On a recent episode of Shannon Sharpe’s Club Shay Shay, Barstool Sports’ founder Dave Portnoy didn’t hold back when discussing who the best Celtics of all time are.
The straightforward Boston native’s top five list excluded Kevin Garnett, which sparked some debate around the city.
Portnoy thought about the franchise’s fantastic and unmatched history.
“That’s such a tough one,” Portnoy said. “Obviously Bill Russell, Larry Bird, Cousy, Havlicek… I think you’ve got to put Tatum.. It’s tough you’ve got so many greats and I could be forgetting (some).”
His personal top five depended on longevity, championships, and individual accomplishments.
Russell has the most championships as a player in NBA history, Bird won three MVPs, Cousy is regarded as the best playmaker of his era, and Tatum is Boston’s current superstar.
“Bird, Russell, Havlicek, Cousy, Pierce, McHale, then KG,” a user added on X.
“Tatum above any of those guys is laughable,” another one wrote.
Portnoy leaned towards Havlicek because of his eight championships, while considering Paul Pierce as well.
“I love Pierce, he has one (championship). I love him, but it’s only one.”
When talking about Garnett’s career, Portnoy noted that his short stint with the team hurts his case immensely.
Despite his defensive and cultural impact at the time, he doesn’t believe it stacks up with other Celtic legends. How can you blame him?
“I’m a big championship guy, it’s not on KG, I love him, but he’s maybe my favorite Celtic.”
As the conversation went on, “El Presidente” also mentioned that current stars Tatum and Jaylen Brown could be entering that territory.
“The two that have a chance are Brown and Tatum, if they keep winning,” Portnoy said.
Boston Celtics teammates Jaylen Brown (left) and Jayson Tatum (right).
Boston Celtics teammates Jaylen Brown (left) and Jayson Tatum (right).
David Butler II-Imagn Images
With more hardware, Boston’s duo of the last eight seasons would jump into some elite company if they can win again together.
It’s incredibly difficult to name just five players from a storied franchise like the Celtics. They have the most players elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame with 36, making it almost impossible to choose a handful.