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From Haverhill High to the TD Garden: North Shore native Noah Vonleh makes Celtics roster

By Bryan Lambert, Boston 25 News Staff

Boston Celtics v Charlotte Hornets GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA - OCTOBER 07: Noah Vonleh #24 of the Boston Celtics attempts a shot against Jalen McDaniels #6 of the Charlotte Hornets during the third quarter of the game at Greensboro Coliseum Complex on October 07, 2022 in Greensboro, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) (Jared C Tilton/Getty Images)

By Bryan Lambert, Boston 25 News Staff

A decade ago, Noah Vonleh was carving out a path for himself as a young prospect playing for a maximum crowd capacity of 1,000 at Haverhill High School. Now with a year of college, 8 NBA stops and a stint in China between him and his North Shore playing days, Vonleh will once again call a Bay State basketball court home. This one with a capacity of 19,156.

According to a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the forward/ center has reportedly made the Celtics roster after a strong preseason.

Although Vonleh did not gain national attention as a prospect until transferring to New Hampton High School in New Hampshire as a junior, it was in Haverhill that Vonleh went from watching the likes of Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker to believing he could make the Association one day.

The ninth overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft, Vonleh has struggled to find a permanent professional landing spot. The only team that Vonleh has lasted a more than a year with was his stint with the Portland Trailblazers from 2015 to 2018. Although the offense skillset that scouts foresaw as a five-star prospect at Indiana University never materialized, the lengthy 6′10″ big man has always been a useful rebounding force.

After spending the 2021-2022 NBA season with the Shangai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association, Vonleh is hoping to launch the second act of his NBA career by being a contributor for a team with championship aspirations.

The 27-year-old had a strong training camp and preseason, averaging an efficient 7.3 points and 7.3 rebound per game. His .857 shooting percentage was the second highest in the preseason amongst those that averaged three or more shot attempts per game.

Vonleh should provide some much-needed rebounding for a Celtics team has already lost two members of its frontcourt, Robert Williams and Danilo Gallinari, to injury before the regular season has even began.

The Celtics open up the regular season with a 7:30 p.m. tip-off against the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night.

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