The Boston Celtics have had 68 different jersey numbers since the early days of the Basketball Association of America (BAA – the league that became today’s NBA) (and three more that were not part of any number series), and have been worn by over 500 players throughout the Celtics’ history.
November 21, 1997: New Jersey Nets guard Sherman Douglas attempts to pass the ball past forward Andrew DeKlerk (center) and Boston Celtics guard Ron Mercer during a game at Fleet Center in Boston, Massachusetts. The Celtics won the game 101-93.
To honor the players who wore these numbers, Celtics News Service reports on the entire history of jersey numbers and the players who have worn them since the franchise’s inception.
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With 25 of those jerseys now retired to honor the greatest Celtics players to ever wear them, there’s a lot of history to look back on.
In today’s article, we will continue to introduce the sixth Boston big man wearing No. 45 jersey among the 13 players, Andrew DeClercq. After finishing his college career at the University of Florida, DeClerk was selected by the Golden State Warriors with the 34th overall pick in the 1995 NBA Draft.
The Detroit, Mich., native spent the first two seasons of his career with the Warriors before signing with Boston in 1997. His stay with the team lasted until 1999 when he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
During his time with the Celtics, De Klerk only wore the No. 45 jersey and averaged 5.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game.
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All statistics and data provided by Basketball Reference.
Listen to “Havlicek Stole the Pod”:
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This article was originally published in Celtic Wired: Celtic Jersey History No. 45 – Andrew de Klerk (1997-99)