Jan. 15, 2026, 5:00 a.m. ET
Today in Boston Celtics history, Hall of Fame Boston forward Larry Bird was awarded both Man of the Year by the Sporting News and Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press in 1987.
It was the first time in history that any athlete of any sport had been given both awards at the same time in the same season. The honor for the Larry Legend (as Bird was sometimes called as a nickname) went down at the height of his prime years in the league. It may even have been a bit of a jinx, if you happen to believe in that sort of thing.
The dual honor ended up being the first time in 5 seasons the Celtics did not make it to the NBA Finals in the Playoffs.
Historic games
Also, today is the 59th anniversary of Bill Sharman’s arguably most incredible “pass” in the history of the NBA All-Star game. Sharman, who was playing in the 1957 All-Star game when it happened, attempted a full-court lob to fellow All-Star and Celtics teammate Bob Cousy, only to see the pass go into the basket from nearly three-fourths of the court distant.
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Cousy reportedly responded to Sharman’s unintentional circus shot by saying (per NBA.com) “Don’t you ever pass?”
Historic milestones
Today is also the anniversary of the original 13 rules of basketball being published in the Springfield, Massachusetts YMCA newsletter by its creator James Naismith. Amazingly, this brief memo was an ancestor to the rules of the modern game as we know it today.
The rules at the time read as follows:
The ball may be thrown in any direction with one or both hands.The ball may be batted in any direction with one or both hands (never with fist).A player cannot run with the ball, the player must throw it from the spot on which he catches it, allowance to be made for a man who catches the ball when running at a good speed.The ball must be held in or between the hands; the arms or body must not be used for holding it.No shouldering, holding, pushing, tripping or striking in any way the person of an opponent shall be allowed. The first infringement of this rule by any person shall count as a foul; the second shall disqualify him until the next goal is made or, if there was evident intent to injure the person, for the whole of the game. No substitute allowed.A foul is striking at the ball with the fist, violation of rules 3 and 4, and such described in rule 5.If either side makes three consecutive fouls, it shall count a goal for the opponents (consecutive means without the opponents in the meantime making a foul).A goal shall be made when the ball is thrown or batted from the grounds into the basket and stays there (without falling), providing those defending the goal do not touch or disturb the goal. If the ball rests on the edge, and the opponent moves the basket, it shall count as a goal.When the ball goes out of bounds it shall be thrown into the field and played by the first person touching it. In case of dispute the umpire shall throw it straight into the field. The thrower in is allowed five seconds, if he holds it longer, it shall go to the opponent. If any side persists in delaying the game, the umpire shall call a foul on themIf either side makes three consecutive fouls, it shall count a goal for the opponents (consecutive means without the opponents in the meantime making a foul).The umpire shall be the judge of the men and shall note the fouls, and notify the referee when three consecutive fouls have been made. He shall have power to disqualify people according to Rule 5.The referee shall be judge of the ball and shall decide when the ball is in play, in bounds, to which side it belongs, and shall keep the time. He shall decide when a goal has been made and keep account of the goals with any other duties that are usually performed by a referee.The time shall be two fifteen minute halves, with five minutes rest between.The side making the most goals in that time is declared the winner. In case of a drew game may, by agreement of the captain, by continued until another goal is made.Birthdays
On this day in 1951, Boston point guard Ernie DiGregorio was born in North Providence, Rhode Island, later playing his college ball with hometown Providence College. DiGregorio was drafted by the Buffalo Braves (now the Celtics — it’s a long story), where he spent the first 4 seasons of his career, followed by a short stint with the Los Angeles Lakers. After being cut by LA, DiGregorio played one season with the Celtics, averaging 3.9 points, a rebound, and 2.4 assists per contest over 27 games.
Former Celtics shooting guard Bobby Wilson was born on the same day in the same year but in Indianapolis, Indiana, and later played for the Wichita State Shockers in college. Drafted by the Chicago Bulls in 1974, Wilson signed with Boston after being cut by Chicago in 1977, and played 12 tilts for the Celtics in the 1976-77 season, logging 2 points per game.