Tag: John Havlicek

Recounting how Havlicek stole the ball – a flashbulb moment in Celtics history

On April 15, 1965, Havlicek made a heroic defensive play during the 1965 Eastern Conference Finals, leading to Johnny Most’s iconic call.

It was on this day — April 15, 1965 — that Havlicek stole the ball. This defining moment of defensive brilliance helped the Celtics secure a Game 7 victory in the Eastern Conference finals at home against the dreaded Philadelphia 76ers. The C’s went on to win the title that year.

It’s the final moments of regulation, and the Sixers are chipping away at a modest fourth-quarter Celtics lead. With just a few seconds left on the clock, superstar Wilt Chamberlain puts home an easy dunk. He’ll finish the game with 30 points and 32 rebounds. Thanks to this basket, the Sixers pull within a point. The C’s are up 110-109.

Boston and Philly have played a very tight series, and here in Game 7, neither team looked able to fully pull away. Still, even with Chamberlain’s dunk, the C’s are a few free throws away from securing a narrow victory.

With only seconds remaining in the game, Boston’s own star big man Bill Russell elects to inbounds the ball. Unlike today, however, the hoop is anchored by a metal frame and four guide wires. Russell clips one of the wires as he tries to pass to a teammate for inevitable free throws. It’s a shocking and unbelievable unforced error. Sixers ball.

Philly gains possession underneath its own basket and has an opportunity to polish off an impossible come-from-behind win against the reigning world champs. The ref hands Hal Greer the ball — that’s when a 25-year-old John Havlicek knew to start counting.

Four seconds passed, and nothing happened. Hondo – who had his back to the basket — understood the Sixers were having trouble inbounding the ball. Havlicek began to turn around, and the rest is history.

Relive the incredible moment above. Come for the Havlicek heroics, stay for the now-iconic Johnny Most call. “Havlicek stole the ball! It’s all over! It’s all over”

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Boston Celtics legend John Havlicek’s 1978 jersey retirement ceremony

Hondo had his jersey lifted to the Garden’s rafters immediately after retiring from the sport.

At the start of the first season (1978-79) the Boston Celtics were to play without Hall of Fame small forward John Havlicek since drafting him out of Ohio State in 1962, the team honored the Bridgeport, Ohio, native by retiring his No. 17 jersey to the Boston Garden rafters.

Hondo — as Havlicek was sometimes called as a nickname — was the NBA’s third-leading all-time scorer and had played more games than any player in league history, racking up 8 titles, 13 All-Star bids, 11 All-NBA elections and 8 All-Defensive team nods. He was one of the greatest players to ever play for Boston or in the NBA.

To see that historic moment where Havlicek’s jersey was forever immortalized at the old Boston Garden, watch the video embedded below, courtesy of YouTube channel Classic Sports.

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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Breaking down legendary Boston Celtics small forward John Havlicek’s defense

Get to know Hondo’s game a little more.

Many contemporary fans of the Boston Celtics know little about the game of franchise legend John Havlicek, whose career ended before many fans of today were even born.

But Hondo — as Havlicek was often called — excelled at both ends of the court in every way and thrived off stealing the lunch of his opponents in particular. While he was a 13-time All-Star and 11-time All-NBA performer, Havlicek also managed to get elected to eight All-Defensive teams over the course of his long career for being a terror on the hardwood.

So, if you weren’t paying attention to such things when he was a player or you just want to get to know this Celtics legend better, watch the video embedded below put together by YouTuber 70sFan.

This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!

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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On this day: Celtic legend John Havlicek born; coach Dave Cowens axed

On this day, legendary Boston forward John Havlicek was born, and Celtics luminary Dave Cowens was fired as head coach.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, Celtics luminary John Havlicek was born in Martins Ferry, Ohio in 1940. The eight-time champion forward played his college ball at Ohio State, where he would win an NCAA championship in 1960. He was taken by Boston seventh overall in the 1962 NBA draft, for whom he would play 16 seasons.

Besides the banners, Hondo (as he was called) would be elected Finals MVP in 1974, to 13 All-Star Games, 11 All-NBA teams, eight All-Defensive teams, and several other honors over his career. Among the winningest of all Celtics — and especially so beyond the Bill-Russell-led dynasty of the 1960s — Havlicek elevated the importance of the “sixth man” role to new heights.

