#16 Tom Sanders, “Satch,” Power Forward, 1960-1973
Born in New York City in 1938, Tom “Satch” Sanders attended New York University from 1957 to ‘60, where he was Third Team All-American and won the Haggerty Award for best college player in New York City, both in 1960.
That year he was drafted eighth overall by the Boston Celtics, and they won the NBA Championship in his rookie year against the St. Louis Hawks. Sanders would win seven more with the team by 1969; against the Los Angeles Lakers in ‘62 and ‘63, the San Francisco Warriors in ‘64, and the Lakers four more times in ‘65, ‘66, ‘68 and ‘69. Sanders is one of only three NBA players to play in eight championships without losing a single one, the others being his Celtic teammates, K. C. Jones and John Havlicek.
Always a strong defensive player, Sanders was named All-Defensive Second Team in 1969, the first year All-Defensive selections were made. Tom Sanders retired following the 1972-73 season, and his number “16” was retired shortly after. He currently sits at eighth all time among Celtics players in rebounds and 15th in points. His career highs include 12.6 points per game in 1965-66, 9.5 rebounds per game in 1961-62, and a free throw percentage of 88% in 1969-70. He scored a career high of 30 points in a March 1962 drubbing of the Syracuse Nationals.
He went on to coach at Harvard from 1973 to ‘77, becoming the first black head coach of any major American sports team at an Ivy League school. Sanders returned to the Celtics as the team’s assistant coach for the 1977-78 season and was promoted to head coach mid-season following the departure of his old teammate, Tom Heinsohn. He was replaced by Dave Cowens, who took on the role of player-coach, 14 games into the next season. In 1986, Sanders became the head of the NBA’s Rookie Transition Program, which was the first of its kind in any major North American sport. In 2011, Tom Sanders was inducted in the Basketball Hall of Fame.
#17 John Havlicek, “Hondo,” Small Forward, 1962-1978
Born in Martins Ferry, Ohio in 1940, John Havlicek attended Ohio State University from 1959 to ‘62, where he won a National Title in 1960, was named Second Team All-American in ‘62, and Third Team All-American in ‘61. His number “5” was retired by the school.
Havlicek was drafted seventh overall in 1962 by the Boston Celtics, and was good enough at football that he was also drafted by the NFL’s Cleveland Browns. Luckily for Boston he decided to go with basketball, and made All-Rookie First Team in ’62-63, which also saw Hondo and the Celtics winning the NBA Championship against the Los Angeles Lakers. It was the first of many titles in Havlicek’s career. Boston won it all the next three years in a row, against the San Francisco Warriors in ‘64 and the Lakers again in ‘65 and ‘66. His game-winning steal against the Philadelphia 76ers in game seven of the 1965 Eastern Conference Finals has gone down as one of the most famous plays in NBA history. The Celtics lost in the playoffs to the 76ers in 1967, but were champions again in ‘68 and ‘69, defeating the Lakers both times.
After a bumpy transition period following the retirement of Bill Russell and Sam Jones in 1969, Havlicek and the Celtics were back in the playoffs in ‘72 and won two more championships in 1974 and ‘76, against the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns respectively, and he was named MVP of the ‘74 finals. The team had its best ever regular season in ’72-73, going 68 and 14, but lost game seven of the Eastern Conference Finals only after Havlicek dislocated his shoulder part way through the series. Hondo heroically continued to play with just one good arm. By that time he’d long since moved on from the sixth man role he thrived in early in his career. Havlicek is one of only three players to reach eight NBA finals without losing a single one, the others being his Celtic teammates K.C. Jones and Tom Sanders.
Along with being an eight-time champion, Hondo won many individual accolades; he was First Team All-NBA four years in a row (1971 to ‘74), Second Team seven times (1964, ‘66, ‘68-‘70, ‘75, ‘76), NBA All-Defensive First Team five straight years (1972 to ‘76), All-Defensive Second Team in 1969, ‘70 and ‘71, and made an incredible thirteen straight All-Star Games, from 1966 until his last year in the league in 1978. He also served as the Celtics’ captain from 1967 until his retirement. His number “17” was retired by the Celtics after his final game at the Garden.
At the time, he was the NBA’s all-time leader in games played, a record he held until it was broken by Elvin Hayes in 1984. He was also third all-time in points behind Wilt Chamberlain and Oscar Robertson. Future NBA star Chris Mullin would later wear number “17” in tribute to Havlicek. To this day, Havlicek is the Celtics all-time leading scorer with 26,395 points, over 2,000 more than his closest competitor, Paul Pierce. He also leads all Celtics in minutes played with 46,471, nearly 6,000 more than Bill Russell, who’s sits in second place. He’s also second only to Bob Cousy in assists and fifth in rebounds. His career highs include 28.9 points per game in 1969-70, and over 3,600 minutes played and 7.5 per game assists in 70-71 and ‘71-72. He scored a single game career high of 54 points in a playoff win against the Atlanta Hawks in April 1973.
