Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) shoots a free throw basket against the Los Angeles Lakers during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Jaylen Brown is no longer a member of the Boston Celtics, and the way his decade in Boston ended was unfortunately ugly. The Celtics ultimately traded Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers this summer, ending a 10-year run that included a championship, a Finals MVP, and five All-Star selections.
Boston’s decision was driven heavily by the financial realities of building the next version of the franchise, but that doesn’t erase what Brown accomplished in a Celtics uniform.
And that creates a fascinating question: where does Brown actually rank among the greatest Celtics ever? Obviously, the bar is incredibly high.
Brown has a legitimate case to enter the top 10, particularly after producing the best season of his career in 2025-26. He averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists, finished 6th in MVP voting, made his fifth All-Star team, and earned All-NBA Second Team honors.
He also became the first Celtic to lead the NBA in total field goals made and became only the 8th player in franchise history to score more than 2,000 points in a season. But this is where things get difficult.
Boston has more legends than most franchises have great players, and he belongs in the conversation, but does he actually crack the top 10?
Here is where we have him.
Honorable Mentions
Kevin Garnett
Years in Boston: 6 (2008-2013)
Celtics’ Stats: 15.7 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.2 SPG, 1.0 BPG
Honors With Celtics: NBA Champion (2008), Defensive Player of the Year (2008), 5× All-Star (2008-2011, 2013), 4× All-Defensive Team (2008-2009, 2011-2012), 1× All-NBA Team (2008), 2× NBA Finals Appearance (2008, 2010)
Kevin Garnett only spent six seasons in Boston, but those six seasons completely changed the franchise. The Celtics went from a 24-win disaster in 2006-07 to a 66-win championship team in Garnett’s first season, and the transformation was immediate. Garnett was the defensive leader of that group, winning Defensive Player of the Year while anchoring a defense that became one of the nastiest units in the league.
The 2008 championship is the highest point of Garnett’s Boston legacy. He averaged 18.8 points and 9.2 rebounds during the regular season, then helped Boston win its first championship in 22 years by posting 20.4 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. His intensity perfectly described that Celtics team, and the famous “Anything is possible!” scream after the Finals entered NBA lore.
So why isn’t Garnett in the top 10? Longevity. This ranking is about what players accomplished as Celtics, and Garnett simply didn’t have enough years in Boston to crack the brutal ranking.
Jaylen Brown
Years in Boston: 10 (2017-2026)
Celtics’ Stats: 20.0 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 2.9 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.4 BPG
Honors With Celtics: NBA Champion (2024), NBA Finals MVP (2024), 5× All-Star (2021, 2023-2026), 2× All-NBA Team (2023, 2026), 2× NBA Finals Appearance (2022, 2024)
This is where the ranking gets really interesting. Brown spent 10 seasons in Boston, became a five-time All-Star, won a championship, and was named Finals MVP. And then, just when it looked like he might be entering the absolute peak of his career, Boston traded him to Philadelphia.
It is somewhat of a sad story for someone who should be occupying a spot in the top 10. The No. 3 overall pick in 2016 arrived as a raw athlete who struggled with his outside shooting and turned himself into an elite two-way superstar.
By 2025-26, he was no longer simply Jayson Tatum’s co-star. He was carrying enormous offensive responsibility and producing at an MVP level, averaging 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists while finishing sixth in the MVP race.
But does he make the top 10? Not quite. That’s not an insult to Brown; he has a legitimate argument against some of the names below, and his 2024 Finals MVP gives him something several Celtics legends don’t have.
But he doesn’t have the combination of longevity and championship success that the top 10 possess. Brown leaves Boston as a franchise great, but just outside our top 10.
Tom Heinsohn
Years in Boston: 9 (1957-1965)
Celtics’ Stats: 18.6 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 2.0 APG
Honors With Celtics: 8× NBA Champion (1957, 1959-1965), 6× All-Star (1957, 1961-1965), Rookie of the Year (1957), 4× NBA All-NBA Team (1961-1964), 9x NBA Finals Appearances (1957-1965)
Tommy Heinsohn has one of the strangest resumes in Celtics history because his career as a player was already impressive before he eventually returned to coach Boston to two more championships.
