Boston Celtics greatest duos: Larry Bird and Dennis Johnson

Get to know this killer tandem from Boston’s rich history of them.

The Boston Celtics have had a host of player duos use their personal chemistry to great success over the decades, from Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum back to Bob Cousy and Bill Russell.

The championship years of the mid-1980s were certainly no exception. Iconic forward Larry Bird and champion point guard Dennis Johnson put together truly transcendent play on a consistent basis based on their personal connection as players. Contemporary fans ought to do themselves a favor and get up to speed on how the dynamic between these two dynamos functioned to produce the two titles.

Watch the clip embedded below to hear about how these two meshed to form one of Boston’s best duos on the court, courtesy of CLNS Media’s “NBA History & Legends on CLNS” YouTube channel.

If you enjoy this pod, check out the “How Bout Them Celtics,” “First to the Floor,” “Celtics Lab,” and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Was Dennis Johnson Larry Bird’s best teammate on the Boston Celtics?

A two-time titlist with the Celtics, the team retired the Hall of Fame point guard’s No. 3 jersey to the rafters.

With the recent retirement of the Boston Celtics‘ last championship point guard, Rajon Rondo, the folks behind the CLNS Media “NBA History and Storytellers” YouTube channel felt it appropriate to look back through Celtics championship history.

In this video, they looked deeply into the top five point guards in Celtics history who have won a title, narrowing the focus to 1980s Boston floor general Dennis Johnson. A two-time titlist with the Celtics, the team retired the Hall of Fame point guard’s No. 3 jersey to the rafters to honor his contributions to the team’s storied history.

Take a look at the clip embedded below to hear what they had to say!

If you enjoy this pod, check out the “How Bout Them Celtics,” “First to the Floor,” and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=590969556]

Ravens are hiring Baylor assistant Dennis Johnson as their defensive line coach

The Baltimore Ravens are hring former Baylor assistant coach Dennis Johnson to the role of defensive line coach replacing the departed Anthony Weaver

Zach Orr has made one of his first critical hires, luring Dennis Johnson away from Baylor to replace Anthony Weaver as the defensive line coach.

Johnson joined head coach Dave Aranda’s football staff at Baylor in January 2020, serving as defensive line coach.

In 2022, Johnson helped Siaki Ika earn All-America honors, with the nose tackle totaling 24 stops and two tackles for a loss, leading the team with five QB hurries.

Johnson, an LSU graduate and member of the school’s 2011 Southeastern Conference Championship team, arrived at Balylor following a 2019 season spent as an analyst at LSU.

He served from 2016-18 as a full-time coach, first with the outside linebackers (2016-17) before moving to the defensive line (2018).

Every Boston Celtics All-Star for each season the game was played

Every single Boston Celtics All-Star in franchise history.

The 2024 NBA All-Star Game is set to kick off in Indianapolis, Indiana. A pair of Boston Celtics will be part of the action for the third year in a row as Jayson Tatum plays as a starter and Jaylen Brown a reserve for the Eastern Conference All-Stars.

Tatum and Brown join a long list of Celtics stars who have participated in the event, now entering its 73rd year of existence, which actually got its start in the old Boston Garden. Initially created to improve the image of professional basketball after a point-shaving scandal in NCAA ball besmirched the sport in the eyes of the public, the event has taken on a life of its own as one of the league’s most anticipated events.

Let’s take a look at all the Celtics who have taken part.

On this day: Rondo traded for Crowder; most team assists in ’85

On this day, the Celtics traded Rajon Rondo to the Mavericks for Jae Crowder, and Boston logged 46 assists against Dallas, their most ever.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, the storied franchise traded champion point guard Rajon Rondo and center Dwight Powell to the Dallas Mavericks in 2014 in exchange for small forward Jae Crowder, point guard Jameer Nelson, big man Brandan Wright, draft assets, and a $13 million trade exception.

The move finally brought to an end the last remaining player from the team’s 2008 NBA title tenure with the franchise, Rondo having been with the Celtics since the Phoenix Suns drafted him out of Kentucky with the 21st overall pick of the 2006 NBA draft and dealt him to Boston on draft night.

