Boston Celtics, UConn Huskies share a history of basketball greatness in New England

The Northeastern US is the birthplace of the sport of basketball, and given the success we have seen from the Boston Celtics and UConn Huskies, that ought not to come as a surprise. The Celtics, in fact, have deep ties to the Connecticut Huskies as well, with one Hall of Fame member of the 2008 title crew (Ray Allen) having played for the Huskies at the NCAA level.

More recently, Kemba Walker is a notable UConn alumnus, and if you want to turn back the clock as far as the 1960s, you'll find former UConn forward Toby Kimball and Connecticut center Travis Knight as Boston alumni as well. And the Celtics are eyeing 2026 NBA Draft prospects Tarris Reed Jr. and Alex Karaban as potential draft targets, so that history could be growing again soon. The hosts of "Havlicek Stole the Pod" sat down with Huskies beat writer Dave Borges to talk about this rich New England basketball history between the two regional powerhouses, his new book, and some general sports history for the Northeast.

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They even get into some rumors about Hall of Fame UConn coach Jim Calhoun nearly making the team back in his playing days, so be sure to tune in.

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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Celtics, Huskies share a history of basketball greatness in New England