Expert: Fabio Anderle - 6/10/2005

Question
I'm confused...Does Ed Mikan and Jack Nichols simultaneously wear the number 16 in the same season at the same time? If Mikan played 9 official games and Nichols 75 games, there is an overlap of 2 games in an 82-game season....

Answer
Hi, Mona,

congratulations on a very interesting question. You pointed out correctly the fact that Jack Nichols and Ed Mikan are listed as playing in the same team and wearing the same jersey number in most of the internet sites and books on the Celtics History. Even Peter Bjarkman's "Boston Celtics Encyclopedia" has both players donning the same jersey during the same season, 1953-'54.... of course this is not possible. In only one book I found Ed Mikan as the Celtics # 15 during that season, but I honestly cannot say if that was his true number or was just a correction by an editor who had found out that Nichols was using # 16 too. In fact I have a photo of Mikan wearing the # 16, so I am a little puzzled too... I'll try harder to shed some light on this little black spot in the Celtics History. In the meantime, congratulations again for your sharp eye...