6 days ago
On this day: Raef LaFrentz born; Tom Boswell drafted; Jayson Tatum wins '23 ECF MVP
On this day: Raef LaFrentz born; Tom Boswell drafted; Jayson Tatum wins '23 ECF MVP
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.
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.
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.
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."
"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."
