John Tonje's journey over the past few months has been nothing short of a rollercoaster. The 24-year-old guard found himself on the move from the Utah Jazz to the Boston Celtics in a trade involving Chris Boucher. Now, as the Celtics' third two-way player, Tonje is making waves both in the G League and the NBA.
After splitting his time between the Maine Celtics and Boston, Tonje made his NBA debut on February 24th. Just days later, he notched his first NBA points against the Brooklyn Nets at TD Garden.
Reflecting on his rapid rise, Tonje shared, “It all happened fast, it kind of caught me by surprise. But I’m blessed to be in this position.”
Tuesday night marked a standout performance for Tonje in the G League. He erupted for 42 points, shooting 12 of 20 from the field and draining 8 of 10 from beyond the arc.
This stellar effort propelled the Maine Celtics to a 119-112 victory over the Osceola Magic, pushing their record to 14-16. The Magic, meanwhile, lead the Eastern Conference with a 19-8 record.
Before his trade, Tonje was making his mark with the Salt Lake City Stars, the Jazz’s G League affiliate. Over 32 games, he averaged 18 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.4 assists.
This followed an impressive NCAA Tournament run with the Wisconsin Badgers, where he averaged 19.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. His college career also included four seasons at Colorado State and a year at Missouri.
A fun fact about Tonje is his history with Baylor Scheierman, his high school AAU teammate in Nebraska. Scheierman recalls Tonje as a versatile scorer and solid defender, noting, “He can score in a variety of ways.
He’s a good defender. Those are the two biggest things that stood out to me back in those days.”
Drafted 53rd overall by the Jazz, Tonje expected to spend some time in Utah. However, his journey took him to Boston, where he’s quickly adapting to a new team environment.
“I think it’s the culture - just the way that everyone is bought in. There’s a little bit of aura, for lack of a better term, on the team,” he said.
Currently, Tonje is honing his skills with the Maine Celtics but has also had opportunities with the Boston squad. He joined the Celtics on their West Coast road trip last month on a 10-day contract.
“Everyone’s been super welcoming, and Joe is super humble, so it’s been great,” Tonje remarked. “Just kind of learning from him.
And, knowing some of these guys from afar - getting a chance to meet them and be around them has been awesome.”
Tonje's story is one of rapid adaptation and seizing opportunity, and it’s clear that both the Celtics and their fans have plenty to be excited about.