On this day in Boston Celtics history, big man Jim Barnes passed away at age 61 in 2002. Barnes, a native of Tuckerman, Arkansas, played his college basketball at the University of Texas-El Paso and was selected with the top overall pick of the 1964 NBA draft by the New York Knicks.
“Bad News” Barnes (as he was sometimes called) played with that team, the (then) Baltimore Bullets (now, Washington Wizards), Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls before having his rights sold by the Bulls to the Celtics in 1968. Hampered by injury at this point in his career, Hampton still helped the Celtics in the regular season on their way to a title in 1969, backing up Bill Russell in his two seasons with the team.
Barnes averaged 5.6 points and 4.3 rebounds per game as a Celtic.