Today with the Boston Celtics Chris Ford was born in 1949 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. After playing NCAA basketball at Villanova, Ford began his NBA career with Boston’s longtime rival, the Detroit Pistons. In 1978, the Atlantic City native was traded to the Celtics by Earl Tatum, which was the final stop of his playing career. Ford never left Boston as a player, spending his final four seasons in the league with the team before making the leap to the other side of the clipboard.
He stayed with the team for four more years as an assistant and eventual coach, winning a championship as a player with the Celtics in 1981 and as an assistant coach in 1984 and ’86. Ford’s coaching career ended with head coaching stints with the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Clippers, a stint as head coach at Brandeis University, and then a return to the professional ranks as an assistant and interim head coach with the Philadelphia 76ers. He went on to serve as a team scout and most recently as a coaching consultant for the New York Knicks.
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Ford is also known for making the league’s first three-pointer on October 12, 1979 at home against the Houston Rockets, a game that also happened to be the debut of Celtics legend Larry Bird.
Birthday
It’s also the birthday of former Celtics guard Tony Allen, who was born on this day in 1982 in Chicago, Illinois. He was selected with the 25th overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft out of Oklahoma State, where he developed into the defensive threat he is known for today. While Allen wasn’t a key player on the 2008 championship team, his consistent efforts throughout the regular season and Green career made him a fan favorite.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (right) clashes with Boston Celtics player Tony Allen (left) and teammate Kendrick Perkins (center) before the Boston Celtics won 103-94 in Game 2 of the NBA Finals at Staples Center in Los Angeles on June 6, 2010. The defending champion Los Angeles Lakers are not only seeking their 16th NBA championship, but also redemption after a shocking loss to the Boston Celtics last year. 2008 NBA Finals. The Lakers are still immersed in the bitterness of their humiliating loss in the Finals two years ago. AFP Photo/Mark RALSTON (Photo credit should be MARK RALSTON/AFP via Getty Images)
Finally, it’s also the birthday of Larry Robinson, who played a game for the Celtics in 1991. Robinson was born in Bossier City, Louisiana, and played at Centenary College, the alma mater of his more famous cousin. Celtics history buffs may speculate that Robinson is related to Robert Parish, even though the former played far less NBA basketball. In 1994, he won the championship with the Houston Rockets, but only scored 2 points, 2 rebounds and 1 assist in his only game with the Celtics.
This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Celtics History: Chris Ford, Tony Allen, Larry Robinson Births