He was named to the NBA’s 35th and 50th Anniversary All-Time Teams. Many, including Bill Russell, count Havlicek as one of the greatest players of his generation, if not all time. In 1984, he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. John Havlicek died in May of 2019 of Parkinson’s disease.
#19 Don Nelson, “Nellie,” Small Forward, 1965-1976
Born in Muskegon, Michigan in 1940, Don Nelson attended the University of Iowa from 1959 to ‘62, where he made Third Team All-American in his final year. He was drafted 17th overall by the Chicago Zephyrs (now the Washington Wizards) in 1962. He moved to the Los Angeles Lakers in 1963, and reached the NBA Finals with the team in 1965, but lost to the Boston Celtics.
Nelson became a Celtic himself later that year, winning a title against the Lakers in 1966, and two more against them in 1968 and ‘69. Nelson scored a key basket towards the end of the deciding game of the ‘69 series, helping to secure another title for Boston. He spent much of his career in Boston as the team’s sixth man, following in the footsteps on Frank Ramsey and John Havlicek. After a rough couple of years following Bill Russell’s retirement in 1969, Nelson and the Celtics got back on track, winning two more championships; in 1974 Against the Milwaukee Bucks, and in ‘76 against the Phoenix Suns, capping off his career with a fifth title.
His career highs include 15.4 points per game in 1969-70 and shooting a league-leading 54% from the field in 1974-75. He scored a career high 40 points in a win against the San Diego Rockets in February 1970. Despite mostly coming off the bench, Nelson currently sits at 14th all time among Celtics players in points. He retired as a player in 1976, and his number “19” was retired by the Celtics in 1978.
He was far from done with basketball though, becoming head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks in 1976. He won Coach of the Year in 1983, the same year the Bucks swept the Celtics in the second round of the playoffs. Unfortunately for Nelson, the Bucks were eliminated the next round by the eventual champion Philadelphia 76ers. The Celtics got their revenge the following year, defeating the Bucks in the Conference Finals in five games on their way to another title. Nelson won Coach of the year for the second time in 1985, despite being swept by the 76ers in the semifinals. In 1986, the Bucks were swept by the Celtics in the Conference after Nelson made the mistake of saying he was a better, smarter coach than the Celtics’ K.C. Jones.
Nelson left the Bucks after losing to the Celtics in the playoffs again in 1987, joining the Golden State Warriors in 1988. Although he never made it past the second round of the playoffs at Golden State, he won his third coach of the year award in 1992. He also coached Team USA to a Gold Medal at the 1994 FIBA World Championships in Canada. In 1995-96, Nelson moved on to the New York Knicks, but was fired that March due to disagreements with management. From 1997 to 2005, Nelson coached the Dallas Mavericks, who made it as far as the Conference Finals in 2003, losing to the eventual champion San Antonio Spurs in six games. Nelson returned to coaching the Warriors from 2006 to 2010, although they only made the playoffs in his first year back. Don Nelson is one of only three coaches to win Coach of the Year three times, the others being Pat Riley and Greg Popovich. He also coached the Western Conference All-Star Team twice, in 1992 and 2002. Don Nelson was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in 2012, and it’s likely only a matter of time before he’s inducted as a coach
orn in St. Louis in 1946, Joseph Henry “Jo Jo” White attended the University of Kansas from 1965 to ‘69 where he was a star player; he was a back to back Second-Team All American in 1968 and ‘69, and his number “15” was retired by Kansas. As a student, White won Gold Medals at the 1967 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Canada, and the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. White was drafted by Boston ninth overall in the 1969 NBA draft, and was so good at football that he was also drafted by the Dallas Cowboys.
He came into the league following the retirement of two Celtic greats, Bill Russell and Sam Jones. As a result, the Celtics experienced their first losing season in nearly twenty years. White performed well however, and having been a member of the Marine Corps, he came into the league in excellent physical condition and made All-Rookie First Team in 1970. By 1971-72, the team was back to its winning ways. White won two championships with the Celtics, first in 1974 against the Milwaukee Bucks, and in 1976 against the Phoenix Suns. He was named MVP of the ‘76 finals, having averaged about 22 points, 6 assists and 1.5 steals in the six game series.
