Today in Boston Celtics history, Marvin Barnes passed away in 2014. A native of Providence, Rhode Island, Barnes was born in 1952 in the smallest of all of the United States. He played his NCAA basketball for the Providence College Friars before the Philadelphia 76ers picked him up with the second overall selection of the 1974 NBA Draft.
The Rhode Islander elected to sign with the Spirits of St. Louis of the American Basketball Association (ABA) instead of signing with the Sixers, playing for that franchise for two seasons before joining the Detroit Pistons in 1976 after the Spirits of St. Louis dispersal draft. The dispersal draft was the result of the ABA-NBA merger when that team did not join the NBA. The Pistons trade Barnes to the Buffalo
Braves in 1977, who in turn dealt him to the Celtics in 1978.
Barnes played 38 games for Boston in the 1978-79 season, averaging 8.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game while with the team.
Birthdays
It is also the birthday of former Boston big man John Thomas, born today in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1975. A standout with the University of Minnesota, Thomas was drafted by the New York Knicks with the 25th pick of the 1995 NBA Draft. He never suited up for New York, however. He was dealt with Dontae' Jones, Walter McCarty, and Scott Brooks (yes, that Scott Brooks) to the Celtics in exchange for Chris Mills and draft assets.
Thomas played only 33 games for Boston in the 1997-98 season. In them, he averaged 3.3 points and 2.1 boards before being traded with Chauncey Billups, Dee Brown, and Roy Rogers to the Toronto Raptors for Kenny Anderson, Popeye Jones, and Žan Tabak in 1998.
This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Today in Boston Celtics history: Marvin Barnes passes; John Thomas born
