Per the Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn, the Boston Celtics will a “17” or “Hondo” patch on their jerseys as a tribute to the late John Havlicek, a Hall of Fame wing who played the entirety of his impressive 16-season career with the Celtics. Havlicek, who was nicknamed “Hondo,” wore the number 17 jersey throughout his NBA career.
It’s unclear of how long the Celtics plan to wear the jersey patch but with an indefinite time period, it’s possible that Boston is planning on making the jersey alteration permanent. It wouldn’t be a problem for anyone who knows the franchise history of the Celtics, with Havlicek being one of the most dominant players to ever play for Boston and displaying qualities on and off the court that should be emulated by all Celtics players.
Past, present and future.
