Today in Boston Celtics history, Paul Douglas Westphal was born in 1950 in Torrance, California. An alum of the USC Trojans basketball program that was graced with his All-American level of play in college, Westphal was picked up with the 10th overall pick of the 1972 NBA Draft by the Celtics, with whom he would play a total of three seasons between 1972 and 1975.
The Californian point guard won an NBA title with Boston in 1974 before he was dealt with draft assets in exchange for Phoenix Suns point guard Charlie Scott in May 1975.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWestphal put up 7.3 points, 1.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game across 224 contests played for the Celtics in the three seasons he was with the franchise.
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Westphal shares that birthday with former Celtic small forward Darren Daye, born on this date in 1960 in Des Moines, Iowa. Daye played for UCLA, and was taken 57th overall by the (then) Washington Bullets (now, Wizards) in the 1983 NBA Draft. The Des Moine native played for that team and the Chicago Bulls before joining the team in December 1986. He played 108 games over two seasons with the team, logging 4.8 points, 1.9 boards, and 1.4 assists per game.
The pair have the same birthday as ex-Boston big Mark Blount, who came into this world on this day in 1975 in Dobbs Ferry, New York. Blount played his NCAA ball with Pitt before being taken by the Seattle SuperSonics with the 54th pick of the 1997 NBA Draft. He played in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) and other domestic leagues as well as overseas before signing with the Celtics for the first time in 2000. We say "first time" because Blount played another stint with the team after leaving for the Denver Nuggets. He recorded 7.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, and an assist per game while with the team.
May 3, 2022; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) drives to the basket while Boston Celtics forward Grant Williams (12) defends in the second half during game two of the second round for the 2022 NBA playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY SportsFinally, the trio have their birthday in common with former Celtic forward Grant Dean Williams, born in 1998 in Houston, Texas. A proud Tennessee Volunteer product where he won 2019 SEC Player of the Year honors, Williams was taken 22nd overall by the Celtics in the 2019 NBA draft.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHe played four seasons with Boston before being signed-and-traded to the Dallas Mavericks in 2023. He averaged 6.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game with Boston.
This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Celtics history: Williams, Westphal, Blount, Daye born
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