While the center position isn’t what it once was in the classic era of the NBA, the Boston Celtics have had some true giants at the five in every sense of the word.
But who are the best to play for the storied franchise as they collected an NBA-best 17 banners over the last seven decades?
The Celtics Wire have assembled the best of the best from Boston’s past to see how they stack up against each other.
We went all the way back to the 1950s before the Celtics won their first banner right up to last season, and while there’s lots of faces to choose from, the man at the top stands alone.
We’re only counting what players did in their time with the team, so don’t be surprised to see great players like Shaquille O’Neal absent from this list.
We’ll begin in reverse order just to have a bit of drama, though astute fans of Boston’s history likely already know how this list will end.
Honorable Mention
Ed Macauley (1950-56): Often omitted from lists of Celtics greats because he predates any of Boston’s banners, Easy Ed was truly an amazing player. He was elected to six All-Star Games and four All-NBA teams in his time with the Celtics.
Kendrick Perkins (2003-11): While Perk’s accolades might not be eye-popping, it was because he took a back seat to the star power that helped him and the 2007-08 Celtics win Banner 17. His injury in Game 6 of the NBA Finals is among one of the hardest blows to title hopes in Boston’s history.
Al Horford (2016-19): Al may not have hung a banner in his time with the franchise, but he did make two trips to the All-Star Game and was elected to an All-Defense team during his Celtics tenure.
No. 5 All-Time
Bill Walton (1985-87): Troubled with injury leading up to his free agency, a vote of approval from Larry Bird sold Walton on joining Boston instead of their longtime rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers.
While only with the team two seasons, Walton would help hang a banner with them in 1986, earning the league’s Sixth Man of the Year Award while doing it, making him the only player to have won an NBA Finals MVP, Sixth Man Award, and regular-season MVP.
No. 4 All-Time
Kevin Garnett (2007-13) KG would undoubtedly be higher if he’d played in Boston longer, but even in the six season he played for the Celtics, he accomplished some impressive feats.
He wasn’t only was he instrumental in securing Banner 17 in 2008. He was elected to the All-Star Game in all six seasons he played for Boston, an All-NBA team, four All-Defensive teams, and Defensive Player of the Year in 2008 for good measure.
No. 3 All-Time
Robert Parish (1980-94): Chief was an institution of Celtics basketball in the Larry Bird era well into the start of the wilderness period, and a legend in his own right. He won three of his four banners with Boston, and was elected to nine All-Star Games while with the team.
He also has the honor of being part of two All-NBA teams while with the Celtics, and along with Larry Bird and forward Kevin McHale (the original Big Three), are rightly regarded as one of the greatest frontcourts of all time.
He remains Boston’s all-time leader in blocks (1,703), offensive rebounds (3,450), and defensive rebounds (7,601).
No. 2 All-Time
Dave Cowens (1970-80): While undersized by most measuring sticks to play center at 6-foot-9, the Kentuckian would dominate the position for a decade for the Celtics.
He was selected for the All-Rookie team his first season in the NBA, winning Rookie of the Year, and nominated to the All-Star Game eight of his ten seasons in the league, all with Boston save one.
He’d win the league MVP, three All-NBA teams, as many All-Defensive teams and of course two banners with the Celtics in that stretch.
No. 1 All-Time
Bill Russell (1956-69): As a player, Russell’s career is simply unparalleled; his rebounding ability literally forced rule changes in the game before he even set foot in the NBA, and would have one of if not the greatest careers in the history of the league.
He won an unparalleled 11 NBA championships with the Celtics, establishing the greatest dynasty in the history of the sport in the process. A five-time NBA MVP and 12-time All-Star Game player, Russell would also receive 11 All-NBA team nods.
He led the league in rebounding four seasons of his career, and helped blaze paths for African Americans on and off the court while being a virtually unstoppable force on the parquet.
As we noted at the start of the article, well-read fans of the Boston Celtics likely already knew where we’d end up for the greatest center in Celtic history.
But that’s only because it’s not even close — with all due respect to the greats who came after.
