Today in Celtics history: Wilkins signed, Olsen, Krstic born
Wilkins, who had spent his entire career prior with the Atlanta Hawks before being traded near the end of his contract to the Los Angeles Clippers, opted to join the Celts after getting to free agency. However, he was not happy with his role on a Boston team several years removed from its last era of contention, and even further removed from its next.
For years Celtics "big" free agents were Xavier McDaniel, old Dominique Wilkins and older Shaq. Now Horford and Hayward back to back years.— Mike Mutnansky (@MutWEEI) July 5, 2017
He toughed it out, logging 17.8 points, 5.2 boards and 2.2 assists per game before heading overseas to a $7 million, two-year deal with Panathinaikos, a top club of the Greek League. Strangely, and really due to the fact that Boston has almost always built teams through trades and drafts, he is still one of the highest-profile free agency signings the Celts have ever landed. Check the video below to see Wilkins in Boston for the last game ever at the old Boston Garden.
Today is also the 77th birthday of former Celtics big man Bud Olsen. Olsen appeared in just seven games for the Celts after being picked up on waivers (he was with the Seattle Supersonics before being drafted then waived by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1968 NBA Expansion Draft), averaging 2 points, 2 boards and .6 assists over that stretch. He would have a similar fate in Boston, being waived by the team just two months later, then picked up by the Detroit Pistons.
Celtics Life >> What the Hell Happened to...Bud Olsen? http://buzztap.com/-oCrG7K— Celtics Buzztap (@celticsbuzztap) June 14, 2011
Finally, Olsen happens to have a birthday in common with another big man who didn't play many games (just 24) for the Celtics, Nenad Kristic. Kristic arrived in Boston after being traded by the Oklahoma City Thunder with Jeff Green, a 2012 first-round pick (used to take Fab Melo - R.I.P) and cash for Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson. While he was by no means a scrub, Nenad did not live up to being a starter on a team with title aspirations, logging just 9.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per game in his brief stay with Boston. He would leave the NBA, but managed to land a lucrative deal playing in Russia while the league was stuck in a lockout.
@teamziller Nenad Kristic banged knees with somebody late in 2011 and he was never the same for the Celtics.— Paul Flannery (@Pflanns) January 15, 2013
For more stories about the offseason on CelticsLife, click here. For more by Justin, click here.
Video: OfficialCelticsHD
Follow Justin at @justinquinnn
