sad to hear the passing of this Celtic legend.
The Boston Celtics announced Thursday evening that John Havlicek, one of the greatest players in the history of one of the sport's most decorated franchises, died at the age of 79.
Havlicek played all of his 16 years in the NBA with the Celtics, winning eight championships -- including one in each of the first four seasons of his career. Only two players -- Celtics teammates Bill Russell (11) and Sam Jones (10) -- have won more championships in NBA history.
He had been suffering from Parkinson's disease.
"I loved the man. I won two championships with him," former teammate Paul Silas told ESPN. "When I first got to Boston, we talked all the time. All I wanted him to do was shoot. And when he didn't, I'd go right at him. He really was one of the greatest shooters I ever saw. When we needed a big basket, he was always the guy we wanted to take the shot.''
The Celtics called Havlicek "the face of many of the franchise's signature moments."
"His defining traits as a player were his relentless hustle and wholehearted commitment to team over self," a team statement read. "He was extraordinarily thoughtful and generous, both on a personal level and for those in need, as illustrated by his commitment to raising money for The Genesis Foundation for Children for over three decades through his fishing tournament.
"John was kind and considerate, humble and gracious. He was a champion in every sense, and as we join his family, friends, and fans in mourning his loss, we are thankful for all the joy and inspiration he brought to us."
The Celtics took Havlicek with the seventh pick in the 1962 NBA draft out of Ohio State, where he won an NCAA title in 1960. He was named the 1974 NBA Finals MVP, was a 13-time NBA All-Star -- being one of nine players in NBA history to make it 13 straight seasons -- and made a combined 11 All-NBA teams and eight All-Defensive teams.
Havlicek was one of 10 players in NBA history to make at least eight All-NBA teams and eight All-Defensive teams. The other nine are Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Hakeem Olajuwon, Michael Jordan, David Robinson, Kevin Garnett, Gary Payton and Chris Paul.
The Boston Celtics announced Thursday evening that John Havlicek, one of the greatest players in the history of one of the sport's most decorated franchises, died at the age of 79.
Havlicek played all of his 16 years in the NBA with the Celtics, winning eight championships -- including one in each of the first four seasons of his career. Only two players -- Celtics teammates Bill Russell (11) and Sam Jones (10) -- have won more championships in NBA history.
He had been suffering from Parkinson's disease.
"I loved the man. I won two championships with him," former teammate Paul Silas told ESPN. "When I first got to Boston, we talked all the time. All I wanted him to do was shoot. And when he didn't, I'd go right at him. He really was one of the greatest shooters I ever saw. When we needed a big basket, he was always the guy we wanted to take the shot.''
The Celtics called Havlicek "the face of many of the franchise's signature moments."
"His defining traits as a player were his relentless hustle and wholehearted commitment to team over self," a team statement read. "He was extraordinarily thoughtful and generous, both on a personal level and for those in need, as illustrated by his commitment to raising money for The Genesis Foundation for Children for over three decades through his fishing tournament.
"John was kind and considerate, humble and gracious. He was a champion in every sense, and as we join his family, friends, and fans in mourning his loss, we are thankful for all the joy and inspiration he brought to us."
The Celtics took Havlicek with the seventh pick in the 1962 NBA draft out of Ohio State, where he won an NCAA title in 1960. He was named the 1974 NBA Finals MVP, was a 13-time NBA All-Star -- being one of nine players in NBA history to make it 13 straight seasons -- and made a combined 11 All-NBA teams and eight All-Defensive teams.
Havlicek was one of 10 players in NBA history to make at least eight All-NBA teams and eight All-Defensive teams. The other nine are Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Hakeem Olajuwon, Michael Jordan, David Robinson, Kevin Garnett, Gary Payton and Chris Paul.
