John Havlicek

John J. “Hondo” Havlicek (April 8, 1940 - April 25, 2019) excelled in as a three sports athlete in high school, won the 1960 NCAA National Basketball Championship with Ohio State University and was drafted by the Boston Celtics and the Cleveland Browns as a wide receiver in 1962. Foregoing football after a brief stint with the Browns in training camp, Havlicek turned his focus towards basketball and became one the greatest players in Celtics and NBA history. Hondo played his entire 16-year career at forward or guard with the incredibly talented Boston team that included fellow Hall of Famers Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, Sam Jones, K.C. Jones and Tom Heinsohn and was led by the Hall of Fame, cigar-smoking coach Red Auerbach. Havlicek led the league twice in games played and minutes played during a season. He is the highest scoring white player in the history of the game and remains among the best ever in numerous scoring and playing categories. His strength, fitness and durability as well as his intense competitive nature made him one of the greatest players ever on either side of the ball. He was selected for 13 All-Star games, four times an All-NBA First Team player, five times an NBA All-Defensive First Team player, 1963 NBA All-Rookie First Team and was named to the NBA’s All-Time Fifty Greatest Player list in 1996. John Havlicek retired from the Celtics in 1978 with 26,395 points, 6,114 assists and 8,007 rebounds in 1,270 games. John was a member of eight NBA Championship Celtics teams (1963-1966, 1968-1969, 1974, 1976). Only teammates Bill Russell and Sam Jones possess more championship rings than Havlicek. John is often remembered for one of the most famous moments in NBA playoff history and one of the best calls ever, when he stole and in-bounds pass with second remaining in the 1965 Eastern Conference Finals against the Philadelphia 76ers to clinch the game and series for the Celtics. John Havlicek was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1984.