Expert: Fabio Anderle - 2/19/2003

Question
Hi Fabio,

  My kids need an answer for a contest:  who are the two players in Celtics history named Green.  I have one, named "Sihugo."  The other?

Thanks.

Answer
Hi, Rick,

yes, there have been two Celtics….. Greens in Boston history. The first one was the Sihugo Green you mentioned, a Duquesne alum who was born on August 20, 1934. “Si” Green is famous because he was selected as the first overall pick in the 1956 draft. That same day, the Celtics drafted  Bill Russell with the second pick.... After eight seasons in the NBA (in Rochester, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Chicago and Baltimore respectively), Si Green was called by “Red” Auerbach to beef up the Celtics roster, and even if seeing limited action (10 games, 92 minutes played at a 3.2 points per game average), he managed to be a part of an NBA champion team. He retired soon after. Sihugo Green passed away on October 4, 1980 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The other Green was Rickey, who was born in Chicago on August 18, 1954. From Michigan University, he was drafted by Golden State in 1977, but was soon traded to Utah where he played the best eight years of his career. Relying on hustle and ballhandling skills, in that stretch he led the league in steals twice and ranked among the top ten in assists four times, being selected for the 1984 All Star Game. When Utah selected John Stockton, though, Green's playing time became to wane, and when the Jazz left him unprotected in the 1988 Expansion Draft, the Charlotte Hornets promptly snatched him up. His journeyman career had begun: he played for Charlotte, Indiana, Milwaukee and Philadelphia before being closing his career as a Celtic in 1991-92. I hope your kids will be happy now!

Fabio