Celtics Trivia Game (2024)

[Fencer reregistered]

Hint: Most of the ones I alluded to relate to championships or Finals appearances. Two do not.

Re-upping because nobody ever answered them, and because doing so seems very much in line with Parl's suggestion.

I think that Chris Ford hold the NBA's "first 3pt shot" ?

That is correct!

[Fencer reregistered]

Tom Heinsohn is second only to Oscar Robertson ... by what criterion?

[Fencer reregistered]

Fill in the blanks:

Willie Naulls was the first ________ .
Willie Naulls was part of the first _______ .

[Parliament10]

Fill in the blanks:

Willie Naulls was the first ________ .
Willie Naulls was part of the first _______ .

I know that Naulls was part of the First All-Black Starting lineup in the NBA, and the Celtics.
Not sure what else he was first at.

[Parliament10]

Name the 10 Players in history, that have played for Both the Celtics and the Lakers?

[Fencer reregistered]

Fill in the blanks:

Willie Naulls was the first ________ .
Willie Naulls was part of the first _______ .

I know that Naulls was part of the First All-Black Starting lineup in the NBA, and the Celtics.
Not sure what else he was first at.

Per Wikipedia, when Naulls was on the Knicks he was the first black team captain.

[Fencer reregistered]

Name the 10 Players in history, that have played for Both the Celtics and the Lakers?

Travis Knight
Rick Fox
Gary Payton
Brian Shaw
Rajon Rondo
Avery Bradley
Mel Counts
Bob McAdoo

Those are the ones who come quickly to mind.

[snowman]

Actually there were 12

Shaq
Don Nelson
Isaiah Thomas
Rondo
Payton
Fox
Bradley
Shaw
McAdoo
Knight
Mel Count
Clyde Lovellette
(had to look that last two up)

[Parliament10]

Name the 10 Players in history, that have played for Both the Celtics and the Lakers?

Travis Knight
Rick Fox
Gary Payton
Brian Shaw
Rajon Rondo
Avery Bradley
Mel Counts
Bob McAdoo

Those are the ones who come quickly to mind.

Don't forget Isaiah Thomas. And then there's one more. I have to double check who it is.
Travis Knight and Mel Counts, actually are on the list. So there's 12.

[Parliament10]

Shaq
Don Nelson
Isaiah Thomas
Rondo
Payton
Fox
Bradley
Shaw
Mcadoo
Clyde Lovellette (had to look that last one up)

I forgot Shaq, myself.

[Fencer reregistered]

Shaq
Don Nelson
Isaiah Thomas
Rondo
Payton
Fox
Bradley
Shaw
Mcadoo
Clyde Lovellette (had to look that last one up)

I forgot Shaq, myself.

Me too.

I guess we can call that a rather LARGE oversight.

[Parliament10]

Shaq
Don Nelson
Isaiah Thomas
Rondo
Payton
Fox
Bradley
Shaw
Mcadoo
Clyde Lovellette (had to look that last one up)

I forgot Shaq, myself.

Me too.

I guess we can call that a rather LARGE oversight.

Yeah. Lol
We could have won that year, if he was healthy.

[Parliament10]

Who are the Celtics, that have been named to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame?

[Fencer reregistered]

Since the 2019-20 teams were just announced:

Which Celtics were named to the NBA's All-Defensive Teams? Which of those were or weren't named specifically to the first team?

Bonus question: Which Celtics made All-Defensive teams when playing with other franchises, but not with the Celtics?

History: The teams were first named for the 1968-9 season, and there have always been exactly two teams.

You can check your answers in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NBA_All-Defensive_Team

I'll list some of my own thoughts in the next post.

[Fencer reregistered]

Obvious Russell-era candidates are Russell, Havlicek and both Joneses.

Given the starting year, however, the better defensive Jones was retired and the other was aging.

Cowens is an obvious thought for the next generation.

Bird we all know was a second-teamer. McHale made first teams. DJ and Parish are possibilities as well.

KG obviously made some teams. Avery Bradley and Rondo were both in the discussion.

Bruce Bowen and Tony Allen are obvious examples of guys who left the Celtics and went on to defensive stardom elsewhere. Bill Walton followed an opposite path. I'm guessing Adrian Griffin and Rick Fox never made the teams.

In the next post I'll match those thoughts against the actual listings.

[Fencer reregistered]

Russell did make first team his final season. Havlicek made it later, as did Cowens.

I was right that the Jones boys didn't make it.

DJ's first team years were mainly over by the time he came to the Cs, but he made it once, along with a bunch of second teams.
I was of course right about Bird and McHale.
Parish never made a team.

Paul Silas made first team, and Don Chaney made second. Indeed, four Celtics made the teams for 1974-5.

There was a long gap from McHale to Garnett.

Rondo and Avery both made first team.

I'd forgotten that Horford made second team.

And now there is Smart.

[Fencer reregistered]

Which number, not yet retired, has been worn by three different Hall of Famers?

The answer I'm thinking of, along with any others I may have overlooked, is in https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/BOS/numbers.html. One of the three is pretty easy to guess. One is tough. One is for a guy who most people probably don't realize ever was a Celtic.

Hint: The number I'm thinking of is in current use.
Further hint: If the number ever is retired, the ceremony is likely to be hilarious, given who two of the previous wearers are.

[Ernest]

I forgot Shaq, myself.

Me too.

I guess we can call that a rather LARGE oversight.

Yeah. Lol
We could have won that year, if he was healthy.

Also Chris Mimh

[Jammer]

Which number, not yet retired, has been worn by three different Hall of Famers?

The answer I'm thinking of, along with any others I may have overlooked, is in https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/BOS/numbers.html. One of the three is pretty easy to guess. One is tough. One is for a guy who most people probably don't realize ever was a Celtic.

Hint: The number I'm thinking of is in current use.
Further hint: If the number ever is retired, the ceremony is likely to be hilarious, given who two of the previous wearers are.

Ignore the below, Cowens number was retired.

Without using google, off the top of my head, #18 was worn by:

Jim Luscutoff 1955-1965 (1955 #5 pick, 8 Championships, not in Hall of Fame)

Bailey Howell 1966-1970 (1959 #2 Pick, Hall of Fame, 6X All-Star, 1X with Celtics (the Celtics had 3 MORE All-Stars the same year)
2 Championships plus played on the 60-21 1967 Team which DID NOT win the championship)

Dave Cowens 1970-1980 (1970 #4 Pick, Hall of Fame, MVP, All-Star Game MVP, 8X All-Star, 2 Championships)

[Jammer]

Which number, not yet retired, has been worn by three different Hall of Famers?

The answer I'm thinking of, along with any others I may have overlooked, is in https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/BOS/numbers.html. One of the three is pretty easy to guess. One is tough. One is for a guy who most people probably don't realize ever was a Celtic.

Hint: The number I'm thinking of is in current use.
Further hint: If the number ever is retired, the ceremony is likely to be hilarious, given who two of the previous wearers are.

Yikes, I looked it up.

Aaron Nesmith wears Sam Jones #24.

Four Hall of Famers wear # 24:

Sam Jones (Celtics)
Rick Barry (Warriors)
Moses Malone (wore a bunch of numbers)
Kobe Bryant

I am absolutely shocked # 24 was not permanently retired. 10 Championships for Sam. I would have at least made Nesmith prove he can be the closer in a playoff game (the go to guy with the game on the line) before letting him wear that number. They should give Nesmith a different jersey tomorrow and wait to see if he deserves to wear that number.