The Boston Celtics have traded for, signed, and drafted players from nearly every U.S. state and countries across the globe. From Alabama to Yugoslavia, the Celtics have a history of thoroughly seeking talent to succeed in the NBA.
Since their beginnings in the Basketball Association of America (a precursor league of the NBA) in the earliest years of the Association, the organization has tirelessly searched for talent since its inception.
In this installment of our series documenting the origins of every player who has represented the Celtics, we will focus on players from Arkansas who have played for Boston.
Our focus in this article is Jim Barnes. An alum of Texas-El Paso, he was picked up with the first overall selection of the 1964 NBA Draft
by the New York Knicks.
The Tuckerman, Arkansas native played the first 2 seasons of his pro career with New York. He also played for the (then) Baltimore Bullets (now, Washington Wizards), Los Angeles Lakers, and Chicago Bulls before he had his contract sold to the Boston Celtics in 1968. His stay with the team lasted until his contract was sold to the Bullets again in 1970.
During his time suiting up for the Celtics, Barnes put up 5.6 points and 4.3 rebounds per game.
All stats and data courtesy of Basketball Reference.
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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Every player from Arkansas to play for the Boston Celtics - Jim Barnes
