Over the years, the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks have supplied the NBA with some all-time classic moments and matchups.
In most recent years, both sides have rejuvenated their rivalry while fighting to be top-dog in the Eastern Conference. But along the ride of their respective histories, both the Celtics and Bucks have been home to some common memorable names.
With that being said, here are four memorable names to take the floor in both a Celtics and Bucks uniform during their NBA careers:
Dave Cowens (1970-1983)
Career-high with Celtics: 39 points on Jan. 16, 1976 (vs. Philadelphia 76ers)
Career-high with Bucks: 16 points on Dec. 23, 1982 (vs. Atlanta Hawks)
Cowens, better known as “Big Red,” quickly earned recognition as an all-time fan favorite when the Celtics were forced to transition from the Bill Russell era. If there were a such thing as Tommy Points during Cowens’ time in Boston, he’d be in contention on a night-to-night basis. Despite leaning toward the more undersized side when he played center during his 10 seasons with the Celtics, Cowens also delivered a never quit attitude to the floor.
Through his decade with the Celtics, Cowens made eight All-Star appearances and helped raise two championship banners in the old Boston Garden. And along the ride came plenty of highlight-reel performances, such as Game 1 of the 1976 NBA Finals when Cowens scored 25 points and grabbed 21 rebounds against the Phoenix Suns en route to his first ring.
In 1976, the Celtics honored Cowens by retiring his No. 18, which remains hanging in the rafters among 23 others, at TD Garden.
After a two-year retirement stint, Cowens returned for another farewell campaign in 1982-83 as a member of the Bucks. And while Boston proceeded to meet and eliminate Milwaukee in the Eastern Conference Finals that year, Cowens, who was 34 years old at the time, sat out the entire series with a knee injury.
Ray Allen (1996-2014)
Career-high with Celtics: 36 points on Jan. 11, 2009 (vs. Toronto Raptors)
Career-high with Bucks: 47 points on Apr. 14, 2002 (vs. Charlotte Hornets)
One of three members assembled by former Celtics general manager Danny Ainge to form the “Big 3,” Allen joined forces with Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett for an unforgettable run back in 2008.
However, before Ainge was able to bring Allen to Boston, the sharp-shooter himself kicked off his career in Milwaukee where he was acquired from the Minnesota Timberwolves on draft night in exchange for Stephon Marbury in 1996. There, Allen would quickly make a name for himself, compiling a scoring average of 19.6 points while shooting 40.6% from beyond the arc in seven seasons with the Bucks. His playstyle would vaguely resemble what was showcased in Boston, serving as much more than just a jump shooter.
Fast forward four years later, where as a member of the Seattle Supersonics, Allen was traded to the Celtics in exchange for Delonte West, Wally Szczerbiak and the 2007 NBA Draft’s No. 5 overall pick — Jeff Green. As expected, Allen quickly became one of Boston’s most crucial scoring threats over the course of their NBA Finals-winning campaign in 2007-08. And through that journey, Allen delivered in the clutch. Whether it’d be his 51-point night in triple-overtime against the prime Derrick Rose-led Chicago Bulls in Game 6 or nailing eight 3-pointers against the New York Knicks en route to a 2-0 lead at Madison Square Garden — a series he kicked off with a buzzer-beater win in Game 1.
Needless to say, the Celtics got the best usage of Allen.
Sam Cassell (1993-2009)
Career-high with Celtics: 22 points on Apr. 14, 2008 (vs. New York Knicks)
Career-high with Bucks: 16 points on March 3, 2001 (vs. Chicago Bulls)
Arriving in Milwaukee before Boston during his playing career, Cassell became a solid scoring option throughout his five-year stint with the Bucks.
Upon his arrival, the Bucks ended their seven-year playoff drought. But that proved to be just a slight improvement as Milwaukee was eliminated in the first round three out of four seasons with Cassell while missing contention in 2002 and coming up short in the Conference Finals in 2001. There Cassell averaged 19 points with 7.2 assists and four rebounds in a Bucks uniform.
Then, when Ainge came knocking in 2008, Cassell answered.
With his prime seasons well behind him, Cassell elected to take a backseat and join the Celtics on a one-year deal. And that move paid off swimmingly for both sides. The Celtics were stacked from top to bottom, led by a trio of Hall of Fame talents and plenty of depth to support them. In the NBA Finals, against the Los Angeles Lakers, Cassell played 10.1 minutes off the bench. In Game 1, he opened up the series with eight points on 44.4% shooting in 13 minutes. Then in the series-clincher, Cassell scored nine points with two assists, shooting 50% from the field in 18 minutes en route to banner 17.
Malcolm Brogdon (2016-present)
Career-high with Celtics: 39 points on Jan. 14, 2023 (vs. Charlotte Hornets)
Career-high with Bucks: 32 points on Jan. 22, 2018 (vs. Phoenix Suns)
After being drafted 36th overall in the second round of the 2016 NBA Draft, Brogdon didn’t take too long to get acclimated to the league. At 24 years old, Brogdon was named 2017 Rookie of the Year after his first 75 games with the Bucks. And he quickly established himself as a reliable guard within that three-year stint.
With Milwaukee, Brogdon experienced back-to-back first-round playoff exits in 2017 and 2018 then elimination in the Conference Finals in 2019. All while his scoring average and shooting splits saw improvement with Brogdon also gaining more playing time on the court.
And after a second three-year stint, this time with the Indiana Pacers after a sign-and-trade deal from the Bucks in 2019, Boston made its move.
Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens, fresh off a gut-wrenching NBA Finals loss to the Golden State Warriors, quickly got back to work. And while retooling during the offseason, Stevens addressed a clear need for depth within the Celtics. That’s when he acquired Brogdon, who has since flourished off the bench in Boston.
Much of the team’s league-best success must be credited to Brogdon, who is averaging 14.7 points on 48.2% shooting in 25.3 minutes for head coach Joe Mazzulla — providing starter-level production off the bench continuously.
(Somewhat) Honorable Mention – Jabari Parker
Career-high with Celtics: 18 points on May 16, 2021 (vs. New York Knicks)
Career-high with Bucks: 36 points on Feb. 29, 2016 (vs. Houston Rockets)
Before even making his NBA debut, Parker was highly regarded as one of the future franchise faces of the league. His pre-draft hype was comparable to that of Lonzo Ball and a tier below Zion Williamson.
Well, that hype never translated. In fact, not even close.
The Bucks selected Parker 2nd overall in the 2014 NBA Draft, and unlike fellow draft class members like Marcus Smart, he was out of the league after eight seasons.
His best season of 20.1 points came in 2016-17 when he shot 49% from the field. But that level of production was never again replicated. Instead, Milwaukee was forced to bite the bullet of what became a draft bust rather than their future cornerstone.
Parker played journeyman and ended up with the Celtics for 22 games through two seasons. He averaged just 5.3 points and played 11.4 minutes, which amounted to Parker’s closing chapter in his NBA playing career.
