Today in Boston Celtics history, the team signed forward David Thirdkill as a free agent in 1985. The Sheriff — as Thirdkill was sometimes called — was a native of St. Louis, Missouri who played his NCAA ball in Peoria, Illinois at Bradley, where he would win Second Team All-Missouri Valley Conference with the Braves.
He was drafted with the 15th overall pick of the 1982 NBA draft by the Phoenix Suns, for whom Thirdkill would play for just one season before being dealt away to play for the Detroit Pistons. He would later have stints with the Milwaukee Bucks and San Antonio Spurs before joining the Celtics. ”Being with the Celtics, the tradition, the players, the championship caliber of the ball club, is great,” Thirdkill said in an interview with the Chicago Tribune’s Sam Smith soon after signing with Boston.
”Who in America wouldn’t want to play for the Celtics? They all work hard.”
The St. Louis native would win a title with Boston in 1986 in a reserve role, and would go on to have a successful overseas career after his time with the Celtics.
Over two seasons and 66 games with Boston, Thirdkill averaged 2.8 points and 1.3 rebounds per game.