the draft pick that was ultimately used to select Hall of Fame forward Kevin McHale.
In one fell swoop, Boston’s head honcho scooped up two-thirds of one of the greatest frontcourts ever assembled. Forward Larry Bird, who had already been drafted, completed the trio that win titles together in 1981, 1984, and 1986.
It is also the anniversary of the 1978 NBA Draft, in which the Celtics took three players of note.
BOSTON – 1986: (L-R) Larry Bird #33, Dennis Johnson #3, Danny Ainge #44, Robert Parish #00, Kevin McHale #32 and Bill Walton #5 of the Boston Celtics sit on the bench during a game played in 1986 at the Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Dick Raphael/NBAE via Getty Images)
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They selected forward Jeff Judkins out of Utah with the 30th pick of the draft. Judkins played two seasons for Boston, averaging 7.3 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game before being drafted by the Dallas Mavericks in the 1980 NBA expansion draft. The Celtics also took shooting guard Freeman Williams out of Portland State with the eighth overall pick. Williams was immediately dealt with Kevin Kunnert, Kermit Washington, and Sidney Wicks to the (then) San Diego (now, Los Angeles) Clippers for Tiny Archibald, Marvin Barnes, Billy Knight, and draft assets.
They also drafted a player you may have heard of — Hall of Fame forward Larry Bird. Bird was taken with the sixth pick despite still being enrolled in Indiana State University, exploiting a since-closed loophole in the Collective Bargaining Agreement to do it. He finished his final season at Indiana State before joining Boston for his legendary career that included three titles, 12 All-Star nods, 10 All-NBA teams, three Most Valuable Player Awards, and many other honors.
ORLANDO, FL – JULY 9: General Manager Danny Ainge of the Boston Celtics chats with Team President Larry Bird of the Indiana Pacers during the 2013 Southwest Airlines Orlando Pro Summer League on July 9, 2013 at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida.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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2013 NBAE (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images)
The 1981 NBA Draft also fell on this date, with the Celtics again taking three noteworthy players. The first was Charles Bradley, a Wyoming standout, taken with the 23rd pick. Bradley played two seasons with Boston, averaging 3.3 points, 1.1 rebounds, and 0.5 assists per contest before being waived in October 1983. The Celtics took Tracy Jackson of Notre Dame with the 25th pick. Jackson played 11 games with Boston before having his contract sold to the Chicago Bulls. In those 11 games, he averaged 2.4 points, 1.1 boards, and 0.5 assists.
The Celtics drafted shooting guard Danny Ainge (formerly of BYU) with the 31st pick. The move was a gamble since Ainge had already signed with Major League Baseball’s Toronto Blue Jays. However, the move paid off big for Boston. Ainge won two titles with the team as a player, which laid the groundwork for him to return later in life as an executive and win another in 2008.
This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Celtics history: Robert Parish, Kevin McHale trade; Bird, Ainge drafts