He was named All-NBA Second Team in 1975 and ‘77, and was an All-Star seven straight years, from 1971 to ‘77. He would also serve as the Celtics team captain for part of the 1978-79 season. Following an injury sustained during the ‘77-78 season, White’s play began to decline and he was traded to the Golden State Warriors in 1979, where he would play alongside future Celtic great Robert Parish. White loved being able to call himself a Celtic and be a part of the team’s proud tradition, and wasn’t happy to leave Boston.
In 1980 White joined the Kansas City Kings, retiring in 1981. His number “10” was retired by the Celtics in 1982. In 1982 and ‘83, he served as the assistant coach of his old college team, the Kansas Jayhawks. Among Celtics players, White currently sits at seventh all time in assists, ninth in minutes played and tenth in points. His career highs include 23.1 points per game in 1971-72, 6.1 assists per game in 1972-73, and shooting 88% from the line in 1978-79. He scored a career high 41 points in a March 1977 win against the Kansas City Kings.
In 2015, he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, and was introduced by his old teammates, John Havlicek and Dave Cowens. Jo Jo White died in January of 2018 due to complications from surgery.
Born in Newport, Kentucky in 1948, Dave Cowens attended Florida State University from 1967 to ’70, where he was named Second Team All-American in his last year. To this day, he’s the school’s all time leader in rebounds with 1,340, as well as the leader in rebounds per game with 17.5 in 1968-69 and is second all time in single game rebounds with 31. His number “5” was retired by Florida State. Although relatively short for a center at 6’9’’, Cowens was drafted fourth overall by the Boston Celtics in 1970, partly on the recommendation of Bill Russell.
The Celtics were going through a difficult transition following the retirement of Russell and many of the other stars of the ‘50s and ‘60s, and they missed the playoffs in Cowens’ rookie season. He started strong however, winning Rookie of the Year and making All-Rookie First Team in 1971. The Celtics soon turned things around, thanks to Cowens and Jo Jo White, who had entered the league the year before, and the C’s were back in the playoffs in ‘72. 1972 was also Cowens’ first All Star Game, something he would repeat every year of his Celtics career besides 1979. In 1974, Cowens would win his first NBA Championship against the Milwaukee Bucks, and won another in 1976 against the Phoenix Suns. Cowens retired for the first time in 1980 at the relatively young age of 31.
He was later convinced to return to basketball to play one more season for the Milwaukee Bucks in 1982-83, where his old teammate Don Nelson was head coach. Alongside his two championship rings, Dave Cowens was also League MVP in 1973, averaging over 20 points and 16 rebounds in a season that the Celtics went 68 and 14. He was also All-NBA Second Team in 1973, ‘75 and ‘76, All-Defensive First Team in 1976, and All-Defensive Second Team in 1975 and ‘80. He served as Celtics team captain from 1978 to 1980 and as player-coach for most of 1978-79. He was also selected to the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team.
Among Celtics players, Cowens currently sits at third all time in rebounds, sixth in blocked shots, eighth in minutes played, ninth in both points and steals, and tenth in assists. His career highs include 16.2 rebounds and 20.5 points per game, both in 1972-73. He scored a career high 39 points in a January 1976 win against the Philadelphia 76ers. That March, he grabbed a ridiculous 27 rebounds in another win against the Sixers. In 1977-78, he was one of five players ever to lead their team in points, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals in the same season. Cowens’ number “18” was retired by the Celtics in 1981.
After his playing career, Cowens became the assistant coach of the San Antonio Spurs from 1994 to ‘96, then head coach of the Charlotte Hornets from 1996 to ‘99 and of the Golden State Warriors from 1999 to 2001. In 2006, he joined the coaching staff of the Detroit Pistons. In 1991, Dave Cowens was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Born in Kinston, North Carolina in 1955, Cedric Maxwell attended the University of North Carolina at Charlotte from 1973 to ‘77, where he was a Third Team All-American and the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year as a senior, and his number “33” was retired by the school. Maxwell was drafted 12th overall by the Boston Celtics in 1977, and joined a team going through a rough patch.
Although they’d won a championship just two years before, the Celtics were aging in ‘77-78, which was John Havlicek’s last season in the league. Things went from bad to worse in ‘78-79, with the Celtics missing the playoffs for the second straight year and winning just 29 games. Despite their poor record, Maxwell had a career year, averaging close to 20 points and ten rebounds per game.
