Category: Boston Celtics Blog

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Celtics add Bill Russell’s jersey No. 6 to home court

The Boston Celtics, as well as the entire NBA, will honor the life and legacy of Hall of Famer Bill Russell, who recently passed away, through a variety of celebrations this year.

As a part of the tributes, the Celtics have unveiled a new home parquet court ahead of the NBA 2022-23 season that includes Russell’s jersey number 6 in both lanes.

This is the first time numerical text will be displayed within that area on an NBA court.

Previously announced by the league, every other NBA court around the league will display a number 6 decal on the sideline near the scorer’s table.

Celtics forward Danilo Gallinari injured, suffers torn ACL in left knee

Boston Celtics forward Danilo Gallinari has been diagnosed with a torn ACL in his left knee.

Gallinari sustained the injury while playing for his home nation of Italy in a FIBA World Cup qualifier against Georgia on August 27.

And via Boston.com:

The Celtics agreed to a two-year deal with Gallinari in July, hoping that the 6-foot-10 veteran could add some shooting and offensive depth. In his 14 NBA seasons, Gallinari has averaged 38.2 percent shooting from 3-point range.

This also isn’t the first time that Gallinari has torn his left ACL, having originally done so in April of 2013. Then a member of the Denver Nuggets, the injury required multiple surgeries and kept him from making his return until the 2014-2015 season.

Bill Russell’s No. 6 jersey to be retired throughout the NBA

The National Basketball Association (NBA) and National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) announced today that they will honor the life and legacy of 11-time NBA champion and civil rights pioneer Bill Russell by permanently retiring his uniform number, 6, throughout the league. The iconic Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer will be the first player to have his number retired across the NBA.

“Bill Russell’s unparalleled success on the court and pioneering civil rights activism deserve to be honored in a unique and historic way,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. “Permanently retiring his No. 6 across every NBA team ensures that Bill’s transcendent career will always be recognized.”

“This is a momentous honor reserved for one of the greatest champions to ever play the game,” said NBPA Executive Director Tamika Tremaglio. “Bill’s actions on and off the court throughout the course of his life helped to shape generations of players for the better and for that, we are forever grateful. We are proud to continue the celebration of his life and legacy alongside the league.”

In addition to retiring Russell’s number, the NBA will pay tribute to the Boston Celtics’ legend throughout the 2022-23 season. All NBA players will wear a commemorative patch on the right shoulder of their jerseys, and every NBA court will display a clover-shaped logo with the No. 6 on the sideline near the scorer’s table. The Celtics, for whom Russell played his entire career and coached, will have a separate and unique recognition for him on their uniforms, to be announced soon.

Russell’s jersey number, which he wore for his entire 13-season career from 1956-69, will not be issued again by any NBA team to any player. Players who currently wear No. 6 will be grandfathered.

Regarded as the ultimate winner and model teammate, Russell transformed the game with his dominant defense and graceful athleticism at the center position. He won a record 11 NBA championships in 13 seasons, which followed back-to-back national championships at the University of San Francisco (1955 and 1956) and a gold medal with the U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball Team (1956). Russell, who led Boston to eight consecutive NBA championships from 1959-66, was so synonymous with success that the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award was named for him in 2009.

His myriad accomplishments included five NBA Most Valuable Player awards, 12 NBA All-Star selections and 11 All-NBA Team honors. Russell was named to all four NBA anniversary teams (25th, 35th, 50th and 75th) and inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975. A four-time NBA rebounding champion, he ranks second in league history in total rebounds (21,620) and rebounds per game (22.5) in the regular season. The Celtics retired his No. 6 jersey in 1972.

Russell’s impact on the NBA extended far beyond his playing achievements. In 1966, he was hired by the Celtics as the first Black head coach in the history of the NBA and major U.S. professional sports. As a player-head coach, he guided Boston to back-to-back NBA championships in 1968 and 1969.

During and after his extraordinary basketball career, Russell passionately advocated for the values of equality, respect and inclusion. He marched for civil rights with Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and was steadfast in his belief that all people should be treated with dignity. Russell was awarded the 2010 Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, for his athletic feats and lifelong commitment to social justice.

