Pedro Oliveira
As one of the classic franchises of elite basketball, and the second most decorated organization in history of the league, the Celtics encompass one of the most prestigious trajectories since their founding in 1946. Although the Boston team went the first decade of its existence without a championship, its fortunes would dramatically change, becoming the most successful franchise of the 1960s, and a multi-championship team in the 1970s and 1980s.
In this list we present the 5 best Boston Celtics players in their NBA history.
Kevin McHale
Red Auerbach, one of the most important figures in Celtics history, agreed to a trade with the Golden State Warriors. The trade included the first overall pick in the 1980 draft and an additional first-round selection, for center Robert Parish and the third overall pick in the same draft. This selection ended up being Kevin McHale, and together with Parish and Larry Bird, they would form one of the most powerful trios in NBA history.
The power forward spent his 13-year career with the Celtics, winning 3 NBA championships (1981, 1984 and 1986), while individually earning 7 All-Star Game selections, 6 NBA All-Defensive Team selections (3 first, 3 second) and 2 Sixth Man of the Year awards. He averaged 17.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.7 blocks on 55.4% efficiency from the field through 971 games.
He began his time with the Celtics as an important member of the team’s bench, later becoming the undisputed starter in 1985, and thus forming the so-called best frontcourt in the history of the league. His career would be affected by recurring injuries to his back and legs, ending his player career at the age of 35 in 1993.
Paul Pierce
Pierce, the most important player in the franchise’s history during the modern NBA era, was selected in the 1998 draft, being the 10th pick in the draft. Ever since then, the forward produced big numbers right away for the Rick Pitino-led squad, averaging 21.1 points, 6 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.8 steals and a 37.7% three-point percentage in his first 3 years in the league.
Pierce would become the franchise player of the Boston organization and, undoubtedly, the most successful player in the 2000s era, winning the 2007-2008 championship (along with Doc Rivers, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo), the first one in 22 years since Larry Bird won his last ring in 1986, and thus breaking the Eastern Conference team’s two-decade streak.
Pierce earned 10 All-Star Game selections, 4 All-NBA quintets, and was the MVP of the mythical championship against the Los Angeles Lakers in 2008.
Paul also finished as the second-highest scoring player of the franchise with 24,021 points. He also leads the franchise in free throws (6434), free throw attempts (7979), three-pointers (1823) and three-point attempts (4928). His statistics would conclude in 19.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.6 three-pointers in 36.8% of effectiveness during 1285 games played.
John Havlicek
Perhaps the least known name on this list, but not the least important, John Havlicek was a mainstay of the team during the Celtics’ great upswing in the 1960s, belonging to 8 of the 11 championship teams of that era. Selected in the 1962 draft at the seventh pick, the small forward/center spent his 16-year career with the Boston franchise, thus becoming the owner of many marks within it.
He is the leading scorer (26,395), leader in assists (1270), minutes played (46,471), field goals made (10,513) and attempted (23,930) and personal fouls. He earned 13 All-Star Game selections, 11 All-NBA mentions, 8 Defensive Quintet of the Year mentions, and won the MVP of the 1973-1974 Finals.
One of the most important aspects of the Ohio native’s career is that much of it came from the bench, some even credit him of popularizing the role throughout basketball history. Havlicek would finish his career averaging 20.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.2 steals per game.
Bill Russell
Considered the founding father of basketball, a man for whom the rules of the sport have been changed, as well as for whom the NBA Finals MVP award bears his name, Russell is regarded as one of the greatest players in history and, by far, the most successful in terms of championships, having won 11 in his career.
Bill’s contributions were not only on the sports side, indeed he was the first African-American coach in the history of American sports, while still a player with the Celtics, the only player-coach to win more than one championship in history. He was also an activist during the racial issues suffered in the United States in the 50s, 60s and 70s.
Russell is the all-time leader within the franchise with rebounds (21,620), minutes per game (42.3) and rebounds per game (22.5). He was league champion in 1957, from 1959 to 1966, 1968, and finally, he would get his eleventh and last ring in 1969, the last year of his career. In addition, he would win 5 MVP awards, 12 All-Star Game selections, 11 All-NBA selections and 4 rebounding titles.
There hasn’t been a presence that has transformed basketball the way Bill Russell has in his time, which is why his legacy still prevails after a century. He averaged 15.1 points, 22.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 2.7 blocks with a field efficiency of 44%.
Larry Bird
Competing with Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant for the title of best scorer in NBA history, Bird revolutionized the NBA with his arrival as one of the most versatile players to ever set foot on the court. He was able to score from either side of the court. He was the Celtics’ sixth pick in the 1978 draft, and he improved the team’s performance immediately by adding 32 additional wins to the Boston franchise previous season record.
The forward would win 3 consecutive MVP awards from 1984 to 1986 (being one of only 3 players in history to do so, and the only one outside the Pivot position), 3 NBA championships, 2 in which he was the MVP of the finals, 12 times All-Star, 10 times All-NBA and the Rookie of the Year in 1979-1980.
In his career he averaged 24.3 points, 10 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.7 steals and 0.7 three-pointers for a percentage of 37.6%. Bird is considered by many to be one of the most complete players in history, and if it weren’t for back injuries that forced him to retire prematurely at age 35, he would, without a doubt, have been the greatest player to ever wear a Celtics uniform. For many, he already is.
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