Powell was a more recent arrival, having come over in the deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers for Keith Bogans in September of that year.

On this day: Dennis Johnson jersey retired; Kendrick Perkins debut; Charles Claxton, Andre Turner born; Woody Sauldsberry signed

On this day, the Celtics retired DJ’s number, Perk played his first game for them, and Charles Claxton and Andre Turner were born.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, the Celtics raised champion point guard Dennis Johnson’s jersey to the rafters, honoring the two titles and seven seasons the San Pedro, California native played for Boston. A product of both Los Angeles Harbor College and Pepperdine — Johnson matriculated from the former, a junior college, to the latter — the point and shooting guard was taken with the 29th overall pick of the 1976 NBA draft by the (then) Seattle SuperSonics (now, Oklahoma City Thunder).

DJ — as he was often called as a nickname — would play for that team and the Phoenix Suns before being dealt to Boston in 1983, winning a title with the Sonics in 1979.

The Celtics acquired Johnson for Rick Robey and draft assets, quite a steal in retrospect.

Who are the Boston Celtics’ top-10 all-time leaders in postseason free throws?

Make your guesses, then scroll down to see how you did.

In his historic, 50-point masterpiece against the Brooklyn Nets in Game 3 of the 2021 Eastern Conference first-round series, All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics likely would not have won the game had the budding superstar not gotten to the line 15 times, converting 13.

But the St. Louis native had a long way to go to crack the franchise’s top ten in free throws made in the postseason given the long and storied history of the Celtics in the playoffs, making the list in 2023; you sink a lot of shots at the charity stripe when you win 17 banners, after all.

Who are the 10 most accomplished sinkers of free throws in the playoffs for Boston, then? Make your guesses, then scroll down to see how you did.

How many Boston Celtics are in the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame?

No team in NBA history has produced more. How many can you name?

With Boston Celtics Hall of Fame Paul Pierce officially part of the incoming 2021 class and big man Kevin Garnett getting his formal induction into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame in May 2021 — nearly a year after getting the nod due to the pandemic — all three members of the so-called “new Big Three” of KG, Pierce and Ray Allen have been ensconced in what serves as the Valhalla of basketball.

But they are far from the only Celtics so honored. In fact, there is a veritable host of Boston legends populating the Hoop Hall in Springfield, Massachusetts, just a short drive away from the NBA’s titletown. The Celtics have more players than any other team in league history.

Let’s take a look at the 40 Celtics who have been honored with a Hall of Fame induction.

Who are the Boston Celtics’ top-10 all-time leaders in postseason free throws?

Can you name which 10 Boston Celtics have sunk the most postseason free throws in the history of the franchise? Better yet, can you do it in order?

In his historic, 50-point masterpiece against the Brooklyn Nets in Game 3 of the 2021 Eastern Conference first-round series, All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics likely would not have won the game had the budding superstar not gotten to the line 15 times, converting 13.

But the St. Louis native has a long way to go to crack the franchise’s top ten in free throws made in the postseason given the long and storied history of the Celtics in the playoffs; you sink a lot of shots at the charity stripe when you win 17 banners, after all.

Who are the 10 most accomplished sinkers of free throws in the playoffs for Boston, then? Make your guesses, then scroll down to see how you did.

Who are the Boston Celtics’ top-10 all-time leaders in postseason assists?

Can you name the best postseason distributors in Boston Celtics history? Better yet, can you do it in order?

Few things separate a contender from a pretender more than their ability to move the ball, with the requisite trust to be selfless with the ball creating opportunities for all to eat on their way to a playoff win.

And that selfless ball movement has been the hallmark of the very best Boston Celtics playoff squads throughout the history of their storied franchise. No team has yet surpassed their 17 total titles and their historic dominance of the NBA postseason is quite literally the stuff of legends. Behind it all has been the humblest of all basketball statistics, the assist.

But who are the Celtics players who have dished out the most in the team’s long history of postseason appearances? Let’s scroll down to find out.