'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
When you look at storied franchises within the NBA, two teams stand tall, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics. In Minnesota and Los Angeles, the Lakers have won a total of 16 NBA Championships, but the Boston Celtics lead the entire NBA with a total of 17 banners hanging from the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.
The Boston Celtics were founded in 1946 as one of the original eight NBA teams to survive the first decade of the league's existence. The Celtics would struggle in their first years of existence until they hired coach Red Auerbach; who led the team to nine NBA Championships.
The majority of the NBA Championships came in the 1960's when Boston won seven out of eight years, including six years in a row. They rose to prominence once again in the 1980's winning titles in 1981, 1984, and 1986. There would be a 22-year title drought until the team of Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce came together to win the NBA Championship in 2008.
With so much success over the past 60 years, there are definitely many great Celtic players to have graced the parquet over those decades. This article is going to take a look at the ten best players to play for the Celtics.
This article will rank those ten players SOLELY on their play in Boston, not anywhere else.
#10 Jo Jo White (1969 to 1979)
Kicking off the top ten greatest Celtics of all-time is Jo Jo White who played a decade with the team in the 1970s. White has a lot of accolades during his playing career including a two-time NBA Champion in 1974 and 1976. He was the NBA Finals MVP in 1976 as well.
White is a seven-time NBA All-Star; while having his #10 jersey retired up in the rafters of the TD Garden in Boston. He played his collegiate ball at the University of Kansas where his #15 is also retired.
White played 10 of his 12 NBA seasons with the Boston Celtics before finishing his career with a season for the Golden State Warriors and the Kansas City Kings.
During his playing time in Boston, White ranks 10th all-time in points scored with 13,188. He also ranks 7th all-time in assists with 3686.
#9 Sam Jones (1957 to 1969)
Sam Jones ranks ninth on my list of all-time best Celtics thanks to his ability to hit game-winning shots as evidenced in the 10 NBA Championships he helped Boston win during his career. Jones' 10 championships rank second all-time in the NBA behind teammate Bill Russell who had 11 with the Celtics.
In addition to Russell and K.C. Jones, Sam Jones is also one of three Celtics who was on every one of Boston's eight straight NBA Championships from 1959 to 1966.
Jones played his entire career with Boston where he was also a five-time NBA All-Star and has his number 24 retired in the rafters at the TD Garden. In 1996, he was honored as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History.
During his time with the Celtics, Jones ranks seventh all-time in scoring with a total of 15,411 points. That is good for 133rd in NBA history.
#8 Dave Cowens (1970 to 1980)
Next on this list is a man that the Boston Celtics drafted fourth overall in the 1970 NBA Draft, Dave Cowens. This talented big man averaged a double-double for his career with 17.6 points per game and 13.6 rebounds per game.
He played the first 11 seasons of his career with the Boston Celtics before finishing his career with the Milwaukee Bucks for one season. Of those 12 seasons, Cowens is an 8-time NBA All-Star and was the NBA's Most Valuable Player in 1973.
Cowens doesn't rank in the top 10 all-time for games played for Boston, but he amazingly ranks in the top 10 in three major categories. He ranks 9th all-time in points scored for Boston with 13,192, 10th all-time in assists with 2828, and 3rd all-time in rebounds with 10,170.
His career rebounds rank inside of the top 40 of the NBA all-time as well where he is ranked 38th.
His number 18 is retired by the Boston Celtics and so is his number 13 with the Florida State Seminoles.
After his playing career, Cowens was a coach in the NBA. He was the head coach of Boston from 1978 to 1979, the Charlotte Hornets from 1996 to 1999, and was last in the NBA as an assistant coach to the Detroit Pistons from 2006 to 2009.
#7 Kevin McHale (1980 to 1993)
The Boston Celtics of the 1980s were defined by the two men seen in the photo, Larry Bird and the man who ranks seventh on this list, Kevin McHale. He played his entire 13-year career with the Celtics earning three NBA Championships during his playing days in 1981, 1984 and 1986.
McHale was an NBA All-Star for over half of his playing career as he earned that honor a total of seven times. His number 32 is retired by the Boston Celtics, along with his number 44 by the University of Minnesota.
McHale ranks 5th all-time with the Celtics in points with 17,335. He also ranks 6th in rebounds with 7122 and 2nd all-time in blocked shots with 1690, only trailing Robert Parish. The 1690 blocks rank 30th all-time in all of the NBA as well.
McHale is still seen regularly in the basketball world as he is a color commentator for NBA games on TNT. Before coming to TNT, he was the head coach of the Houston Rockets from 2011 to 2015.
#6 Robert Parish (1980 to 1994)
"The Chief" Robert Parish had a lengthy 21-year NBA career, but he was best known for the 14 seasons he spent with the Boston Celtics from 1980 to 1994. He was part of the three NBA Championships that the Celtics won in the 1980's and added one more with Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in 1997.
Parish was known for his high-arcing jump shot and ability to be a force with his post defense. He was an NBA All-Star a total of 9 times, including six years in a row from 1981 to 1987. His trademark number 00 was also retired by the Celtics.
As I mentioned, he was a force with his post defense and he ranks first all-time among all Celtics in blocked shots with 1703 and second all-time in rebounds with 11051, only trailing the great Bill Russell.
For his career, Parish amassed 2361 blocks; which ranks him 11th all-time in the NBA.