Heinsohn won eight championships in nine seasons as a player and was an immediate contributor to the original Celtics dynasty. He averaged 16.2 points and 9.8 rebounds as a rookie and helped Boston win the 1957 championship, earning Rookie of the Year honors in the process.
Heinsohn was essentially born into Celtics mythology. He played alongside Russell and Cousy, later coached the franchise, and became one of the most recognizable figures in team history.
The eight championships alone make him impossible to ignore, but the individual resume isn’t strong enough to crack this particular top 10.
10. Jayson Tatum
Years in Boston: 9 (2018-2026)
Celtics’ Stats: 23.5 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 3.9 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.6 BPG
Honors With Celtics: NBA Champion (2024), 6× All-Star, 5× All-NBA (2020-2025), All-Star Game MVP (2023), 2× NBA Finals Appearance (2022, 2024)
Jayson Tatum gets the final spot, and this might be the most controversial player on the entire list. He has been the face of the Celtics for nearly a decade, led Boston through nine playoff runs and helped deliver Banner 18 in 2024. His resume is too stacked to leave him outside the top 10.
Tatum’s best years came during a remarkable stretch in which he became a perennial All-Star and All-NBA player. He finished fourth in MVP voting in 2023 and again in 2025, averaged 30.1 points during the 2022-23 season, and eventually became the centerpiece of one of the deepest Celtics teams of the modern era.
The reason he doesn’t rank higher is that Boston’s standard is unbelievable. Tatum has the championship, the longevity, and the statistics, but his individual resume still falls short of the legends above him. And, somewhat ironically, Brown’s presence complicates his legacy because Brown ultimately won Finals MVP during Boston’s championship season.
9. Dave Cowens
Years in Boston: 10 (1971-1980)
Celtics’ Stats: 18.2 PPG, 14.0 RPG, 3.9 APG, 1.2 SPG, 1.0 BPG
Honors With Celtics: 2× NBA Champion (1974, 1976), NBA MVP (1973), 8× All-Star (1972-1978, 1980), Rookie of the Year (1971), All-Star Game MVP (1973), 3× All-NBA Team (1973, 1975-1976), 3× All-Defensive Team (1975-1976, 1980), 2x NBA Finals Appearances (1974, 1976)
Dave Cowens was as tough as they come. He wasn’t the biggest center in the league, but he played with tremendous energy and toughness and became the centerpiece of Boston’s second great era.
His 1972-73 season was spectacular. Cowens averaged 20.5 points and 16.2 rebounds, played all 82 games, and led Boston to a franchise-record 68 wins. He won both the regular-season MVP and All-Star Game MVP, joining Cousy and Russell as Celtics MVPs.
Then came the championships. Cowens won two titles with Boston, the 1974 and 1976 championships, and his ability to rebound, defend, and run the floor helped define the Celtics after Russell’s retirement. He doesn’t have the sheer volume of championships of the names above him, but his peak was too great to ignore.
8. Sam Jones
Years in Boston: 12 (1958-1969)
Celtics’ Stats: 17.7 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 2.5 APG
Honors With Celtics: 10× NBA Champion (1959-1966, 1968-1969), 5× All-Star (1962, 1964-1966, 1968), 3× All-NBA Team (1965-1967), 11x NBA Finals Appearances (1958-1966, 1968-1969)
Sam Jones is the guy casual fans are most likely to underestimate on this list. Jones won 10 championships in 12 seasons with Boston, trailing only Bill Russell for the most titles by an NBA player.
He wasn’t just a passenger, either. Jones became one of the Celtics’ best offensive weapons, averaging more than 20 points per game for four consecutive seasons from 1965 through 1968.
His nickname was “Mr. Clutch,” and Boston fans had plenty of reasons to call him that. Jones was famous for delivering huge shots in the postseason, including a memorable game-winning jumper against Philadelphia in Game 7 of the 1966 Eastern Division Finals.
Ten rings and a reputation for big-game scoring is a pretty strong resume for a player who ranks 8th all-time.
7. Kevin McHale
Years in Boston: 13 (1981-1993)
Celtics’ Stats: 17.9 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 1.7 APG, 0.4 SPG, 1.7 BPG
Honors With Celtics: 3× NBA Champion (1981, 1984, 1986), 7× All-Star (1984, 1986-1991), 6× All-Defensive Team (1983, 1986-1990), 2× Sixth Man of the Year (1984-1985), 1× All-NBA Team (1987), 5x NBA Finals Appearances (1981, 1984-1987)
Kevin McHale had the greatest offensive post-game of anybody on this list. That sounds like hyperbole until you remember the ridiculous collection of moves he had around the basket.