2022-23 Celtics preseason game schedule

The Boston Celtics will open preseason action at TD Garden against the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday, October 2, as part of the team’s four-game exhibition slate for the 2022-23 NBA season, the team announced today.

Boston’s preseason schedule continues at TD Garden when the Celtics face the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday, October 5.

The Celtics will then travel to North Carolina’s Greensboro Coliseum for the team’s second matchup with the Hornets (Friday, October 7), before concluding the preseason in Montreal against the Raptors as part of the NBA’s Canada Series (Friday, October 14).

NBA legend Bill Russell passes away at age 88

BOSTON CELTICS TEAM STATEMENT ON THE PASSING OF BILL RUSSELL

To be the greatest champion in your sport, to revolutionize the way the game is played, and to be a societal leader all at once seems unthinkable, but that is who Bill Russell was.

Bill was a champion unlike any other in the history of team sports – an 11-time NBA champion, including winning eight consecutive titles, a five-time MVP, an Olympic Gold Medalist and the NBA’s first Black head coach.

Bill Russell‘s DNA is woven through every element of the Celtics organization, from the relentless pursuit of excellence, to the celebration of team rewards over individual glory, to a commitment to social justice and civil rights off the court.

Our thoughts are with his family as we mourn his passing and celebrate his enormous legacy in basketball, Boston, and beyond.

STATEMENT FROM WYC GROUSBECK, STEVE PAGLIUCA AND THE BOSTON CELTICS OWNERSHIP GROUP

Bill embodied character and commitment and he was truly one of the finest people to ever live. He will be remembered forever and deservedly so.

STATEMENT FROM NBA COMMISSIONER ADAM SILVER

“Bill Russell was the greatest champion in all of team sports. The countless accolades that he earned for his storied career with the Boston Celtics – including a record 11 championships and five MVP awards – only begin to tell the story of Bill’s immense impact on our league and broader society.

“Bill stood for something much bigger than sports: the values of equality, respect and inclusion that he stamped into the DNA of our league. At the height of his athletic career, Bill advocated vigorously for civil rights and social justice, a legacy he passed down to generations of NBA players who followed in his footsteps. Through the taunts, threats and unthinkable adversity, Bill rose above it all and remained true to his belief that everyone deserves to be treated with dignity.

“For nearly 35 years since Bill completed his trailblazing career as the league’s first Black head coach, we were fortunate to see him at every major NBA event, including the NBA Finals, where he presented the Bill Russell Trophy to the Finals MVP.

“I cherished my friendship with Bill and was thrilled when he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. I often called him basketball’s Babe Ruth for how he transcended time. Bill was the ultimate winner and consummate teammate, and his influence on the NBA will be felt forever. We send our deepest condolences to his wife, Jeannine, his family and his many friends.”

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Per ESPN.com, “a five-time MVP and 12-time All-Star, Russell was an uncanny shot blocker who revolutionized NBA defensive concepts. He finished with 21,620 career rebounds — an average of 22.5 per game — and led the league in rebounding four times. He had 51 rebounds in one game and 49 in two others and posted 12 straight seasons with 1,000 or more rebounds. Russell also averaged 15.1 points and 4.3 assists per game over his career.”

Celtics sign Mfiondu Kabengele to two-way contract

The Boston Celtics yesterday signed forward/center Mfiondu Kabengele to a two-way contract.

Kabengele, 6’10”, has appeared in four games for the Celtics during their 2022 Summer League campaign where he has averaged 14.0 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.8 blocks in 25.2 minutes per game while shooting 55.9 percent from the field, 36.4 percent from three and 77.8 percent from the free throw line.

The former 2019 first round draft pick by Brooklyn has appeared in a total of 51 NBA games split between the LA Clippers and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Toronto, Ontario native played in 33 games for the NBA G-League Champion Rio Grande Valley Vipers last season where he averaged 17.5 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 0.94 blocks in 29.3 minutes per game while shooting 58.9 percent from the field and 39.6 percent from three.

