Ranking the top 50 players in NBA history…
“Hondo” played all 16 of his NBA seasons with the Boston Celtics, and he belongs on the Mount Rushmore of that storied franchise, which is saying quite a lot, considering the players that have worn Celtics green through the years.
A versatile swingman known for his stamina and hustle, Havlicek played both small forward and shooting guard.
Havlicek never got tired, leading the NBA in minutes played in the 1970-71 and 1971-72 seasons with astounding 45.4 minutes per game and 45.1 minutes per game averages in the respective seasons. He also finished fourth in MVP voting in 1971-72.
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Havlicek averaged 20.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game over 1,270 career games. He was a 13-time NBA All-Star, named to the All-NBA First Team four times and the All-NBA Second Team seven times.
He also earned five selections to the NBA All-Defensive First Team and three to the Second Team.
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Havlicek won eight NBA championships in Boston, maintaining a spotless 8–0 record in NBA Finals series, and was named NBA Finals MVP in 1974. He captained the Celtics from 1969 to 1978 and is remembered for his clutch steal in the 1965 Eastern Conference Finals, securing a playoff victory (“Havlicek stole the ball!”).
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His number 17 jersey was retired by the Celtics, and he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1984.
Havlicek was also honored on the NBA 35th Anniversary Team in 1980, the 50 Greatest Players list in 1996 and the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021.
His best scoring season was 1970–71, averaging 28.9 points per game, and he was the first to score 1,000 points in 16 consecutive seasons.
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Featured image via Manny Rubio/USA TODAY Sports