Today in Boston Celtics history, Vincent Lamont "Vin" Baker was born in Lake Wales, Florida in 1971. Baker played his NCAA basketball at the University of Hartford in Connecticut, where he won America East Player of the Year in 1993 before he was picked up with the eighth overall pick by the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA draft that same year.
The future Celtic made the 1994 NBA All-Rookie First Team in his first season in the league, and play stints with the Bucks and the (then) Seattle Supersonics (now, Oklahoma City Thunder) before he joined Boston's roster in 2002 via trade from Seattle. The Hartford alum developed problems with his weight and alcoholism that ultimately led to his being suspended and released from the team in February 2004.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBaker eventually turned things around after a few more stints in the league, returning to Milwaukee as an assistant coach in 2018. He averaged 7.7 points and 4.6 rebounds over two seasons with the Celtics.
Birthdays
It is also the birthday of former Boston wing Earl Shannon. Born this day in 1921 in Providence, Rhode Island, Shannon played for the hometown University of Rhode Island collegiately, and after he remained local with the Providence Steamrollers of the Basketball Association of America (BAA -- a precursor league to the NBA).
Mar 5, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; The Boston Celtics logo is seen on the court before the game between the Boston Celtics and the Portland Trail Blazers at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn ImagesHe joined Boston as a free agent in 1949, for whom he played just 5 games, averaging 1 point per game across them.
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It is also the date that forward Justin Reed made his debut for the team in 2004 in a 106-96 road loss to the Indiana Pacers.
Justin Reed (9) of the Boston Celtics has the ball batted away by Zydrunas Ilgauskas (behind) of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the fourth quarter of their NBA game at the Q Arena in Cleveland, Ohio November 22, 2005. Cavaliers won 115-93. REUTERS/Ron KuntzThe Ole Miss alum did not have much of a chance to do anything in his sole minute of playing time, going scoreless across the board.
Rest in Peace
Finally, it is also the date that former owner of the team Marjorie Dennison Hall Brown passed away in 2000. Husband of the team's creator and first owner Walter A. Brown, she became the Celtics' second owner after her husband passed away in 1964, with her and minority owner splitting ownership 50/50 with minority owner Louis Pieri.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JUNE 17: Confetti covers the Boston Celtics logo after Boston's 106-88 win against the Dallas Mavericks in Game Five of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden on June 17, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)Brown and Pieri both sold their shares to the Ruppert Knickerbocker Brewing Company -- a subsidiary of Marvin Kratter's National Equities -- in 1965. Rest in peace.
This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Celtics history: Baker, Shannon born; Reed debuts; Brown passes
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