ESPN put together a top-74 players of all time list in honor of the NBA’s 74th year of existence, and 16 Boston Celtics made the cut in the estimation of the World Wide Leader.
With one more banner to their name than players represented on that list, the number feels about right — though to be fair a number of Celtics included were short-timers who had less of a role in that unparalleled greatness than several omitted Celtics.
No Sam Jones, Tommy Heinsohn, Dennis Johnson or Cedric Maxwell; no Jo Jo White, K.C. Jones, Bill Sharman nor Paul Silas either.
For what it’s worth, the faces who do populate the list all have at least as good a case as most of those players, and there may be some fatigue in the modern era for including so many players from the era of Celtic dominance.
With all that said, let’s take a look at the 16 players who did make the list who have at some time been on one of Boston’s rosters.
No. 68 – Pete Maravich – 1979-80
One of the short-times mentioned earlier, Pistol Pete came to the Celtics in the twilight of his storied career.
“With his fancy passing and ballhandling, as well as his willingness to shoot from anywhere on the court, Maravich’s style of play would have seemingly fit perfectly in today’s NBA,” says ESPN’s Andrew Lopez of the Pennsylvanian.
Maravich averaged 11.5 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1 assist while a Celtic.
No. 66 – Dave Cowens – 1970-80
Cowens doesn’t get the respect he deserves as one of if not the first modern big men in NBA history, though he is properly ranked more or less in this list.
“Undersized for a center at 6-foot-9, Cowens became a fan favorite in Boston by compensating with skill, quickness and hustle,” notes ESPN’s Kevin Pelton.
Cowens played all but one season for Boston, averaging 18.2 points, 14 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game.
No. 61 – Robert Parish – 1976-84
Chief was another player who has been generally undervalued on such lists — perhaps due to the stoic nature of his demeanor from where his nickname derives — though 61st is about where he ought to be as well.
“He was a key figure on three title teams for the Celtics,” notes Lopez, “and he added another title in his final season while playing for the Bulls.”
One of the longest-tenured players in league history, Parish spent almost all of his 21 seasons with the Celtics averaging 16.5 points, 10 boards and 1.5 assists across 14 campaigns.
No. 59 – Bob McAdoo – 1979
The most reluctant Celtic on this list, McAdoo’s tenure in Boston was a brief one; traded to a team he did not want to be on midseason, he played just 20 games in Boston.
“Over the three-year stretch from 1973-74 through 1975-76, only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was more valuable than McAdoo,” notes Pelton — and the future Hall-of-Famer was already beginning to decline by the time he was dealt to the Celtics.
He averaged 20.6 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2 assists in his 20-game tenure in Boston.
No. 56. – Ray Allen – 2007-12
Arguably the greatest shooter of all time, 56th overall seems about right for the UConn product, who had a famously rocky exit from the Celtics that still sadly hasn’t been resolved.
“Also a prolific scorer all-around, Allen is one of five Celtics with a 50-point playoff game and was the last Sonic to score 50 before the team moved to Oklahoma City,” Lopez reminds us.
Allen put up 16.7 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game in his five seasons in Boston.
No. 54 – Paul Pierce – 1998-2013
The Truth is beloved in Boston, but perhaps less around the league, explaining Pierce’s inability to crack the top 50 on this list; while a little low, not criminally so despite the fact that much of his career fell almost perfectly with the worst stretch of Celtics history.
Pierce “may not have looked flashy doing it, but he was one of the most durable and smooth scorers of this century,” notes ESPN’s Tim Bontemps, who credits the Kansas product as being “arguably the greatest foil of LeBron James’ career”.
Over 15 seasons with Boston, Pierce logged 21.8 points, 6 boards and 3.9 assists per contest.
No 53 – Gary Payton – 2004-05
The Glove was another briefly-tenured Celtic who made the list, Payton playing for Boston for just the 2004-05 NBA season.
“Few players in NBA history have played with as much swagger as Payton, who talked trash to Jordan as a rookie and later helped contain Jordan in the NBA Finals with the Sonics at his Defensive Player of the Year peak,” relates Pelton.
The Oakland native recorded 11.3 points, 3.1 rebounds and 6.1 assists in his sole season with the Celtics.
