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3. John Havlicek

3. John Havlicek

Before we begin, just being nicknamed “Hondo” is enough for us to put John Havlicek in our top five!

Havlicek was the 7th Overall Pick from the 1962 Draft, and he would go on to be the most tenured player in Celtics history with 16 seasons and 1,270 games under his belt.  He rarely missed games, led by example and was a lethal weapon on both ends of the court.  "Hondo" would develop into the game's first real swingman, moving effortlessly from guard to forward.  From 1965-66 to his retirement, he was a perennial All-Star and would average 20.8 Points per Game. This is no surprise, which if you look at his overall tenure he is the Celtic's all-time leading scorer.

After Bill Russell retired, Havlicek (along with Dave Cowens) took over the load for Boston, and he was more than ready.  From the 1970-71 campaign to the 1973-74 one he was a First Team All-NBA Selection, and he was on the Second Team in seven years.  Defensively, he had a similar streak with him being named to the All-Defensive First Team roster five years in a row (1971-72 to 1975-76)

Havlicek would help the Celtics win eight NBA Championships, and Boston fans will always remember the steal that he performed in the 1965 Eastern Championship that sealed the game and his run in 1974 where he won the Finals MVP.

In 1978, the Celtics retired his number 17 and Havlicek would be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1984.

The Bullet Points

  • Position: Shooting Guard, Small Forward
  • Acquired: Selected in the 1st Round, 7th Overall 3/26/62.
  • Departed: Retired after the 1977/78 Season.
  • Games Played: 1270
  • Per Game Averages: 38.6 MP
    N/A eFG%*
    .815 FT%
    20.8 PTS
    6.3 RB
    4.8 AST
    1.2 STL**
    0.3 BLK**

    174 Playoff Games
    39.9 MP
    N/A eFG%*
    .815 FT%
    22.0 PTS
    6.9 RB
    4.8 AST
    1.1 STL**
    0.3 BLK**

    *eFG% was not a statistic when Havlicek played.
    ** Steals and Blocks were not an official stat until the 1973/74 Season.
  • Advanced Stats: 17.5 PER
    .492 TS%
    11.5 VORP***
    131.7 WS

    174 Playoff Games
    17.5 PER
    .498 TS%
    2.6 VORP***
    19.3 WS

    *** VORP was not calculated until the 1973/74 Season.
  • Major Accolades and Awards:

    NBA Champion (1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1974 & 1976)
    Finals MVP (1974)
    First Team All-NBA (1971, 1972, 1973 & 1974)
    Second Team All-NBA (1964, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1975 & 1976)
    All-Defensive First Team (1972, 1973, 1974, 1975 & 1976)
    All-Defensive Second Team (1969, 1970 & 1971)
    All-Star (1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977 & 1978)
    First Team All-Rookie (1963)
    Most Minutes Played (1970-71 & 1971-72)
    Most Minutes per Game (1970-71 & 1971-72)

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