Things turned around sharply in ‘79-80 with the addition of Larry Bird, and got even better the next year with Robert Parish coming from the Golden State Warriors and Kevin McHale being drafted third overall.They went on to win the championship that year against the Houston Rockets, and Maxwell’s career reached its pinnacle as he was named MVP of the 1981 NBA Finals. Maxwell averaged 17.7 points, 9.5 rebounds and a blocked shot on 57% shooting in the series.
After a poor showing in the ‘83 playoffs, the Celtics were champions again in 1984, beating their arch rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers. Maxwell played a key role in this victory as well, as he and teammate M. L. Carr successfully got in the heads of the Lakers, especially their young forward, James Worthy. Cedric told his teammates to “climb on my back” before game seven and proceeded to score 24 points to go with 8 assists and 8 rebounds in the clincher.
He played only 57 games in the ‘84-85 season due to a knee injury, losing his spot as a starter to Kevin McHale. The Celtics made it back to the finals in ‘85, but lost to the Lakers in six games, with Maxwell playing only five of the six games at an average of less than ten minutes per game. In the 1985 off-season, Maxwell was traded along with a draft pick to the Los Angeles Clippers for veteran center Bill Walton. In early 1987, the Clippers traded Maxwell to the Rockets in exchange for two draft picks. Maxwell retired after the ‘87-88 season, having scored over ten thousand points and grabbed over 5,000 rebounds in his career.
He currently sits at ninth all-time among Celtics players in blocked shots and 17th all time in points. His career highs include 19 points and 9.9 rebounds per game in ‘78-79, and shooting a league leading 61% from the field in ‘79-80, the second straight year he’d led the league in shooting. He scored a career high 35 points in a January 1979 loss to the Kansas City Kings. Maxwell currently lives in Massachusetts and is the long-time radio voice of the Celtics on WBZ in Boston and is a frequent contributor on the Boston sports station WEEI. In 2003, Cedric Maxwell’s number “31” was retired by the Boston Celtics.
#33 Larry Bird, “Larry Legend,” Small Forward, 1979-1992
Born in West Baden, Indiana in 1956, Larry Bird grew up in the tiny southern Indiana town of French Lick. Bird went off to Indiana University in 1975, but he didn’t stay long, as the self-described “Hick from French Lick” was overwhelmed by the transition from small town to a huge college campus boasting a student population in the tens of thousands. He attended briefly Northwood Institute before moving on to Indiana State University in 1976, where he had an incredible career.
He was Third Team All-American in 1977, First Team All-American in ‘78 and ‘79, Conference Player of the Year in ‘78 and ‘79, and National Player of the Year in 1979. That year, Bird led an undefeated ISU Sycamores team to the National Championship Game against the Michigan State Spartans, who were led by Bird’s future NBA rival, Earvin “Magic” Johnson. Indiana State lost the game, 75 to 64. Magic Johnson led all scorers with 24 points with Bird leading Indiana State with 19 points and 13 rebounds. Still, Bird was unhappy with his performance, having shot 7 of 21 from the field. The game was the most watched basketball game at any level, college or professional, in American history at the time. During his college years, ISU won 83 games and lost just 13, he averaged over 30 points and 13 rebounds per game, and his number “33” was retired by the school.
Bird was actually drafted a year before his college career ended; he was picked sixth overall by the Boston Celtics in 1978, but elected to play one more year for ISU. Bird joined the NBA in 1979 as the highest paid rookie in league history at that time. He was an excellent NBA player out of the gate, making the All-Star Game, All-Rookie First Team, and being named Rookie of the Year in ‘79-80. He also helped take the Celtics from a 29 game winner in 1979 to a 61 game winner in 1980. The Celtics made it to the Conference Finals that year but lost to the Philadelphia 76ers.
The team was reinforced the next year with the acquisition of center Robert Parish and rookie power forward Kevin McHale, and the Celtics won the NBA Championship against the Houston Rockets. In 1982, Bird was named MVP of the All-Star Game. In ‘83, the Celtics had a disappointing end to their season, being swept in the second round by the Milwaukee Bucks. Head coach Bill Fitch was fired following the loss, and assistant coach K. C. Jones was promoted to replace him. The Celtics also added the excellent defensive guard Dennis Johnson to their lineup going into ‘83-84.
They were champions again that year, defeating their arch rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers, in seven games. It was a rough series, with Bird getting into a shouting match with Lakers center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar after catching his elbow in game four. Bird scored nearly 28 points per game in that year’s playoffs, and was the NBA Finals MVP, with averages of 27.4 points, 14 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 1.1 blocks on 48.4% shooting.
