Today in Boston Celtics history, DeCovan Kadell "Dee" Brown was born in Jacksonville, Florida in 1968. Brown play ed his NCAA ball with Jacksonville University, from which he was picked up by the Celtics with the 19th overall selection of the 1990 NBA Draft.
In his first season playing with the storied ball club, the high-flying guard earned himself First Team All-Rookie honors, and he of course famously won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest in his second season with his iconic no-look dunk. The Jacksonville alum played parts of eight seasons with Boston between 1990 and 1998.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHe averaged 11.6 points, 2.7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1.4 steals per game over that stretch.
Other Birthdays
It is also the birthday of former Celtic guard Jerry Lee Sichting, born this day in 1956 in Martinsville, Indiana. An alumnus of Purdue, Sichting led his college squad to an NIT title game, losing to in-state rival Indiana before being taken 82nd overall (there were many more rounds in that era) of the 1979 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors. He would not suit up for them though, instead spending his first two seasons out of college in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA -- that era's version of the G League).
Sichting landed a deal with the Indiana Pacers, with whom he played five seasons before he was dealt to the Celtics in 1985, with whom he won a title the following summer. He played parts of three seasons with Boston before being dealt to the Portland Trail Blazers in 1988, averaging 5.9 points, 1.2 boards, and 2.4 assists per game.
Mar 5, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; The Boston Celtics logo is seen on the court before the game between the Boston Celtics and the Portland Trail Blazers at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn ImagesThe pair share their birthday with yet another Celtic point guard, Charles Edward Smith IV. Smith was born on this date in 1967 in Washington, District of Columbia, and spent his college years playing for the Georgetown Hoyas, from which he went unselected in the 1989 NBA Draft.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementSmith played 65 games over two seasons for Boston, putting up 2.8 points, 1.1 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game. The DC native spent stints in the CBA interrupted by a prison term for vehicular homicide, and finished his career in the league with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Celtics history: Brown, Sichting, Smith born
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