There are various links between the late actor/pro athlete Chuck Connors and former NBA players Larry Bird and Chuck Person. Connors played for the Boston Celtics in the late 1940's and had the distinction of being the first pro basketball player to break a backboard (per Wikipedia): During his tenure with Celtics in 1946 , Connors became the first professional basketball player to break a backboard . He did so during pre-game practice before the Celtics' first home game of their inaugural season with a shot and not a slam dunk , which is what typically breaks a backboard in modern basketball. He played 53 games for Boston before leaving the team early in the 1947–48 season. Chuck Connors played the role of Lucas McCain in the popular TV series, The Rifleman , in the 1950's. McCain was portrayed as a man of peace - who somehow managed to kill at least one or two bad guys per episode. Chuck Person was named "Chuck" by his parents after Chuck Connors and ...
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