Don Barksdale's Celtics Legacy

0:00On March 31st, on this day in 1923, Don Barksdale dropped into the world in Oakland, California, a trailblazer who lit up basketball. Courts. He balled at UCLA, snagging the first all-American nod for an African-American in NCAA history. Then he grabbed gold at the 1948 Olympics, the first black player to do so before hitting the pro leagues. Barksdale bounced around early clubs, landed with the old Baltimore Bullets, then got traded to the Boston Celtics quick. Over two seasons in green, he posted 9 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists a game. But ankle injuries cut his run short. Fast forward to 1948, when the Celtics notched their very first playoff W, edging out the Chicago Stags 81 to 77 in. The old BAA playoffs. They dropped the series two games to one, but that win kicked off Boston's deep playoff legacy. Back to the 1959 draft in Cincinnati, where the Celtics scooped John Richter 8th overall

1:02from NC State. The Philly Big Man stuck for one year, averaged 4.3 points and 4.7 boards, and snagged a ring in 1960 as a bench. Guy. They also grabbed Gene Gorelia 16th from George Washington, who held down small forward for four seasons, went in titles every year with three. Point two, points, and 2.3 rebounds career. Celtics history stays stacked with these gems. That's your update from Boston Celtics News today, powered by AI.