On this day, the Boston Celtics selected two players of note in the 1975 NBA draft. The first was Jerome Anderson, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard out of the University of West Virginia, who was taken with the 53rd pick. The Mullens, West Virginia, native won a championship with the Celtics in his lone season with the team (1975-76). Anderson recorded 2.8 points, 0.6 rebounds and 0.3 assists per game over 5.7 minutes per game in his rookie season.
Anderson’s tenure in the league was not an especially long one, however. He failed to stick with the team beyond that season. In October 1976, he was waived and picked up by the Indiana Pacers, his final stop in the NBA.
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Boston drafted power forward Tom Boswell, a 6-foot-9 big man out of South Carolina, with the 17th pick. Boswell also won a ring with the Celtics at the end of the 1975-76 season and played three seasons with the team.
BOSTON – MAY 3: Jermaine O’Neal #7 of the Indiana Pacers goes after a loose ball against Gary Payton #20, Raef LaFrentz #45, and Ricky Davis #12 of the Boston Celtics in Game five of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2005 NBA Playoffs at Fleet Center on May 3, 2005 in Boston, Massachusetts.The Pacers defeated the Celtics 90-85 to take a 3-2 lead in their series. 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 Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
It is also the birthday of former Celtic big man Raef LaFrentz, who was born in Hampton, Iowa, in 1976. The Iowan came from the Dallas Mavericks to Boston in a deal with Chris Mills, Jiri Welsch, and draft assets in exchange for Tony Delk and Antoine Walker.
LaFrentz was with the Celtics for three seasons (2003-2006), averaging 9.2 points, 5.8 points and 1.3 assists per contest. He was dealt to the Portland Trail Blazers with Dan Dickau and Randy Foye for Theo Ratliff, Sebastian Telfair and draft considerations.
May 29, 2022; Miami, Florida, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) reacts after winning the Larry Bird Eastern Conference Finals MVP trophy after game seven of the 2022 eastern conference finals at FTX Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports
Finally, it is also the anniversary of Jayson Tatum winning the first Larry Bird Eastern Conference finals Most Valuable Player award, coming after dispatching the Miami Heat, 100-96, in Game 7. “It’s an honor,” said Tatum postgame via ESPN’s Nick Friedell. “It still doesn’t even seem real right now. I’m just extremely happy and grateful for all of this.”
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“Regardless of how long I’ve been in the league, I’m not too far removed from when I was in high school and when I was dreaming about moments like this.”
This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Celtics history: LaFrentz born; Boswell draft; Tatum wins ’23 ECF MVP