​Today in Boston Celtics history, Frank Ramsey Jr. was born in Corydon, Kentucky, in 1931. As a young athlete, Ramsey participated in multiple sports at the collegiate level, but he distinguished himself in basketball for the University of Kentucky Wildcats in the NCAA ranks. The Corydon native also played baseball under the guidance of renowned Kentucky coach Adolph Rupp, and later helped his Wildcats win the NCAA title in 1951, defeating the Kansas State Wildcats. That championship season occurred just as Kentucky faced a severe setback: a point-shaving scandal that shook the sport and dominated headlines. Ramsey and Lou Tsioropoulos were not among those accused. The scandal sent shockwaves through the game, and it ended the senior season for Ramsey and Tsioropoulos, who would later become teammates with the Celtics, as well as Cliff Hagan, another future NBA player. The trio graduated in 1953 and were all drafted by Boston, with Hagan’s rights later traded to another team; Ramsey went fifth overall. With one year of eligibility left, the trio returned to Kentucky despite their Celtics drafts, and together they won all 25 of their regular-season games, finishing the campaign ranked No. 1 nationally. The Wildcats ultimately declined their NCAA tournament invite, since rules at the time barred graduate students from participating in the tournament.
In 1950, Frank Ramsey, wearing the Celtics’ #23, was photographed during a mock action portrait—a moment captured for posterity in the early years of his professional career. Note: by downloading or using this photograph, the user consents to the Getty Images License Agreement.
Ramsey’s Celtics career was interrupted by military service after his rookie season in 1954-55, yet he would help the franchise claim its first title in 1957. He went on to win six more consecutive championships from the 1959-60 season through the 1963-64 season, a period during which he helped pioneer a pivotal role in the NBA—the sixth man. His contributions earned him a place in the Hall of Fame, decades after he retired from playing in 1981. Ramsey even ventured into coaching briefly in the American Basketball Association (ABA), then the NBA’s rival league before the 1978 merger. He led his hometown Kentucky Colonels to the ABA Finals, where they were defeated by the Utah Stars, who were coached by Ramsey’s former Celtics teammate Bill Sharman. Frank Ramsey died at age 86, passing away peacefully at home after a post-basketball career as a bank president.
This tribute honors a seven-time champion Celtics forward who left an indelible mark on the game, both as a star and as a trailblazer for a prominent bench role in the NBA. Rest in peace to Frank Ramsey.