The next year the Celtics made it back to the finals but lost in six games in a re-match with the Lakers. Earlier that season, Bird set a new franchise single game scoring record, dropping 60 points on the Atlanta Hawks. The record he broke was only nine days old; Kevin McHale had just scored 56 against the Detroit Pistons. During the ‘85 off-season, Bird injured his back moving gravel while working on his mother’s driveway back in Indiana. It was the first of a series of back injuries that would eventually end his career.
The Celtics had their greatest season of the ‘80s and perhaps ever in ‘85-86. During the off-season, forward Cedric Maxwell was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers for center Bill Walton, who would have a great year coming off the bench for Robert Parish. Maxwell’s departure allowed Kevin McHale to start at power forward, and his career would reach new heights in that role. The Celtics also picked up sharp-shooting point guard Jerry Sichting from the Indiana Pacers, who shot 57 percent from the field, adding depth to a back court that already included Dennis Johnson and Danny Ainge. The C’s went 67 and 15 that year, their second best regular season ever, and lost only one home game. The Celtics won the NBA Championship that year, again defeating the Houston Rockets, who now featured a young Hakeem Olajuwon. Bird was again the Finals MVP, averaging 24 points, 9.7 rebounds, 9.5 assists and 2.7 steals on 48.2% shooting.
Following that dream season, the Celtics’ luck began to change. Len Bias, the college superstar forward the Celtics drafted at number two overall in 1986, died two days later of a freak cocaine overdose. In the ‘86-87 season, Bill Walton was only able to play ten games due to injuries. He played twelve more in the playoffs, but on very limited minutes. Kevin McHale broke his foot in March of ‘87 and continued playing, but wasn’t 100 percent.
That year’s Conference Finals against the Detroit Pistons included some memorable incidents involving Bird. In game three, he was clothes-lined and tackled to the ground by Pistons center Bill Laimbeer, who had one of the league’s dirtiest reputations. Bird was enraged, throwing punches while on the ground before getting up and chucking the ball directly at Laimbeer’s head. He was avenged by Robert Parish in game five, when the Celtics center hit Laimbeer with his forearms, knocking him to the ground. Laimbeer had been throwing elbows toward Parish’s head and neck, and Robert wasn’t even called for a foul (he was given a one game suspension by the league). For the game’s dramatic conclusion, Bird stole the Pistons’ inbounds pass with the Celtics down by one point with five seconds left, before passing the ball to Dennis Johnson who scored the game-winning layup.
After beating Detroit in seven games, the Celtics lost to probably the greatest Lakers team of the ‘80s in six. ‘87-88 turned out to be the end of an era of Boston dominance of the Eastern Conference. The Celtics made it as far as the Conference Finals, but lost to the Detroit Pistons in six games. It was the first time since 1983 they hadn’t made it to the Finals In ‘88-89, Bird missed nearly the whole season, playing in just the first six games before having surgery to remove bone spurs in both of his feet. He wasn’t back in time for the playoffs, and the aging, Bird-less Celtics were eliminated in the first round, failing to win a playoff series for the first time since 1979.
Bird returned in ‘89-90 and continued to play well through the early ‘90s. Due to continually worsening back problems though, Bird missed 22 games in ‘90-91 and 37 in ‘91-92, which turned out to be his final season. He was still only 35. Even at the end, Bird still averaged over 20 points, nearly ten rebounds, seven assists and one steal per game. He turned out to be not quite done with basketball after the ‘92 season, as he reluctantly joined the 1992 US men’s Olympic team, better known as the ‘Dream Team.’ Generally considered the greatest collection of basketball talent ever assembled, it included the likes of Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, Clyde Drexler, Patrick Ewing, Scottie Pippen, David Robinson, John Stockton, and Larry’s old friend and rival, Magic Johnson. Although he played limited minutes, Bird averaged 8.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game. Team USA cruised to victory, crushing opponent after opponent in eight straight wins, never even needing to call a time out.
Larry Bird currently sits at second all time among Celtics players in steals, behind only Paul Pierce. He’s also third all time in points, assists and blocks, fourth in three pointers made, fifth in minutes played and eighth in games played. His career highs include 29.9 points per game in ‘87-88, 11 rebounds in ‘82-83, 7.6 assists in ‘86-87, two steals in both ‘80-81 and ‘85-86, shooting nearly 53% from the field in ‘87-88, nearly 43% from three in ‘84-85, and shooting a league-leading 93% from the line in ‘89-90. Bird also led the league in free-throw shooting in ‘84, ‘86 and ‘87. Bird was the founding member of the ‘50-40-90 Club,’ shooting 52.5 from the field, 40 percent from three, and 91 percent from the line in ‘86-87. Bird broke the 50-40-90 threshold again the next season. He also served as the Celtics team captain from 1983 until the end of his career.
