Today in Boston Celtics history, John Thompson was born in Washington, D.C. A onetime player for Providence and a key cog in their 1963 NIT Championship team, Thompson was later drafted by the Celtics with the 25th overall selection of the 1964 NBA Draft. He played only two seasons in a backup role for Boston, called”the Caddy” as a nickname for his role backing up star center Bill Russell, winning a title in each of his two seasons with the Celtics before starting the next phase of his career.
Thompson would retire at the end of that stretch to go into coaching, first coaching at the high school level before taking the job at Georgetown University. There, he would become a transformative mentor and coach, with Hall of Fame players like Allen Iverson crediting Thompson for changing the course of their lives. The former Friar would become the first Black coach to win an NCAA title, and he continues to be held in the highest regard for the role he played in transforming the sport through the relationships he built with players.
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He would change careers again late in life, becoming a basketball analyst for TNT and ESPN, and stayed active in the wider basketball community until his death on August 30, 2020.
Birthdays
Thompson shares his birthday with former Celtic point guard Nate Archibald, who came into this world on this date in 1948 in the south Bronx, New York City, New York. The Bronx native played for UTEP collegiately and was drafted 19th overall by the (then) Cincinnati Royals (now, Sacramento Kings) in the 1970 NBA Draft.
BOSTON – 1982: Nate “Tiny” Archibald #7 of the Boston Celtics poses for a portrait in 1982 at the Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1982 NBAE (Photo by Dick Raphael/NBAE via Getty Images)
He played for them, the (then) New York Nets (now, Brooklyn), and Buffalo Braves before that latter team dealt him to Boston when the two franchises were traded as well (long, weird, fascinating story). Archibald played five seasons with the Celtics, winning a title with the team in 1981, and averaged 12.5 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game with the team.
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Transactions
It is the date that wing Marquis Daniels signed with the team as an unrestricted free agent in 2009.
Mar 23, 2012; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Boston Celtics guard Marquis Daniels (4) during the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center. The Sixers defeated the Celtics 99-86. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports
The Auburn product played a total of 138 games over parts of three seasons with the Celtics (including that scary fall we will never forget), averaging 4.9 points, 2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game with the team.
Daniels left the team in 2012 to join the Milwaukee Bucks.
Rest in Peace
Finally, it is also the date of the passing of former Boston big man Bob Kinney, who left this world on September 2, 1985. Born September 16, 1920, in Bexar County, Texas, Kinney would play his NCAA ball at Rice, joining the (now) Fort Wayne Pistons (now, Detroit) of the National Basketball League (NBL — a predecessor league of the NBA) in 1945.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – APRIL 20: A view of the Boston Celtics Championship Banners at TD Garden on April 20, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
He was dealt for cash to the Celtics in January 1949 and played two seasons with the team between that year and 1950. Kinney logged 10.8 points and 1.6 assists per game with Boston, rebounds yet to be recorded in that era.
This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Celtics history: Thompson, Archibald born; Daniels signs; Kinney passes