On this day in Boston Celtics history, Red Auerbach announced Bill Russell as the successor to head coach during the 1965-66 NBA season, making Russell the first Black head coach of a major professional sports team in North America. Under Russell's leadership, the Celtics went on to win the 1966 NBA championship, while Auerbach continued as the team's general manager until the late 1980s.
In the 1957 NBA draft on this day, the Celtics selected shooting guard Sam Jones, who later won 10 NBA titles with the team and was a five-time All-Star between 1962 and 1968. Additionally, it marks the birthdays of former Celtics players Andy Duncan, Theo Ratliff, Ed Searcy, and Matt Ryan, each having had brief stints with the team during their careers. Ratliff, in particular, was traded to Boston in 2006 but played only two games due to back problems before being part of a significant trade that brought Kevin Garnett to the Celtics.