Aside from his three championships, his career was littered with individual accolades; he was MVP of the League every year from ‘84 to ‘86, averaging 26.2 points, 10.1 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 1.8 steals on 50.4% shooting across those three seasons. He made All-NBA First Team an incredible nine straight years, from 1980 to ‘88, All-NBA Second Team in 1990, and All-NBA Defensive Second Team in 1982, ’83 and ‘84. He was an All-Star an amazing twelve times in his 13 seasons, only missing out in ‘89 due to season ending surgery. He also won the three-point contest at All-Star Weekend the first three years it was held, from ‘86 to ‘88. Bird’s number “33” was retired by the Boston Celtics in 1993, in a ceremony attended by Magic Johnson, who wore a Celtics t-shirt underneath his Lakers warm-up jacket.
Bird stayed with the Celtics organization for a time, serving as a special assistant to the front office from 1992 to ‘97. In 1996, Bird was named to the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team. In 1997, he took on the job of head coach of his home state’s Indiana Pacers, being named Coach of the Year and coaching the Eastern Conference All-Star Team, both in 1998. His assistant coach was an old teammate from his Celtics glory days, Rick Carlisle. In 2000, Bird, Reggie Miller, and the Indiana Pacers made it to the NBA Finals, but lost in six games to Bird’s old foes, the Los Angeles Lakers. Having told Indiana he would only coach for three seasons, he retired in 2000. Bird became the Pacers’ president of basketball operations in 2003, a post he held until retiring in 2017, and maintains an advisory role with the team. He was named Executive of the Year in 2012.
Larry Bird is widely considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time, with many placing him in the top five. He’s undoubtedly one of the greatest shooters of all time, and along with Bill Russell, one of the greatest Celtics. Larry Bird was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1998.
#32 Kevin McHale, “Black Hole,” Power Forward, 1980-1993
Born in Bob Dylan’s hometown of Hibbing, Minnesota in 1957, Kevin McHale attended the University of Minnesota from 1976 to 1980. While in school, McHale helped Team USA take home the Gold at two different international competitions in 1979; at the Pan American Games in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and the Universiade in Mexico City. His number “44” has been retired by the school.
In the 1980 NBA draft, the Celtics traded the number one overall pick and another first round pick to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for center Robert Parish and the Warriors’ third overall pick, which the Celtics would use to draft McHale. This move would set the team up for success for over a decade to come. McHale made All-Rookie First Team in 1981 despite mostly coming off the bench for forwards Larry Bird and Cedric Maxwell, and that year the Celtics won the NBA Championship against the Houston Rockets.
Following the ‘83 season, McHale’s contract expired and it was speculated he’d soon be signing with the New York Knicks, but in the end he signed a new high-price contract with the Celtics. It was a good investment for Boston, and they made it back to the finals in 1984, facing their old rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers. McHale played a memorable and controversial role in the series. The Celtics lost badly to the Lakers in game three, going down 2-1 in the series. They knew they had to do something to get into the Lakers’ heads, and while trailing in game four in Los Angeles, McHale delivered a hard foul to Lakers forward Kurt Rambis, knocking him to the ground. Rambis was unhurt, but the move set the tone for the rest of the series. The Celtics came back to win the game in overtime and win the series in seven games. ‘84 also marked McHale’s first All-Star appearance.
The following year Cedric Maxwell suffered a knee injury, giving McHale a chance to become a starter at the power forward position, and he flourished in the role. He quickly showed what he could do by setting a new team record by dropping 56 points in a game against the Detroit Pistons. Not to be outdone, Larry Bird set a new record nine days later by unleashing 60 on the Atlanta Hawks. The Celtics made it back to the finals in ‘85, but lost in a re-match to the Lakers in six games.
Cedric Maxwell was traded in the ‘85 off-season to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for center Bill Walton, giving McHale even more minutes in ‘85-86. McHale’s increased playing time, Walton’s excellent performance as back-up center, and the acquisition of sharp-shooting point guard Jerry Sichting all contributed to one of Boston’s best seasons to date. The team went 67 and 15, losing only one home game, and won their third championship of the decade, again defeating the Houston Rockets. His 25.8 points per game led all scorers in the Finals.
McHale had a career year in ‘86-87, setting career highs in points, rebounds and field goal percentage. Unfortunately, he broke his foot during a game in March of ‘87. He continued to play despite the advice of doctors, and played well through the playoffs, although he wasn’t as hot as he’d been in ‘86. Along with McHale’s foot injury, Bill Walton was only healthy enough to play 102 minutes in the ‘87 playoffs, and the Celtics top draft pick in ‘86, Maryland’s superstar forward Len Bias, had died two days after being selected by Boston. In the end the Celtics were too beat up to win the finals, losing to the Lakers again in six games.
