It’s time to pick the All Time Celtic Team. Today we will pick a first second and Honorable Mention. The only rules are the player had to play with the Celtics for at least five years and had to have won a title.
All Time Celtic Team: First Team
Center – Bill Russell The greatest winner in team sports of all time. Russell won eleven titles in thirteen years. The greatest Celtic to ever put on the uniform. Russell won five Most Valuable Player awards. His rebounding and shot blocking propelled the Celtics throughout his playing days. Russell was also the player coach for two of his eleven titles. His ability to block shots revolutionized the game.
Forward – Larry Bird The second greatest Celtic to ever put on the uniform. The”Hick From French Lick”. Bird won the Most Valuable Player Award three times and was the third best all time Celtic scorer. He had fifty-nine triple doubles in his career. His teams won three titles. The Bird and Magic Johnson rivalry saved the NBA at a time when the league was struggling.
Guard – Bob Cousy Another Celtic who changed the game when he came along. Cousy was the consummate point guard. His behind the back passes were way ahead of his time. The eight time NBA assist leader won six championships as a Celtic.
Guard – John Havlicek Originally a sixth man but Havlicek’s career was much more than that. Havlicek won six titles in his career. He was the Celtic all time leading scorer.Known for his stamina with the ability to play all night. Havlicek averaged 45.4 minutes per game in the 70-71 season and 45.1 minutes per game in the 71-72 season. In total Havlicek had five seasons of playing over forty minutes per game. Havlicek was a thirteen time all star and led the team’s transition from the Russell era into the seventies. After Russell retired he won two more titles.
Forward – Paul Pierce Pierce won only one title but is considered one of the best pure scorers in Celtic History. The second all time Celtic scorer, Pierce was an NBA Finals MVP and a ten time all star. Who can forget Pierce’s tremendous duel with Lebron James in game seven in 2008. The Celtics won that game with Pierce scoring forty one points while Lebron out scored Pierce with forty five.
All Time Celtic Team: Second Team
Center – Dave Cowens One of the hardest playing Celtics of all time. Cowens was p[art of two championships. He played center though he was only 6’9′. In 1974 he matched up against in his prime Kareem, a next to impossible task, in Game Seven of the NBA Finals outscoring him 28 to 26 and out rebounding him 14 to 13 leading Boston to the title.
Forward Kevin McHale Another one of the great Celtic Sixth Men. McHale started his career as a sixth man but became much more than that. McHale played on three championships teams with Larry Bird. He was one of the greatest post players to ever play the game in a time when that ability was important.
Forward – Tommy Heinsohn Younger people would remember him as the Celtic announcer with Mike Gorman. Heinsohn was much more than that. Heinsohn played on eight championship teams and coached the Celtics to two more titles. In the 57 playoffs in game seven Heinsohn scored thirty-seven points and grabbed twenty three rebounds propelling the Celtics to the title.
Guard – Sam Jones Known as a good offensive player who was the master of the bank shot. Jones won ten championships. In the 69 playoffs, game four against the Lakers he hit the game winning shot as he was stumbling. This tied the series at two and the Celtics would go on to win that series. After the series both he and Russell retired.
Guard – JoJo White White was part of two Celtic championships and was an NBA Finals MVP in 1976. He also was a seven time All Star and along with Cowens and Havlicek formed the Celtics big three of that era.
Coach And General Manager – Red Auerbach Auerbach coached the Celtics to nine titles. His ability to make brilliant trades led the Celtics to seven more titles as the team president. An example of his trading ability was acquiring both Kevin McHale and Robert Parish for the first and thirteenth pick in that draft.
All Time Celtic Team: : Honorable Mention
Robert Parish