For his entire Celtics career, McHale could make a defender look completely helpless. And he did it in an era of very dominant big men.
He spent 13 seasons in Boston and became an essential part of the Bird-McHale-Parish frontcourt that dominated the 1980s. McHale won three championships, made seven All-Star teams, and earned six All-Defensive selections. He also won Sixth Man of the Year twice before eventually becoming a full-time starter.
The 1986 season was arguably his defining year. Boston won 67 games and captured the championship behind one of the greatest teams in NBA history. McHale averaged 21.3 points and 8.1 rebounds that season and showed that he could be a devastating second option while still anchoring the defense.
6. Robert Parish
Years in Boston: 14 (1981-1994)
Celtics’ Stats: 16.5 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 1.5 APG, 0.8 SPG, 1.5 BPG
Honors With Celtics: 3× NBA Champion (1981, 1984, 1986), 9× All-Star (1981-1987, 1990-1991), 2× All-NBA Team (1982, 1989), 5x NBA Finals Appearances (1981, 1984-1987)
Robert Parish was the quiet giant who became one of the most reliable players in Celtics history. The Chief spent 14 seasons in Boston, played 1,106 games for the franchise and averaged a career double-double.
He was remarkably durable, finishing with 16.5 points and 10.0 rebounds per game while shooting 55.2% from the field. He also remains Boston’s all-time leader in blocked shots and both offensive and defensive rebounds.
What makes Parish’s legacy even more impressive is how long he remained useful. He was the perfect center for Bird and McHale, rarely needing to dominate the ball while rebounding and defending inside. Three championships and 14 seasons as a cornerstone of one of basketball’s greatest frontcourts get him comfortably into the top six.
5. Bob Cousy
Years in Boston: 13 (1950-1963)
Celtics’ Stats: 18.4 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 7.5 APG
Honors With Celtics: 6× NBA Champion (1957, 1959-1963), NBA MVP (1957), 13× All-Star (1951-1963), 12× All-NBA Team (1952-1963), 2x All-Star Game MVP (1954, 1957), 8× Assists Leader (1953-1960), 7x NBA Finals Appearances (1957-1963)
Bob Cousy was Boston’s first true superstar, and his arrival helped transform the Celtics into a powerhouse. Yes, he didn’t play in the most prestigious era, but his legacy is forever intact.
The numbers tell only part of the story. Cousy led the league in assists eight times, won the 1957 MVP, and became one of the greatest playmakers of his generation. He finished his Boston career with 16,955 points and 6,945 assists, averaging 18.4 points and 7.5 assists over 917 games.
And then there was the style. Cousy was creative with the basketball at a time when guard play was nowhere near as sophisticated as it is today.
He helped Boston win six championships and was the engine of the early Russell dynasty. His influence on Celtics basketball is enormous, and that’s why he comfortably sits in the top five.
4. Paul Pierce
Years in Boston: 15 (1999-2013)
Celtics’ Stats: 21.8 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 3.9 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.6 BPG
Honors With Celtics: NBA Champion (2008), NBA Finals MVP (2008), 10× All-Star (2002-2006, 2008-2012), 4× All-NBA Team (2002-2003, 2008-2009), 2× NBA Finals Appearance (2008, 2010)
Paul Pierce was everything the Celtics did, on and off the court, for more than a decade. There is really no other way to put it.
Pierce spent 15 seasons in Boston, scored 24,021 points and became the franchise’s second-leading scorer behind John Havlicek. He was a 10-time All-Star and averaged 21.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 3.9 assists during his Celtics career.
The 2008 championship is what completes his case. Pierce waited through some truly miserable Boston teams, then suddenly found himself surrounded by Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. The result was a 66-win season, an NBA championship and Finals MVP honors for Pierce.
He stayed through the rebuild, carried the franchise during the bad years, and ultimately won championship number 17. That’s a Celtics career worthy of the top four.