No. 48 – Bill Walton – 1985-87
While Walton also came for a relatively brief period late in his career, it was an impactful, voluntary tenure that spanned two seasons but only 90 games. Often injured, the Hall-of-Famer would end his career in green and white in 1987.
“He was the hub of one of the iconic teams in NBA history, the 1977 champion [Portland] Trail Blazers,” suggests Bontemps, “and he won an MVP award the following season, but a series of foot injuries robbed him of a chance to be one of the truly all-time great players.”
He averaged 7 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game over two seasons with the Celtics.
No. 46 – Dominique Wilkins – 1994-95
Another single-season Celtic, Wilkins came to Boston in 1994, the depths of the post-Big Three wilderness era, his glory days with the Atlanta Hawks behind him.
Lopez reminds us nearly a decade earlier, he lead the league scoring in 1985-86, “when he finished second in MVP voting. It was the same season he earned his only All-NBA first-team honor.”
In his sole season with the Celtics, Wilkins put up 17.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists.
No. 41 – Bob Cousy – 1950-63
Nearly a Celtics lifer apart from a handful of games later in life more a promotional gimmick than serious comeback, the Houdini of the Hardwood is a lock for the top 50, and appropriately ranked.
“Starting in his third year, Cousy led the NBA in assists per game every season from 1952-53 through 1959-60,” relates Pelton, “while also ranking as one of the league’s leading scorers over this period and winning MVP in 1956-57.”
The Cooz logged 18.5 points, 5.2 boards and 7.6 assists over 13 seasons with Boston.
No. 36 – Kevin McHale 1980-93
Minnesota’s greatest basketball player was among the best to suit up for Boston as well, with the devastating post player perhaps taking a bit of a hit due to the lack of his style’s success in the current era.
“McHale was a seven-time All Star and three-time champion while playing on one of the most legendary front lines in NBA history, next to Hall of Fame teammates Larry Bird and Robert Parish,” notes ESPN’s Andre Snelling.
The legendary big man recorded 17.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per contest over 13 seasons all spent with Boston.
No. 33 – John Havlicek – 1962-78
Hondo was another Celtics lifer, playing all 16 seasons in his career with Boston, making All-Star games 13 of those seasons and winning eight NBA championships.
He “was said by Red Auerbach to be the ‘guts’ of those great Celtics teams of the 1960s, and Havlicek proved time and again he was willing to do whatever it took to win,” shares Bontemps.
The Celtic legend logged a 20.8-point, 6.3-rebound, 4.8-assist career average with Boston.
No. 20 – Kevin Garnett – 2007-13
The Big Ticket was by far the most impactful member of the “new” Big Three that won banner 17 for Boston, though a large part of his prime was actually spent with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Still, KG’s Celtics tenure was a fruitful one, winning a title and being elected to an All-Star game every season save 2011-12. Lopez takes care to note the Hall-of-Famer “ranks in the top 20 in career blocks and steals and is also 10th in career rebounds” as well.
Garnett put up 15.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game over six seasons with the Celtics.
No. 10 – Shaquille O’Neal – 2010-11
The last Celtic short-timer on this list, Shaq was a force of nature in his prime — a prime well in the rear-view mirror by the time he’d land with Boston.
And though he no longer ” averaged a double-double” as ESPN’s Nick Friedell reminds us, he was still an effective option at the 5 at 38 years old.
Shaq recorded 9.2 points, 4.8 boards and 0.7 assists per game in his sole campaign with the Celtics.
No. 7 – Larry Bird – 1979-92
The Hick from French Lick son became Larry Legend, winning a ring with Boston in just his second season in the NBA. He’d win two more and countless accolades on the way in one of the greatest careers in league history.
“He was the league MVP in three consecutive seasons (1984-86), something only Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell had accomplished,” notes Bontemps.
Over 13 seasons with the franchise, Bird averaged 24.3 points, 10 rebounds and 6.3 assists.
No. 4 – Bill Russell – 1956-69
Definitively the greatest winner of all time with 11 championship banners to his name if not the G.O.A.T., Russell deserves his lofty perch in ESPN’s estimation, with countless other honors as evidence.
“Russell’s defensive acumen and determination made him the perfect foil for Wilt Chamberlain,” shares Bontemps, “as well as one of the players from his era who wouldn’t have looked out of place in later generations.”
Bill the Hill averaged 15.1 points, an astonishing 22.5 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game over 13 seasons, all with the Celtics.
