Celtics Trivia Game (2024)

[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.

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.

Sorry; I wasn't clear. Three Hall of Famers wore the same number for the Celtics without it ever getting retired.

Further hints: All three HoFers played for the Celtics in the 1970s. But if you listed the top three notable Celtics to have worn it, you'd probably have either zero or one of the HoFers on that list.

As for #24 -- somebody had a brain cramp. Of course it's retired. Notwithstanding what various sites say, Nesmith actually wears #26.

Watch on YouTube

[Jammer]

OK, without looking up which Celtics wore the same number that are in the Hall of Fame, but did not have their number retired as Celtics, the following Celtics come to mind:

Paul Westphal - #44 I think ?
Pete Maravich - did he wear #44 ?
Maybe Bob McAdoo ?
Don''t think that it's Dave Bing

After posting the above 4 guesses, I now just looked it up:

Paul Westphal, Pete Maravich and Dave Bing. Maravich and Bing are former NBA Season Scoring Leaders. Westphal was First Team All-NBA 3X. Maravich and Bing came to the Celtics as Free Agents at the end of their careers.

[Parliament10]

Who has worn the #11, on the Celtics?

[JediMasterRevan]

Who has worn the #11, on the Celtics?

Doesnt Pritchard wear 11?

[Parliament10]

Who has worn the #11, on the Celtics?

Doesnt Pritchard wear 11?

Yeah.
Who else has worn it, over the course of the Celtics?

[JediMasterRevan]

Who has worn the #11, on the Celtics?

Doesnt Pritchard wear 11?

Yeah.
Who else has worn it, over the course of the Celtics?

He who shall not be named I believe

[Fencer reregistered]

Doesnt Pritchard wear 11?

Yeah.
Who else has worn it, over the course of the Celtics?

He who shall not be named I believe

Enes too, of course.

Jerry Sichting was in the low teens, but I don't think that low. 12?

[Fencer reregistered]

OK. I just looked up the list of #11s. It's long. Really long. In fact, more Celtics have worn #11 than any other number. They include:
-- The incoming player in two long-ago dubious trades.
-- A "milestone" player.
-- His famous namesake.

[Fencer reregistered]

OK, without looking up which Celtics wore the same number that are in the Hall of Fame, but did not have their number retired as Celtics, the following Celtics come to mind:

Paul Westphal - #44 I think ?
Pete Maravich - did he wear #44 ?
Maybe Bob McAdoo ?
Don''t think that it's Dave Bing

After posting the above 4 guesses, I now just looked it up:

Paul Westphal, Pete Maravich and Dave Bing. Maravich and Bing are former NBA Season Scoring Leaders. Westphal was First Team All-NBA 3X. Maravich and Bing came to the Celtics as Free Agents at the end of their careers.

Good answer.

I actually had another one in mind, and will now rephrase the question as:

What Celtic number was worn by 2 HoF NBA stars and another HoFer, but isn't officially retired yet?

That's ridiculously hard because of the third guy, but the two stars should be easier to guess.

[SMTBSI]

OK. I just looked up the list of #11s. It's long. Really long. In fact, more Celtics have worn #11 than any other number.

I looked it up too. Almost put it here in a spoiler, but thought better of it. It's been worn far more often than not throughout our history.

For example: only '07 and '17 prevent it from having been worn continuously since '96.

In the early days, it was worn by a lot of dudes named "Chuck".

[Fencer reregistered]

OK. I just looked up the list of #11s. It's long. Really long. In fact, more Celtics have worn #11 than any other number.

I looked it up too. Almost put it here in a spoiler, but thought better of it. It's been worn far more often than not throughout our history.

For example: only '07 and '17 prevent it from having been worn continuously since '96.

In the early days, it was worn by a lot of dudes named "Chuck".

Yep. 3 of the guys referenced in my short list of bullet points above were 2 Chucks and a Charlie. The other was the guy who arrived in the most famous bad trade of the Red Auerbach era, but then went out in another deal that proved to be very favorable.

People who can't figure out exactly who I mean in the previous paragraph might enjoy refreshing their memory of Celtics history.

[chakdaddy]

What about #20? Gary Payton. Ray Allen and Gordon Hayward make it hilarious.

#5 of course has a similar story with KG/Walton

[Fencer reregistered]

What about #20? Gary Payton. Ray Allen and Gordon Hayward make it hilarious.

#5 of course has a similar story with KG/Walton

#5 is what I was thinking of this time around. But the third HoFer, as noted above, is so non-obvious he'd probably need to be looked up.

[LoquaciousLarry]

I know this is an off topic question but its kind of trivia... does anybody remember the final game of Paul Pierces rookie season?

[ScottieJ]

I know this is an off topic question but its kind of trivia... does anybody remember the final game of Paul Pierces rookie season?

https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/199905050BOS.html

[LoquaciousLarry]

I know this is an off topic question but its kind of trivia... does anybody remember the final game of Paul Pierces rookie season?

https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/199905050BOS.html

Yes sir, I was mentioning it because I wasn't sure if anyone remembered Pierce hitting back to back 3's in the final minute of that game to send Boston to overtime. The first 3 even had the Don Nelson bounce to drop. Even as a rookie, Paul was super clutch.

Watch on YouTube

[chakdaddy]

What about #20? Gary Payton. Ray Allen and Gordon Hayward make it hilarious.

#5 of course has a similar story with KG/Walton

#5 is what I was thinking of this time around. But the third HoFer, as noted above, is so non-obvious he'd probably need to be looked up.

Didn't know John Bagley was in the HOF

[chakdaddy]

What about #20? Gary Payton. Ray Allen and Gordon Hayward make it hilarious.

#5 of course has a similar story with KG/Walton

#5 is what I was thinking of this time around. But the third HoFer, as noted above, is so non-obvious he'd probably need to be looked up.

Keep thinking Chuck Connors is in the mix somewhere. The third is obviously a non NBA superstar. Dino Radja is a good one for these trivia questions too.

[Fencer reregistered]

What about #20? Gary Payton. Ray Allen and Gordon Hayward make it hilarious.

#5 of course has a similar story with KG/Walton

#5 is what I was thinking of this time around. But the third HoFer, as noted above, is so non-obvious he'd probably need to be looked up.

Keep thinking Chuck Connors is in the mix somewhere. The third is obviously a non NBA superstar. Dino Radja is a good one for these trivia questions too.

HoF college coach, actually. Played in the Russell era. If you named 3 college coaches from the 1980s, you'd be unlikely to omit him.

[Ernest]

Which Celtic got into a fight with Shaq?