Today in Boston Celtics history, the storied franchise raised Dennis Johnson’s jersey up to the rafters, honoring the pair of NBA titles and seven seasons the San Pedro, California native played for Boston. An alum of both Los Angeles Harbor College and Pepperdine — Johnson graduated from the former, a junior college, to the latter — the combo guard was picked up with the 29th overall pick of the 1976 NBA Draft by the (then) Seattle SuperSonics (now, Oklahoma City Thunder).
DJ (as he was often called) played for that team and the Phoenix Suns before being dealt to Boston in 1983, winning a title with the Sonics in 1979. The Celtics acquired Johnson for Rick Robey and draft assets, quite a steal in retrospect. The Californian retired at the end of the 1991 season when the Celtics did not offer him a new contract and began working with the team as a scout. He accepted a position as one of the team’s assistant coaches in 1993, which he would remain until 1997.
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Johnson continued as an assistant or interim head coach or scout until his passing in 2007. As an additional, posthumous honor, he was admitted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010 — rest in peace.
Debuts
It was also on this date in 2003 that former Boston big man Kendrick Perkins played his first game as a Celtic.
PHOENIX – DECEMBER 30: Kendrick Perkins #43 and Bill Walker #12 of the Boston Celtics react on the bench during the NBA game against the Phoenix Suns at US Airways Center on December 30, 2009 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns defeated the Celtics 116-98. 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 Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
It was in a 105-98 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Gund Arena and saw Perkins play a mere 28 seconds of garbage time, far too little time to record anything to his stat line. Mercifully it was not indicative of his later career.
Birthdays
Today is also the birthday of Celtics short-timer Charles Claxton, father of current Brooklyn Nets big man Nick Claxton. He came into this world in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands in 1970. The undrafted Georgia alum played a total of three games for Boston in the 1996-96 NBA season, averaging 0.7 points and rebounds per game.
Mar 5, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; The Boston Celtics logo is seen on the court before the game between the Boston Celtics and the Portland Trail Blazers at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images
Claxton shares that birthday with former Celtics floor general Andre Turner, born this day in Memphis Tennessee in 1964. Oddly enough, Turner also just played three games as a Celtic before being waived in 1986.
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Historic milestones
On this date in 1961, Hall of Fame big man Wilt Chamberlain hung 52 points and 30 rebounds on the Celtics at the old Boston Garden playing for the (then) Philadelphia (now, Golden State) Warriors. As was often the case with Chamberlain, the Celtics still came away with the 123-113 win with only two other of his teammates scoring in double figures after Wilt’s dominant play took them out of the game.
Boston Celtics’ Antoine Walker (C) drives between Los Angeles Lakers’ Robert Horry (L) and Brian Shaw in the second quarter February 25 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. SSM/SV
In a 109-97 win over the (then) Seattle SuperSonics on this day in 1989, Boston Hall of Famer Larry Bird scored a triple-double nearly as impressive as Wilt’s big game. The Hick From French Lick dropped 40 points, 11 boards, and 10 assists to get the win for the Celtics.
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A triple-double of similar impact was had by Boston legend Antoine Walker on the same date in 2002 in a 115-100 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Employee No. 8 logged 33 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists to come 7 points shy of Bird’s feat on the same day 13 years earlier.
Transactions
Finally, it was also on this date in 1965 that Boston signed big man Woody Sauldsberry as an unrestricted free agent in what would prove to be the last stop of his NBA career.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – APRIL 20: A general view of the Celtics Championship Banners ahead of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs between the Orlando Magic and the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on April 20, 2025 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 Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
The Texas Southern product played 39 games with the team for the rest of the season, logging 4.4 points and 3.6 rebounds per game.
This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Celtics history: DJ jersey retired; Perkins debut; Claxton born