On this day: Thompson, Counts, Bonham drafted; Garnett cut; Jones signed

USA Today

04-05-2025

On this day: Thompson, Counts, Bonham drafted; Garnett cut; Jones signed
On this day in Boston Celtics history, the storied Massachusetts franchise would select four players of note in the 1964 NBA draft, held in New York City as it typically was in that era. They did not however draft future Celtics champion forward Paul Silas, who was instead taken out of Creighton University by the (then) St. Louis (now, Atlanta) Hawks in the second round of the draft with the 10th overall pick (there were many more rounds with far fewer teams in that era of the draft). Silas would play for the Hawks in St. Louis, and after they moved to Atlanta, Georgia as well as the Phoenix Suns before being dealt to Boston in the spring of 1972. There, he would win two banners, be elected to multiple All-Defensive teams, and an All-Star Game -- among many other honors.
Boston instead took center Joe Strawder with the 34th overall pick out of Bradley, but the big man never suited up for the Celtics. He was instead sent to the Detroit Pistons for cash considerations, where he played three seasons. The Celtics also drafted small forward Ron Bonham out of Cincinnati with the 16th overall pick. Bonham would win two rings with Boston, in 1965 and 1966 -- his sole two seasons with the team. He averaged 6.3 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 0.4 assists per game over that stretch. Boston selected big man Mel Counts with the seventh overall pick out of Oregon State, and Counts would also win two championships with the Celtics, again in 1965 and 1966. He played just those two seasons with Boston, recording 6.8 points, 5.8 boards, and 0.6 assists per contest.
Finally, the Celtics drafted center John Thompson, who also played just two seasons with Boston, both banner years, again in 1965 and 1966. Thompson would go on to have a Hall of Fame coaching career immediately after retiring as a player in 1966, averaging 3.5 points, as many boards, and 0.3 assists per game as a Celtic.
It was on this date in 1999 that the team cut Garnett from the roster -- though not the one you are likely thinking of. Guard Marlon Garnett -- no relation to KG -- was waived by the team after a 24-game stint in the 1998-99 NBA season. The Santa Clara alum averaged 2.1 points per game over that stretch.
That same day, Boston signed guard Damon Jones to a rest-of-season deal after the Galveston native played well through a pair of 10-day deals. The former Houston floor general played just 13 games total for the team, logging 5.8 points, 2.4 boards, and 2.2 assists per game as a Celtic.
Sadly, it is also the day in 1993 that we lost small forward Frank Kudelka. An alum of Saint Mary's College of California, Kudelka was signed by the (now defunct) Chicago Stags in 1950 and was picked up by the (also defunct) Washington Capitals in the Stags dispersal draft when that team folded in 1950, only to be picked up by the Celtics a year later when the Capitals went belly up. Kudelka played just 27 games with Boston before the team sold his contract to the (ALSO defunct) Baltimore Bullets in 1951, recording 4.7 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game while with Boston. Rest in peace.