Boston Celtics field NBA’s first All-Black starting five
On this date in Boston Celtics history, the legendary franchise created history when it established the first all-Black starting 5 in NBA history in 1964. The Celtics were traveling to Atlanta to play a regular season match with the (then) St. Louis Hawks. Hall of Fame power forward Tommy Heinsohn was injured and had to be scratched.
In that era, there was a so-called “gentlemen’s agreement” that acted as an unspoken agreement to always have at least one white player on the court at all times, supposedly in the interest of racial harmony.
Red Auerbach, a legendary coach and team manager, decided to replace him with Willie Naulls, breaking the racist, tacit agreement.
(AP Photo/file)
Auerbach claimed he had not intended to make a point with the lineup choice, though the claim is dubious given he’d also intentionally drafted the first Black player — Chuck Cooper — into the league more than a decade earlier.
“I wasn’t even aware of it,” related the Celtic coach at the time (via ESPN’s J.A. Adande).
(AP Photo)
“They brought it to my attention later on. All we were trying to do here, all the time, is play the guys that, in our opinion, whether I’m coaching or someone else is coaching, is going to win the ballgame,” he said. “That’s all.”
Satch Sanders was also part of the five-man starting lineup that night, along with Naulls. KC Jones, Sam Jones and Bill Russell.
Dick Raphael/NBAE via Getty Images
The first quarter was a disaster for the Celtics. They were down by as many as 15 points. By the end of the second quarter, they were outplayed by the Hawks.
Boston would pull it out in the second half, winning not only that game 97-84 but the team’s next 11 contests as well.
(AP Photo/File)
This is also the day that John Havlicek, a Boston forward legend, scored 42 points against Seattle SuperSonics during a 122-112 road victory in 1969.
Hondo recorded 8 rebounds and 4 assists, while Hondo was 17-of-24 on the field and 8 of-12 at the free-throw line in just 41 minutes.
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