On this day in Boston Celtics history, small forward Jamel Thomas made his debut for the team in 1999. An alumnus of the Providence College Friars, Thomas was not selected by any team in the 1999 NBA draft despite his sterling basketball pedigree.
Part of a notable basketball family that included brother Sebastian Telfair and cousin Stephon Marbury, the Celtics saw something in the Brooklyn, New York native, and signed Thomas as a free agent on Dec. 13, 1999. The 6-foot-6 wing only had a three-game tenure with the Celtics, however. His first contest was a 117-88 blowout by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Thomas produced 4 points, 2 assists and a rebound in just over 8 minutes of playing time.
Jamel Thomas's CAREER(1999-2001) Shot Chart:
Volume: MINISCULE | P_11 (percentile)
Shot Skill: MEDIOCRE | P_16
Efficiency: MEDIOCRE | P_19
Efficiency Value: MEDIOCRE | P_28Favorite Zone: MidRange
Best Skill Zone: Restricted
Best Value Zone: Restricted#JamelThomas#Celtics pic.twitter.com/imRrXPR3hs— NBA Shot Charts (@NBAChartBot) December 23, 2018
The New Yorker hit 2 of his 4 field goal attempts, of which none were 3-point attempts, and did not get to the line — but he also did not foul or commit a turnover.
The trio of games Thomas played for the Celtics did not evidently inspire confidence. The former Providence standout was waived on Dec. 23, 1999.
It was on this date in 2005 that the Celtics held the Indiana Pacers to 71 points in an 85-71 win. The 71 points was one of the lowest point totals in modern NBA history.
Boston was led by Paul Pierce’s 25 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists, and Mark Blount’s 22 points and 5 boards.
Today is also the date former Boston big man John Mahnken left us in 2000.
Born in 1922 in West New York, New Jersey, Mahnken played his college ball for Georgetown, serving his country in the U.S. Army in the World War II.
Happy birthday in heaven John Mahnken! #Celtics pic.twitter.com/fSuEF0DRcV
— Honest☘️Larry (@HonestLarry1) June 16, 2021
The Hoya standout played for a number of Basketball Association of America (BAA – a precursor league of the NBA) teams before he was traded by the (then) Tri-Cities Blackhawks (now, Atlanta Hawks) to Boston for Gene Englund in 1950.
He played 199 games over four seasons for the Celtics with a brief stint in-between with the (defunct) Indianapolis Olympians before retiring from the sport in 1953, averaging 3.6 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists.
Finally, 14 years earlier in 1986, former Celtic Dick Mehen passed away.
The Tennessee graduate had been born in Wheeling, West Virginia, in 1922, and signed with the (defunct) Toledo Jeeps of the National Basketball League (NBL – a precursor league of the NBA, not to be confused with today’s NBL of Australia) after going undrafted in the 1947 BAA draft.
Mehen play for that team, the (defunct) Waterloo Hawks and the (also defunct) Baltimore Bullets before he was dealt to Boston for Kenny Sailors and Brady Walker in 1950.
The West Virginian played seven games for the Celtics, averaging 6.3 points, 3.7 boards and 1.6 assists per game.
May both rest in peace.
