On this day: former Celtics Wally Szczerbiak, Tom Kelly born; Larry Bird gets back surgery
On this day in Boston Celtics history, former Boston Celtic small forward Walter “Wally” Robert Szczerbiak was born in Madrid, Spain back in 1977. The son of Walter Szczerbiak, who played the same sport his son did in the (now merged with the NBA) American Basketball Association as well as overseas, Szczerbiak the younger was born overseas while his father played for Spanish team Real Madrid at the time.
The future Celtic played his college ball with the Miami (of Ohio) University Redhawks and was picked up with the sixth overall pick of the 1999 NBA draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Madrid native would be dealt to the Celtics early in 2006 with Michael Olowokandi, and Dwayne Jones for Ricky Davis, Mark Blount, Marcus Banks, and Justin Reed.
Detroit Pistons’ Chauncey Billups, left, looks for a teammate while being guarded by Boston Celtics’ Wally Szczerbiak, during the first half of their NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2007, in Auburn Hills, Mich. (AP Photo/Jerry S. Mendoza)
Szczerbiak would play 64 games over parts of two seasons hampered by ankle injuries before being dealt to the (then) Seattle SuperSonics (now, Oklahoma City Thunder) with Delonte West and Jeff Green for Ray Allen and Glen Davis.
He averaged 16.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game as a Celtic.
.@celtics check out this #TBT pic from a 1949 Boston Post of @regishighschool's Tom Kelly '41 #RegisTBT #RegisNYC pic.twitter.com/76uT2v5e7D
— Regis High School (@RegisHighSchool) December 18, 2014
It is also the birthday of Thomas Edward Kelly, a former Boston guard who played one season for the Celtics in 1948-49.
Born in New York, New York in 1924, Kelly played for New York University collegiately before he would be drafted by Boston in the 1948 Basketball Association of America (BAA — a precursor league of the NBA) draft.
He played just 27 games for the Celtics that season, averaging 7.1 points and 1.4 assists per game.
Larry Bird announces his retirement from the Boston Celtics at a news conference in Boston in this Aug. 18, 1992 photo. Bird, who led the Boston Celtics to three NBA championships and had been an adviser for the team since retiring in 1992, has agreed to coach the Indiana Pacers. (AP Photo/Bruce Allen)
Finally, it is also the date that Boston legend Larry Bird had back surgery in 1993. Per the AP, the fusion surgery ” involved shaving strips from Bird’s pelvic bone and placing them vertically alongside his vertebrae to strengthen the damaged area and ease the pain.”
Larry Legend had retired the August prior due to back problems.
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