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Who are the top Boston Celtics of all time? Here is our top 10 countdown:
10. Tommy Heinsohn: part of a legendary 1956 Celtics draft class that also included Bill Russell and K.C. Jones, Heinsohn was not only a Hall of Fame player (8x champion, 6x All-Star, 4x All-NBA), but was later inducted again as a Hall of Fame coach.
9. Sam Jones: second only to his teammate Russell with 10 NBA titles, Jones played his entire career with the Celtics and was not only a 5x All-Star and 3x All-NBA player, but perhaps was best-known for coming through in the clutch in the playoffs.
8. Dave Cowens: though injuries led to his premature retirement, Cowens was dominant on both ends of the floor when healthy – in addition to winning Rookie of the Year in 1971 and MVP in 1973, he was an 8x All-Star, 2x NBA champion, 3x All-NBA, and 3x All-Defensive in his decade-long career with the Celtics.
7. Robert Parish: the NBA’s record-holder for most career regular season games played (1,611), Parish was part of a triumvirate with Larry Bird and Kevin McHale that led Boston to three titles in the 1980s; a great player in his own right, he was a 9x All-Star and 2x All-NBA selection.
6. Bob Cousy: one of the first great floor generals in NBA history, Cousy was the first point guard to win MVP and led the league in assists 8x while leading the Celtics to six championships.
5. Kevin McHale: together with Bird and Parish, McHale helped lead the Celtics to three NBA titles in the 1980s; individually, he was an elite all-around performer: 7x All-Star, All-NBA, 6x All-Defensive, and 2x Sixth Man of the Year.
4. Paul Pierce: one of only three Celtics with 20,000+ points scored (along with John Havlicek and Bird), Pierce made 10 All-Star teams as the heart and soul of the 2000s Celtics and was Finals MVP in leading Boston to its first title in more than 20 years.
3. John Havlicek: the original sixth man, Havlicek is the Celtics’ all-time leading scorer and was a part of eight championship teams; during his career, he was a 13x All-Star, 11x All-NBA, and 8x All-Defensive.
2. Larry Bird: known for his fierce rivalry in the 1980s with Magic Johnson and the Lakers, Bird won three straight MVP awards in his prime (1984-1986) and guided the Celtics to three NBA titles, twice winning Finals MVP; he was also one of the greatest shooters in league history, twice achieving the rare 50-40-90 feat.
1. Bill Russell: the lynchpin of the championship Celtics teams of the 1950s and 1960s, Russell was a 5x MVP who won more NBA titles (11) than any other player in history and averaged an astounding 22.5 rebounds per game for his career.
Agree/Disagree? As always, debate/discuss, and leave your thoughts and comments below.
Note: All statistics as of time of publication.
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