The Boston Celtics are back on top of the National Basketball Association, a place longtime fans say they rightfully belong. Last season they earned their 17th NBA championship, and first in 22 years, providing an opportunity to look back on the franchise's storied past.
The following is a look at the greatest Celtic team of all time, a 12-man roster of the best who have donned the green and white.
Backcourt led by Cousy, Jones
Point guard: Bob Cousy was basketball's first great point guard. "The Houdini of the Hardwood" was a dazzling dribbler and passer whose play at times was reminiscent of The Harlem Globetrotters. The Basketball Hall of Famer was the playmaker on six NBA championship teams, was a 13-time NBA All-Star and had career averages of 18.4 points, 7.5 assists and 5.2 rebounds. Cousy was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History during the league's 50th anniversary celebration in 1996. He ranks 13th in NBA history in assists. In Celtic history he is first in assists, fifth in scoring, and -- despite standing just 6-foot-1 -- 10th in rebounding.
Shooting guard: Sam Jones was one of the first players to earn the nickname "Mr. Clutch" for hitting big shots and being a great all-around player. He played with the Celtics for 12 seasons and helped them win 10 NBA titles. The Hall of Famer led the Celtics in scoring three times, and his career averages were 17.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. He ranks seventh all-time in scoring in team history and was also named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996.
Russell Arguably NBA's Greatest Center Ever
Center: Bill Russell is the easiest choice of all, but not because Boston hasn't had talent at the position. The 6-9 Russell absolutely dominated games with his defense and rebounding, and was the key player on 11 NBA championship teams, including eight in a row.
He ranks second to Wilt Chamberlain in league history in both rebounds and rebounds per game (22.5). He also averaged 15.1 points and 4.3 assists per game during his 13 seasons, 12 of which ended with recognition as an NBA All-Star. The five-time league Most Valuable Player is a Hall of Famer and was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History.
Fabulous Forwards: Bird and Havlicek
Power forward: Larry Bird was perhaps the best all-around player in basketball history, with career averages of 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game. He was also known for his clutch shooting during his 13-year career, which included three NBA titles in 1981, 1984 and 1986. He was named the NBA's Most Valuable Player three consecutive seasons, was a 12-time NBA All-Star and made the All-Defensive Team three times.
On the all-time Celtic lists, Bird wound up first in points per game and free throws, second in scoring, third in assists, fourth in rebounding, and seventh in field-goal percentage. The Hall of Famer was also named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History.
Small forward: John Havlicek in many ways was a smaller version (6-5) of Bird in that he could do so many different things. "Hondo" also played guard for the Celtics, whom he helped win eight NBA titles. A 13-time NBA All-Star, Havlicek had career averages of 20.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists.
Havlicek is the Celtics' all-time leader in many categories, including points scored, field goals made and attempted and games played. He also ranks second in assists and fifth in rebounds, and is another Celtic Hall of Famer named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History.
On the Bench
Guards: Jo Jo White and Dennis Johnson. It is a travesty that neither man is in the Hall of Fame yet. Each led the Celtics to two NBA titles. The 6-1 White spent 12 seasons with the Celtics and is one of the best scoring point guards in history. The 6-4 Johnson was one of the league's best defenders.
Centers: Robert Parish and Dave Cowens. Two of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, The 7-foot Parish helped the Celtics to three titles (1981, 1984 and 1986) while playing 14 of his NBA-record 21 seasons with Boston. Cowens led the Celtics to NBA titles in 1974 and 1976, and though he only stood 6-9, he never averaged fewer than 13.9 rebounds per game during his first eight seasons.
Forwards: Kevin McHale, Paul Pierce and Tom Heinsohn. The 6-10 McHale, a Hall of Famer and one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, teamed with Parish and Bird to form the NBA's greatest frontcourt ever while helping Boston to three NBA titles. Though Pierce's one title pales in comparison to every other member of this team, the 6-6 swingman's career averages of 23.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists put him in the company of Bird and Havlicek. The 6-7 Heinsohn was overshadowed by Russell and Cousy on the early Celtic powerhouses but he averaged 18.6 points and 8.8 rebounds while earning eight NBA titles and a spot in the Hall of Fame.
Statistics from databaseBasketball.com, basketball-reference.com and nba.com