McHale missed the first two months of the ‘87-88 season due to his foot injury, but was still able to play 64 games and the Celtics made it to the Eastern Conference Finals in ‘88, but they were eliminated by the Detroit Pistons, missing the Finals for the first time since ‘83. It was the last time until 2002 that the team would make it as far as the Conference Finals. The next year, Larry Bird missed all but six games due to foot surgery and the Celtics fell to a record of 42 and 40, their worst mark since ‘78-79. Still, they were able to hold on and make the playoffs. Without Bird though, the C’s were eliminated again by the Detroit Pistons, this time in a three game sweep in the first round.
Ankle surgery during the 1990 off-season caused McHale to think about retiring. Injuries caused him to miss 14 games in the ‘90-91 season, and 26 games in ‘91-92, and he would miss the All-Star Game that year for the first time since 1985. After being able to play just 45 games that year, Larry Bird would retire. McHale would play one more year at just 23.3 minutes per game in ‘92-93, the least since his rookie season. McHale retired in 1993, and his number “32” was retired by the Celtics the following year.
He currently sits at second only to Robert Parish all time among Celtics players in blocked shots, with just thirteen fewer than the Chief. He’s also fourth in games played, fifth in points, sixth in rebounds and seventh in minutes played. Along with his three rings, McHale won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award in 1984 and ‘85, made All-NBA First Team in 1987, All-Defensive First Team in 1984, ‘85 and ‘86, and All-Defensive Second Team in ‘83, ‘89 and ‘90. He was also a seven-time All-Star, making the team in 1984 and every year from ‘86 to ‘91. His career highs include 26.1 points and 9.9 rebounds per game in ‘86-87, and 60.4% field goal shooting back to back in ‘86-87 and ‘87-88; he led the league in field goal percentage both years. He also shot 89% from the line in ‘89-90 and averaged 2.3 blocks per game in ‘81-82 and ‘82-83.
After retiring, McHale joined the Minnesota Timberwolves organization, and was promoted to General Manager in 1995, drafting power forward Kevin Garnett that year. He would trade Garnett to the Boston Celtics in 2007. McHale was also head coach of the Timberwolves in 2008-09, and head coach of the Houston Rockets from 2011 to 2015. He’s also worked as a basketball analyst for TNT and NBA TV. Kevin McHale was selected to the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team in 1996, and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999.
Born in Shreveport, Louisiana in 1953, Robert Parish attended his hometown’s Centenary College from 1972 to ‘76, where he made Second Team All-American his senior year. While in school, Parish served as captain of Team USA at the 1975 Pan American Games in Mexico City where the team won gold.
He debuted in the NBA in 1976 for the Golden State Warriors, who drafted him 8th overall, two seasons after they won their first championship since leaving Philadelphia. He was traded to Boston prior to the 1980-81 season, which was Larry Bird’s second season and Kevin McHale’s first. The Warriors hadn’t made the playoffs since his rookie year, and he joked that going to the Celtics was like moving from an outhouse to a penthouse.
That season, the Celtics won an NBA Championship against the Houston Rockets, and they would win two more that decade. In 1984 they beat the Los Angeles Lakers in seven games, and Parish played a big role in the pivotal fourth game, with 25 points, 12 rebounds 3 steals and 2 blocks. They won another against the Rockets again in 1986 in their best season of the decade. Along with the big three of Bird, Parish and McHale, the Celtics had a back court of Dennis Johnson and Danny Ainge, a Hall of Famer sixth man in Bill Walton and Jerry Sichting and Scott Wedman coming off the bench. The team would also reach the finals in 1985 and ‘87, losing to the Lakers both times. The team began to decline after ’86 in large part due to the death of the Celtics’ pick in the 1986 draft, Len Bias, who passed away from a freak cocain overdose.
In a memorable incident, Parish punched Detroit Pistons center Bill Laimbeer in game five of ‘87 Eastern Conference Finals, knocking him to the floor. Laimbeer’s elbows had come close to striking Parish when he was hit; Laimbeer had a reputation as one of the league’s dirtiest players, and Parish wasn’t even assessed a foul. Two games prior, Laimbeer had clothes-lined Larry Bird, knocking him to the floor. Parish was suspended for one game, which Boston lost before clinching the series in game seven.