3. John Havlicek
Years in Boston: 16 (1962-1978)
Celtics’ Stats: 20.8 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 4.8 APG, 1.2 SPG
Honors With Celtics: 8× NBA Champion (1963-1966, 1968-1969, 1974, 1976), 13× All-Star (1966-1978), 11× All-NBA Team (1964, 1966, 1968-1976), 8× All-Defensive Team (1969-1976), NBA Finals MVP (1974), 8× NBA Finals Appearances (1963-1966, 1968-1969, 1974, 1976)
John Havlicek‘s longevity alone is absurd. Just look at the numbers: 16 seasons, 8 championships in 8 Finals appearances, 13 All-Star appearances, 11 All-NBA selections, and 8 All-Defensive selections.
He is also Boston’s all-time leading scorer with 26,395 points. In a nutshell, Havlicek was also one of the most versatile stars the Celtics ever produced, and he spent every minute as a professional in the iconic Celtics jersey.
He could score, defend, and play either forward or guard. His famous steal against Philadelphia in 1965 became one of the most iconic moments in Celtics history, but that play sometimes overshadows just how complete his career was.
He won eight championships across two different Celtics generations, first alongside Russell and then as a centerpiece of the 1970s teams. His elite play over an era of dominance is an easy reason why he ranks behind the two greatest Celtics players ever.
2. Larry Bird
Years in Boston: 13 (1979-1992)
Celtics’ Stats: 24.3 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 6.3 APG, 1.7 SPG, 0.8 BPG
Honors With Celtics: 3× NBA Champion (1981, 1984, 1986), 2× NBA Finals MVP (1984, 1986), 3× NBA MVP (1984-1986), 12× All-Star (1980-1988, 1990-1992), 10× All-NBA Team (1980-1988, 1990), 3× All-Defensive Team (1982-1984), Rookie of the Year (1980), All-Star Game MVP (1982), 5× NBA Finals Appearances (1981, 1984-1987)
Larry Bird is so iconic in NBA history that he occupies the top 10 list of NBA superstars in totality, let alone for the Celtics franchise. For one, Bird arrived in Boston and immediately changed the franchise.
The Celtics went from 29 wins in 1978-79 to 61 wins in his rookie season, a 32-game improvement. He averaged 21.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.7 steals as a rookie and helped turn Boston into a championship contender almost overnight.
Then came the peak. Bird won three straight MVP awards, three championships, and two Finals MVPs while averaging 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 6.3 assists for his career.
He could score from anywhere, rebound like a center, pass like a point guard, and destroy opponents mentally before the game even started. Outside of Michael Jordan, there might not be a more clutch sports figure as well.
Three MVPs in four years is ridiculous. In Boston, Bird was the face of an entire basketball era during the 1980s and trails only one player in the all-time rankings.
1. Bill Russell
Years in Boston: 13 (1957-1969)
Celtics’ Stats: 15.1 PPG, 22.5 RPG, 4.3 APG
Honors With Celtics: 11× NBA Champion (1957, 1959-1966, 1968-1969), 5× NBA MVP (1958, 1961-1963, 1965), 12× All-Star (1958-1969), 11× All-NBA Team (1958-1968), 1× All-Defensive Team (1968), All-Star Game MVP (1963), 4× Rebounding Champion (1959, 1964-1965), 12× NBA Finals Appearances (1957-1966, 1968-1969)
Bill Russell is the obvious No. 1 because there is no other Celtics player who can match what Russell accomplished in Boston. He won 11 championships in 13 seasons, including eight consecutive titles from 1959 through 1966.
He won five MVP awards, made 12 All-Star teams, and averaged an outrageous 22.5 rebounds for his career. But Russell’s case goes far beyond the trophies.
He completely changed defensive basketball. He was an extraordinary shot-blocker, rebounder, and team defender who understood that a defensive possession could be controlled without necessarily touching the ball. Russell didn’t need to score 30 points every night because his defense, rebounding, and leadership could dictate the entire game.
Eleven championships is such an absurd number that it almost sounds fake. Russell won more championships than the Celtics lost in the Finals during his career, and he retired as the ultimate symbol of Boston basketball.
Bird has the strongest argument as the greatest offensive Celtic, Havlicek has the longevity, and Cousy was the first superstar. But Russell was the foundation of the greatest dynasty the NBA has ever seen.