Parish got it done on the offensive side of the ball as well, and he ranks 4th all-time in scoring for Boston with a total of 18,245 points. For his career, he scored 23,334; which ranks 32nd all
#5 Bob Cousy (1950 to 1963)
Bob Cousy terrorized defenses during the 1950s and early 1960s so much so he was called "The Houdini of Hardwood" based on his skills as a ball handler and passer. He'd even be introduced by the public address announcer in Boston as "Mr. Basketball" as well.
During Cousy's 13 seasons with Boston, he was an NBA All-Star every single season and led them to a total of 6 NBA Championships. He led the league in assists a total of eight years as well.
Cousy is Boston's all-time leading assist man with almost 800 more assists than second place. He also ranks sixth all-time in points scored in between Kevin McHale and Sam Jones. His total of 6955 assists ranks him 17th in the NBA all-time.
His number 14 hangs in the rafters at TD Garden as retired, and his alma mater Holy Cross also has his number 17 retired.
After his playing days were over, Cousy went on to coach at Boston College for six seasons, as well as four seasons with the Cincinnati Royals.
#4 Paul Pierce (1998 to 2013)
"The Truth" Paul Pierce is the most modern Boston Celtic to make this list as he retired from the game in 2017. Pierce played a total of 19 seasons in the NBA, and 15 of them was with the Boston Celtics who drafted him 10th overall in the 1998 NBA Draft.
In 2008 the pieces came together as Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen joined Pierce and led the Celtics to their first NBA Championship in 22 years. Pierce was named the NBA Finals MVP of that series against the Los Angels Lakers.
Pierce ranks second overall in total points scored for the Boston Celtics, just a little more than 2000 behind the all-time leader, John Havlicek. Pierce is the all-time Celtics steals leader with 1583; which ranks 22nds all-time in the NBA.
He's also a 10-time NBA All-Star and his number 34 was retired earlier this season in a ceremony on February 11, 2018.
Being among the all-time statistical great for the Boston Celtics don't stop there as Pierce ranks seventh all-time in total rebounds with 6651 and fifth all-time in assists with 4305.
Pierce currently works for ESPN as a studio analyst for their television broadcasts.
#3 Larry Bird (1979 to 1992)
Before the Boston Celtics rose to power once again in 2008, the last identifiable great of the franchise was Larry Bird. Famous for his rivalry on and off the court with Michael Jordan, Bird became a household name in the 1980's and 1990's.
Bird led the Celtics to three NBA Championships during his 13-year NBA career (all with Boston). In two of those title years, he added NBA Finals MVP in 1984 and 1986. He was also the NBA's MVP for three straight years from 1984-1986.
Bird ranks 3rd all-time in scoring for the Celtics with 21,791 points; which is good for 38th all-time in the NBA. He also ranks 2nd all-time for Boston in steals with 1556 total, just 27 behind Paul Pierce. He also ranks 3rd and 4th in assists and steals respectively all-time for Boston.
Bird's 33 is retired by both the Boston Celtics and Indiana State Sycamores.
After his playing career was done, he went into coaching for three seasons with the Indiana Pacers amassing a record of 147-67 and led the Pacers to the NBA Finals in 2000 where they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in 6 games.
Today, Bird serves as a consultant to the same Indiana Pacers team he coached nearly 20 years ago.
#2 John Havlicek (1962 to 1978)
Widely considered as one of the best players ever in the NBA, John Havlicek won eight NBA Championships with the Boston Celtics including four in his first four years. His entire 16-year career was with Boston where he was a 13-time NBA All-Star.
Havlicek is the Celtic's all-time points scorer with a total of 26,395. That total ranks 19th all-time in the NBA, oddly enough in between former Celtics Paul Pierce (18th) and Kevin Garnett (20th).
Havlicek was a 6-foot-5 guard, but that didn't stop him from pulling down rebounds where he ranks 5th all-time among all Celtics players with a total of 8007. He also excelled in passing the ball where he ranks 2nd all-time in Boston with 6114 assists; which only trails Bob Cousy.
As customary with everyone else on this list, Havlicek's 17 hangs in the rafters of the TD Garden in Boston, as well as his number 5 with the Ohio State Buckeyes.
The man who you will see next at the top of this list called Havlicek "the best all-around player I ever saw."
#1 Bill Russell (1956 to 1969)
Bill Russell is not only just the best basketball player in Boston Celtics history, he is also one of the best players to EVER play the game. He played for the Celtics a total of 14 seasons bringing home a total of 11 NBA Championships, the most ever in NBA history for a player. The 11 championships also tie the North American sports record with Henri Richard who won 11 Stanley Cups in the NHL.
The Celtics drafted Russell second overall in the 1956 NBA Draft and he went on to be the career leader in rebounding with 21,620 total; which is over 10,600 more than second in Boston history. Russell trails only Wilt Chamberlain for the all-time NBA rebounding mark, and he shares the honor with Chamberlain as the only two men to have pulled down 50 rebounds in a single game.
One stat that may be surprising is the fact that Russell is sixth all-time for Boston in career assists with 4100, just 200 shy of Paul Pierce. He is also eighth all-time in scoring with 14,522 points.
Russell's number 6 is retired by both the Boston Celtics and the University of San Francisco and today he works as an ambassador for the league. The NBA Finals MVP Trophy is named in his honor.
Which of these Boston greats is your favorite player? Tell us in the comments below!
