On today, January 9th, 1951, future Boston Celtics player and coach Michael Leon "M.L." Carr was born.
M.L., who is one of several former Celtics players to also coach the team (along with Tommy Heinsohn, Satch Sanders, Dave Cowens, Chris Ford, K.C. Jones, and Bill Russell), got his start in pro ball in the American Basketball Association, playing with the Spirits of St. Louis before leaving the league to play for the NBA's Detroit Pistons.
He joined the Celtics in 1979 as a free agent after winning All-Defense Second Team honors with Detroit, helping catapult a floundering Celtics squad back into contention that had plummeted to the bottom of the standings the season before.