"Easy" Ed Macauley, a Hall of Famer who spent six years with the Celtics and whose number 22 hangs in the rafters, passed away yesterday at the age of 83.
Macauley came to the Celtics via the dispersal draft when the St. Louis Bombers folded. He was an All Star in every season in Boston, and was never lower than 10th in the league in scoring during that stretch.
Of course, Macauley is most famously known as the big trade chip for the Celtics in the Bill Russell trade. The C's traded Macauley and Cliff Hagan for Russ… and the rest, as they say, is history.
Easy Ed never won a title with the Celtics, but it's not really a sad story. The St. Louis native was traded back to his hometown Hawks, and won the NBA title in 1958, the year he retired.
Macauley was one of the early dominant big man the NBA has ever seen. Losing him is a sad day for basketball and a sad day for the Celtics family. We know we speak for all Celtics fans when we wish his family the best and send our condolences. Basketball has lost a legend.
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