Feb. 27, 2026, 5:02 a.m. CT<\/p>\n
Wisconsin basketball great John Tonje made his NBA regular-season debut on Wednesday night.<\/p>\n
The Wisconsin standout went scoreless in four minutes off the bench during the Boston Celtics’ 97-81 win over the Phoenix Suns<\/a>. He missed his only shot attempt and committed one personal foul.<\/p>\n Tonje began his rookie year with the Utah Jazz<\/a>, who selected him in the second round of the 2025 NBA draft. After starting the year with Utah’s G League affiliate, Tonje was sent to the Celtics<\/a> before the early-February trade deadline. He appeared in two games with the Maine Celtics (G League), averaging 33.7 minutes, 25 points and 5 1\/2 rebounds during that short sample. The NBA club then signed Tonje to a 10-day contract on Feb. 19, leading to Wednesday’s debut.<\/p>\n Tonje will have his work cut out for him to remain on the Celtics’ active roster. The team is back in action on Friday against the Brooklyn Nets<\/a>, then continues with a matchup on Sunday, March 1, against the Philadelphia 76ers<\/a>. Tonje’s 10-day contract expires after the 76ers game, unless the Celtics choose to extend him.<\/p>\n Contact\/Follow\u00a0@TheBadgersWire<\/a>\u00a0on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion<\/p>\n Need a news break? Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!<\/a>