On this day in Boston Celtics history in 1941, big man and NCAA coaching legend John Thompson was born in Washington D.C. A former player for the Providence College Friars and a key part of their 1963 NIT Championship squad, Thompson would be later drafted by the Celtics with the 25th overall pick of the 1964 NBA draft.
He would play just two seasons in a reserve role for Boston, nicknamed “the Caddy” for his role backing up star big man Bill Russell, winning a title for his troubles 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.