Today in Celtics history: the Jo Jo White trade, Mchale's #32 Retired

Today, January 30th marks the 38th anniversary of the trade that sent Jo Jo White to the Golden State Warriors for a first round pick.

White was a Celtic for ten seasons, and one of the best athletes ever to suit up in green and white. He played for Kansas before turning pro, and won a gold medal representing the US in the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, and was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds and Dallas Cowboys as well as the Boston Celtics. He spent a year in the US Marines before joining Boston, the rigors of which he attributed to his later success with the team.

Jo Jo would win two championships with the Celts - 1974 and 1976 - as well as six consecutive All Star bids between 1971 and 1977. He also was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team his first year in the league, All-NBA Second Team in 1975 and 1977, and was named NBA Finals MVP in 1976. Injured towards the end of the 1977–78 season, White never returned to his elite level of play, and was reluctantly dealt to the Warriors in the middle of the following season. White’s streak of 488 consecutive games played is still a franchise record to this day.

Today also marks the 23rd anniversary of the retirement of Kevin McHale's #32, during the halftime of a game at the Boston Garden, a 106 - 94 victory over the Phoenix Suns.


McHale played 13 seasons in the NBA, all of them with the Celtics, beginning in 1980-81 to 1992-93. He won three NBA titles in 1981, 1984 and 1986, an All-Rookie team nod in 1981,  All-NBA First Team in 1987, a seven-time NBA All-Star, and an NBA All-Defensive First Team nod three straight seasons between 1986 and 1988 as well as NBA All-Defensive Second Team in in 1983, 1989 and 1990. Widely regarded as one of the league's (never mind Celtics') greatest players, he was elected into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999. To commemorate his legendary career, here's Kevin's induction speech:



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