Considered one of the most colorful characters in Celtics history, Cedric “Cornbread” Maxwell came into his own in his second season in Boston after being drafted 12^th overall from UNC Charlotte in 1977.  That year, he would lead the NBA in Field Goal Percentage, an achievement he repeated the season after.  Maxwell would now be joined by Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish, and while those three would become the core trio of the team, it was Maxwell who was the MVP in their Finals of the 1981 Championship.   The clutch shooter was also a member of the 1984 Title, and he would finish in the top ten in VORP three years in a row (1978-79 to 1980-81).  Boston will never forget "Cornbread," whose number 31 was hung to the rafters in 2003.

Don Nelson, without question, achieved more considerable notoriety as a coach than as a player, but it should never be discounted what he accomplished when he donned the shorts.

Kevin Garnett was one of the best players in the NBA, and he carried the Minnesota Timberwolves for years. But there was only so far he could take them without having any real star power around him.  Garnett grew frustrated, and he was traded to the Boston Celtics, who gave up five players and two number one picks for the former MVP.  The Celtics had also acquired Ray Allen, and along with incumbent Paul Pierce, Boston had a big three that could contend with anyone, and they did so immediately!

Tom Heinsohn would play his entire playing career with the Boston Celtics (1956 to 1965), but that was just the beginning of what he would do with the team.  As a player, he would help Boston win eight titles while being named a Second Team All-NBA Selection at Power Forward for four straight years (1961-64).  He wasn't the team's primary star, but he didn't have to be, as he provided Bill Russell, the perfect frontcourt partner, since he was more adept at scoring than Russell was.  Heinsohn would average 18.6 Points per Game and had three 20 PPG years for Boston while also providing useful boarding metrics with an 8.8 average.