As the 2024-25 season nears, it’s time to get to know our new Celtics additions.
Today, we’re diving into some trivia on 23-year-old rookie forward Anton Watson, whom the Celtics selected with the 54th overall pick of the 2024 draft. Here are his five facts:
- Watson was born Oct. 6, 2000, just 10 days after fellow Celtics rookie Baylor Scheierman.
- The 6-foot-8 forward comes from a family of elite athletes. His father, Deon Sr., is the University of Idaho’s all-time leading rebounder and shot-blocker. His brother, Deon Jr. was a receiver for the Idaho football team. And his sister, Haile, played volleyball at Fresno State.
- Watson grew up as a Boston Red Sox fan and hopes to make it to Fenway Park for a game ahead of his rookie season.
- Watson experienced 12 NCAA Tournament wins during his five seasons at Gonzaga, including a trip to the NCAA championship game in 2021.
- Watson ranks second on Gonzaga’s career steals leaderboard with 215 snags. First on the list is Hall-of-Famer John Stockton (262 steals), who also happens to be the NBA’s all-time steals leader.