Per Boston.com, “the Celtics still have three open roster spots, so there is a chance Kabengele could ultimately play his way into a regular NBA deal. For now, though, he’s thrilled to have this chance on a two-way contract. “I think my main goal is to work on my skill and my craft, and whatever manifests out of that I’ll be happy with,” he said.”

Celtics sign Danilo Gallinari

The Boston Celtics have signed free agent forward Danilo Gallinari.

“We are thrilled to welcome Danilo to Boston”, said Celtics President of Basketball Operations, Brad Stevens. “With his elite shooting abilities, he has long been established as of the league’s best scorers with size.”

Gallinari, a 6’11” forward, appeared in 66 games for the Atlanta Hawks last season averaging 11.7 ponts, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.5 assists while shooting 38.1 percent from the field. Born in Sant’Angelo Lodigiano, Italy, he was tied for fourth in the NBA last season in free throw percentage at 90.4 percent. Gallinari was originally drafted by the New York Knicks with the sixth overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, and has appeared in 728 games averaging 15.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.9 assists while shooting 38.2 percent from the field.

Gallinari will wear #8 for the Celtics.

Celtics sign rookie J.D. Davison to two-way contract

The Boston Celtics have signed 2022 second round draft pick J.D. Davison to a two-way contract.

Davison (6-3, 195), competed in 33 games (six starts) as a freshman at the University of Alabama in 2021-22, averaging 8.5 points on 46.3% shooting (30.1% 3-PT), 4.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.0 steals in 25.8 minutes. The Southeastern Conference All-Freshman Team selection and two-time SEC Freshman of the Week led the team and ranked seventh in the SEC in assists, having tallied double-digit assists on two occasions.

A 19-year-old native of Montgomery, Alabama, Davison scored a collegiate career-high 20 points and made four three-point field goals in a Dec. 4 win against no. 3 Gonzaga. He tallied 11 points (5-9 FG) and nine assists in the team’s lone NCAA Tournament game against Notre Dame on March 18.

Celtics re-sign Luke Kornet

The Boston Celtics have re-signed forward/center Luke Kornet.

“We are thrilled that Luke chose to come back,” said Celtics President of Basketball Operations, Brad Stevens. “Luke is a skilled big who can play off the roll or pop and is a good rim protector on defense. On top of that, he’s always added value as the consummate pro who puts team above self.”

Kornet, a 7’2” center/forward, appeared in 12 games for the Celtics during the 2021-22 season, averaging 2.2 points and 2.1 rebounds in 7.1 minutes per game while shooting 57.1 percent from the field. He also made appearances for the Cavaliers and the Bucks where he totaled four points and four rebounds over 18 minutes in three contests. Kornet re-joined the Celtics on February 11, 2022 for the remainder of the season after his stops in Cleveland and Milwaukee. He also appeared in 21 games for the Maine Celtics during the 2021-22 season averaging 13.5 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 2.3 blocks in 27.3 minutes per game.

Celtics re-sign Sam Hauser

The Boston Celtics have re-signed forward Sam Hauser.

“We are very excited that Sam chose to continue his journey with us,” said Celtics President of Basketball Operations, Brad Stevens. “He has a chance to make a real impact with his size, feel, and shooting – both stationary and on the move. He’s hard-working, unselfish, and competitive – a great combination for a young player.”

Hauser, a 6’8” forward, appeared in 26 games for the Celtics during the 2021-22 season when he averaged 2.5 points and 1.1 rebounds in 6.1 minutes per game while shooting 46.0 percent from the field and 43.2 percent from three. Hauser began his rookie campaign with the Celtics as a two-way player, appearing in a total of 23 games for the Maine Celtics where he averaged 18.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in 34.3 minutes per game, while shooting 41.9 percent from three. The Green Bay, Wisconsin native had his two-way contract converted to a standard NBA contract on February 11, 2022, becoming the first Celtic two-way player to have his contract converted to a standard NBA contract during his rookie season.