Parish would make All-NBA Second Team in 1982 and All-NBA Third Team in 1989. He would also make the All-Star Game nine times, including every season from 1981 to ‘87, and again in ‘90 and ‘91. Following the ‘93-94 season (during which he served as team captain), Parish left the Celtics and played two seasons for the Charlotte Hornets. In 1996, while still an active player, he was selected to the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team.
In 96-97, Parish’s final year, he played for the Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen-led Chicago Bulls, who won their fifth championship of the decade that season on their way to a second three-peat. Although he played limited minutes, Parish added a fourth ring to his resume. Parish retired at age 43 as the NBA’s all time leader in games played with 1,611. He was ahead of his time when it came to his focus on nutrition and physical fitness, and was and is a practitioner of yoga and martial arts. He was also the third oldest player to play in the NBA and the oldest to win a championship.
He holds the all time lead among Celtics in blocked shots with 1,703. He’s second only to Bill Russell in rebounds, second to John Havlicek in games played, and in fourth place in points, minutes played and steals among Boston players. His career highs include 2.9 blocks per game in 1978-79, 12.5 rebounds per game in ‘88-89, 19.9 points per game in ‘81-82, and shooting 60% from the field in ‘90-91. He scored a career high 40 points in a January 1981 win against the San Antonio Spurs. Parish’s famous number “00” was retired by the Celtics in 1998, and he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003, with the introductory speech given by his old friend and teammate, Bill Walton.
Born in the San Pedro neighborhood of Los Angeles in 1954 and raised in Compton, California, Dennis Johnson attended LA Harbor College from 1972 to ‘75 and Pepperdine University in Los Angeles County in ‘75-76.
In 1976, Johnson was drafted 29th overall by the Seattle SuperSonics. Seattle’s head coach during his rookie year was Celtics great Bill Russell. The Sonics lost in the Finals to Wes Unseld, Elvin Hayes and the Washington Bullets in 1978. He won his first NBA Championship in a re-match with the Bullets in 1979 and was named Finals MVP, averaging 22.6 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 1.8 steals and 2.2 blocks in the five game series. He was especially dominant in the Sonics’ game four win with 32 points, 10 rebounds and 4 blocks on 12 of 23 shooting. Seattle’s head coach during his rookie year was Celtics great Bill Russell. following the 1979-80 season, Johnson was traded to the Phoenix Suns, where he played until 1983.
Johnson was traded to the Celtics after the ‘82-83 season. He played there with greats like Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish. It was a hell of a career move for DJ, and he and Bird greatly complimented each other’s games He won a Championship against the Los Angles Lakers in his first year in Boston. The Celtics won it all again in ‘86 against the Houston Rockets with quite possibly their best team ever. Along with DJ, Bird, McHale and Parish, they also featured guard Danny Ainge, Hall of Fame center Bill Walton as their sixth man and Scott Wedman and Jerry Sichting coming off the bench. They made the finals in 1985 and ‘87, but lost to the Lakers both times. The C’s slowly declined after ’86, in large part due to the death of Boston’s #2 overall pick in the 1986 draft, Maryland’s star forward Len Bias. DJ was involved in one of the Celtics’ most famous plays of the ‘80s if not ever in game five of the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals. The C’s were down by one point with five seconds left in the game when Larry Bird stole Isiah Thomas’ inbounds pass before firing a pass to Dennis who’d rushed towards the basket for a layup. His bucket put the Celtics up by one point and won the game.
Johnson made All-NBA first team in 1981 and Second Team in 1980. Always an excellent defender, he made All-Defensive First Team six times; every year from 1979 to ‘83 as well as ‘87, and All-Defensive Second Team every year from 1984 to ‘86. Johnson was a five time All-Star, including every year from 1979 to ‘82, as well as ‘85. Johnson retired following the 1989-90 season and his number “3” was retired by the Celtics in 1991.
He currently sits at eighth all time among Celtics players in both assists and steals, as well as twentieth in points. His career highs include 7.8 assists per game in 1987-88, 19.5 points per game in ‘81-82, 1.8 steals per game in ‘79-80, and shooting over 50% from the field in his rookie season of ‘76-77. He scored a career high of 39 points in a February 1981 loss to the New York Knicks while a member of the Suns. He also served as the Celtics’ assistant coach from 1993 to ‘97, and as head coach of the Los Angeles Clippers in 2003.
Sadly, Dennis Johnson died of a heart attack on February 22nd, 2007, at the age of 52. He was considered by many, including former teammate Danny Ainge, to be one of the most under-rated players of all time. For Larry Bird’s part, he called DJ the best teammate he ever had. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010.
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