On this day: Tony Lavelli, Ed Sadowski, Woodrow Sauldsberry born
On this date in Boston Celtics history, forward Tony Lavelli was born in 1926 in Somerville, Massachusetts. A product of Yale University, Lavelli was drafted fourth overall by the Celtics in the 1949 Basketball Association of America (BAA – a precursor league to today’s NBA) draft, the final such draft before the league became the NBA of today after merging with the U.S. National Basketball League (NBL) in 1949.
The former Bulldog wasn’t with the team for the long haul, however. The Celtics short-timer played just one season (in fact, a mere 56 games) with the team before leaving in free agency to play for the New York Knicks at the end of the 1949-50 season.
Lavelli averaged 8.8 points per game with the team (they had yet to begin recording rebounds).
Ok. We got three, count ‘em, three, birthdays in heaven today. So let’s get to it:
Happy birthday in heaven to Big Ed Sadowski. You were the first Boston Celtic ever to be named to the All-BAA/NBA Team. pic.twitter.com/BqQCM9jXnZ
— Honest☘️Larry (@HonestLarry1) July 11, 2020
Today is also the birthday of ex-Celtics center Ed Sadowski.
Born this day in 1917 in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Sadowski played his collegiate ball with Seton Hall and signed with the (defunct) Toronto Huskies in the BAA’s inaugural season of 1946-47.
The first-ever #NBA game, then called the BAA, took place on 11/1/46 in Toronto between the Huskies and Knicks.
The Knicks won 68-66. Toronto's Ed Sadowski lead all scorers with 18 points#NBA #newyorkforever #wethenorthhttps://t.co/EA8qU5zUAt pic.twitter.com/4VIdCxV4Im
— NBA Hoops Online (@NBABoards) January 7, 2020
The former Pirate was soon traded to the (also defunct) Cleveland Rebels before he was drafted by the Celtics in that team’s dispersal draft, to rehome the players of Cleveland after that team’s demise.
Sadowski played one season and 47 games for the Celtics, logging 19.4 points and 1.6 assists — again, before rebounds were counted.
Finally, it is the birthday of former Boston big man Woodrow Sauldsberry too, who came into this world in 1934 in Winnsboro, Louisiana.
A Texas Southern product, Sauldsberry was taken 60th overall by the (then) Philadelphia (now, Golden State) Warriors in the 1957 NBA draft.
He would play for that franchise, the (then) St. Louis Hawks, and Chicago Packers/Zephyrs (also defunct; they changed their name while he was on the team) before joining Boston after two seasons as a retired player.
Sauldsberry would win a title in a reserve role with the team in 1966, averaging 4.4 points and 3.6 blocks per game backing up Bill Russell.
