#10 Jo Jo White, Point Guard, 1969-1979
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.
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