He retired in 1978 — upon which his jersey number was immediately retired — and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1984.

Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Network.

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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: Russell’s 51 boards; Hondo’s last ASG, Pierce’s last at the Garden

On this day in Celtics history, Bill Russell nabbed a career-high 51 rebounds, Hondo played his last All-Star game, and Pierce played his first and last games in the Garden.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, Hall of Fame Boston big man Bill Russell pulled down an unreal career-high of 51 rebounds on this date back in 1960. Russell would accomplish the feat despite playing the game with a charlie horse that slowed his ability to play — not that it showed up in the box score in any noticeable way — making the feat all the more impressive.

It would be the second-most boards ever pulled down by a player in the league’s history at that time, and it came in a home game at the old Boston Garden against the (then) Syracuse Nationals (now, Philadelphia 76ers).

The Celtics won comfortably in a 124-100 blowout.

On this day: Boston Celtics field NBA’s first All-Black starting five

On this day in 1964, the Boston Celtics fielded the first all-Black starting 5 in league history when Willie Naulls replaced Tommy Heinsohn in the lineup.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, the storied franchise made history by starting the first all-Black starting five in NBA history back in 1964. The Celtics were on the road to play a regular season game with the (then) St. Louis (now, Atlanta) Hawks when Hall of Fame power forward Tommy Heinsohn ended up a scratch due to an injury he sustained previously.

In that era, there was a so-called “gentlemen’s agreement” that acted as an unspoken agreement to always have at least one white player on the court at all times, supposedly in the interest of racial harmony.

But, legendary team manager and head coach Red Auerbach decided to play recently-acquired Willie Naulls in his place, breaking that tacit, racist agreement.

On this day: Wilkins and Hondo go for 43 – 31 years apart; Yabu born

On this day, two Celtics scored 43 points in games separated by 31 years, and former Boston big man Guerschon Yabusele was born.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, Hall of Fame big man Dominique Wilkins scored 43 points in a 112-109 win over the Houston Rockets back in 1994 as The Human Highlight Reel put on a show for the ages on the same day another Celtics star did three decades and a year prior to the day (more on that later).

The huge game for Wilkins came on the road against the eventual NBA Champions at The Summit, their home arena in Houston. The Paris, France native’s full stat line for the night was 43 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, and a steal, with 7 turnovers and 5 personal fouls across 41 minutes of playing time.

The Georgia product shot 16-of-27 from the floor overall, and a sizzling 5-of-6 from 3, going 6-of-9 from the charity stripe in the eighth-most points Wilkins ever scored in a game.

Not one but three Havliceks are on the court for Florida’s Benjamin School

A Havlicek playing basketball again? At Palm Beach Garden’s Benjamin School, three in fact are following in the footsteps of their famous grandfather.

A Havlicek playing basketball again? At Palm Beach Garden’s Benjamin School, three in fact are following in the footsteps of their famous grandfather, the eight-time NBA champion and 13-time All-Star with the Boston Celtics.

The trio of John Havlicek’s grandchildren are playing for the East Coast Florida school’s Bucs, with his namesake Johnny Havlicek a sophomore, and cousins Drew and Logan Buchanan a junior and a freshman, respectively, per recent reporting from ABC WPBF 25’s Yianni Kourakis. Per Johnny, his grandfather and family took a hands-off approach to the sport, yet the trio of cousins fell headlong into it just the same.

“I don’t think we were forced to,” he said. “I think we chose to play basketball.”

The top three Boston Celtics to elevate their team

In the NBA, the influence of a single star player on a team’s success can be profound.

In the NBA, the influence of a single star player on a team’s success can be profound, turning struggling teams into perennial contenders. A recent analysis by the staff of our sister site HoopsHype focuses on these sorts of transformative stars and the teams they were closely associated with, showing off the before-and-after scenarios in terms of franchise winning percentages pumped up by their presence on that respective roster.

And as one might expect given the flow of future Hall of Famers through the Boston Celtics’ organization over the decades they won an NBA-record 17 banners, there are several Boston alumni in that analysis.

Let’s take a look at the top three Celtics stars to make the cut.