Today in Boston Celtics history, Boston big man alum Dave Popson signed with the storied ball club.
Today in Boston Celtics history, Boston big man alum Dave Popson signed with the storied ball club as a free agent in 1990. The 6-foot-10 forward played his NCAA basketball with UNC. He was drafted by the Detroit Pistons with the 88th overall pick (there were several more rounds to the draft in that era) of the 1987 NBA Draft.
The Kingston, Pennsylvania native briefly suited up with the Los Angeles Clippers and Miami Heat before joining the Celtics. He also had stints playing in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) and overseas, playing for clubs based in both France and Spain.
Popson played just 19 games for Boston, averaging 1.8 points per game with the team.
Bubble history
It is also the date the Celtics defeated the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the 2020 NBA playoffs at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex during the COVID-19 pandemic. Boston beat Philadelphia, 109-101, despite 26 points, 16 rebounds, and 2 steals from Sixers big man Joel Embiid. Rising star small forward Jayson Tatum exploding for 32 points, 13 boards, and 3 blocks for the Celtics, then a playoff career high.
"It's true that Jayson Tatum to start was excellent," said 76ers head coach Brett Brown via the Associated Press. "You have to give them credit for how good they are at creating their own shot."
"Philly, they're not going to go away," Tatum suggested. "They're a tough team. It's the playoffs. You've got to come together as a team. You've got to play hard. You ain't going to be perfect. That's what we did. We came together and stuck it out."
This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Celtics history: Dave Popson deal: Win G1 of ORL bubble vs. 76ers
Category: Basketball
