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RIP, Hondo

Underdog

By Underdog
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phdhorn

phdhorn 6224

Posted
Posted
11 hours ago, Francisco 2.0 said:

1974-John-Havlicek-Kareem-Abdul-Jabbar-0

Back when your shoes didn't blow out.  Still Boston's all-time leading scorer (Bird's back had some say in that, but still, #1 is #1).  No one played as complete a game at small forward than Hondo.  Only 79 though, not that old.

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LTtxfan

LTtxfan 49378

Posted
Posted
5 hours ago, Goo Punch said:

^^^^ lol ok. the game has never been better than it is today. 

moving on, "Havlicek stole the ball!" is such an iconic call, and hearing it is one of my earliest basketball memories. where would you guys rank him among the all time Celtics?

Right there with Bill Russell.....

Bird is 3rd.

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LTtxfan

LTtxfan 49378

Posted
Posted (edited)
3 hours ago, Goo Punch said:

wow, damn. i had the impression that he was around the top 3-4 all time but wasn't sure. that's rarefied air there. 

John Havlicek:

"In the National Basketball Association, only teammates Bill Russell and Sam Jones won more championships during their playing careers, and Havlicek is one of three NBA players with an unsurpassed 8–0 record in NBA Finals series outcomes. Havlicek is widely considered to have been one of the greatest players in the history of the game and was inducted as a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1984. He was a three-sport athlete at Bridgeport High School in Bridgeport, Ohio."

"Havlicek is the Celtics' all-time leader in points and games played, scoring 26,395 points (20.8 points per game, 16th all-time in points scored in the NBA), and playing in 1,270 games (30th all-time). He became the first player to score 1,000 points in 16 consecutive seasons, with his best season coming during the 1970–71 season when he averaged 28.9 points per game."

"Nicknamed "Hondo" (inspired by the 1953 movie of the same name starring John Wayne), Havlicek revolutionized the "sixth man" role, and has been immortalized for his clutch steal in the closing seconds of the 1965 Eastern Conference championship. In the seventh and final game, played at Boston Garden on April 15, the Celtics led the Philadelphia 76ers 110–109 with five seconds left, and only needed to inbound the ball underneath their basket to secure the victory and advance to the 1965 NBA Finals; however, Bill Russell's pass struck a wire that hung down from the ceiling and helped support the baskets, the turnover giving the 76ers and Wilt Chamberlain the ball and a chance to win the game and the series. Hal Greer was set to throw the inbounds pass for the 76ers. Havlicek stood with his back to Greer, guarding Chet Walker. But as Greer's pass came inbounds, Havlicek spun, leaped, and tipped the pass to Sam Jones. Veteran referee Earl Strom, who wrote about this in his memoir "Calling the Shots", called Havlicek's reaction one of the greatest plays he ever saw in his 32 years as a professional official. Announcer Johnny Most's call of "Havlicek stole the ball!" was dubbed by the NBA as "the most famous radio call in basketball history."

"Havlicek was drafted by both the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League in 1962. After competing briefly as a wide receiver in the Browns' training camp that year, he focused his energies on playing for the Celtics, with head coach Red Auerbach later describing him as the "guts of the team." He was also known for his stamina, with competitors saying that it was a challenge just to keep up with him. "

------------------------------------------------------

Hondo was the Celtics version of Manu Ginobili only better. He was the Energizer Bunny.... relentless!!!  Tremendous defender, their best shooter, Captain and Leader, and beloved wonderful selfless teammate...  Won 8 NBA Championships and NEVER lost in the NBA Finals!!

Career highlights and awards
Career statistics
Points 26,395 (20.8 ppg)
Rebounds 8,007 (6.3 rpg)
Assists 6,114 (4.8 apg)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
 
Basketball Hall of Fame as player
College Basketball Hall of Fame
Inducted in 2006
Edited by LTtxfan
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bamachine

bamachine 1231

Posted
Posted

RIP. I just barely saw him play, as I started watching, as a Lakers fan, in about '77. My mom was a Celtics fan, so we could watch and root against each other. We did that with all the pro sports, only having a common team in college sports. Damn, keep losing icons of my childhood.

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retread

retread 2951

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Curious to see what big NBA fans have to say about Havlicek v Bird. I guess I would have said Bird>Hondo just bc it's Bird. I only saw the tail end of Havlicek's career, so I don't have a full appreciation of his career. But damn that's an impressive resume.

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LTtxfan

LTtxfan 49378

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Just now, retread said:

Curious to see what big NBA fans have to say about Havlicek v Bird. I guess I would have said Bird>Hondo just bc it's Bird. I only saw the tail end of Havlicek's career, so I don't have a full appreciation of his career. But damn that's an impressive resume.

Played different positions..... played different roles... and played in different eras.  Both great Celtic players.  Hondo more complete player and played longer. 

But lots of folks would pick Bird over Hondo......

Not Me.... 😀

 

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phdhorn

phdhorn 6224

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Bird was unquestionably a more gifted player, no doubt.  And he could produce more stellar individual performances than almost anyone alive until some kid out of North Carolina came long.

But I'm not sure there was a better consistent pure player than Havlicek.  I see them as 50/50 in "best" Celtic of all time.  Depends on the wind on any given day.

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ztejas

ztejas 43554

Posted
Posted (edited)
2 hours ago, LTtxfan said:

giphy.gif

I think Bird played in a much more competitive era and stood out more as an individual star. He took a shitty post-Celtics-golden-era Celtics team to 60 wins his rookie year, and over the next decade won 3 MVPs, took them to the Finals 5 times and won 3 of those. 

But I always respect opinions in these debates, just not sure many would put Havlicek above him. Havlicek was the 2nd most important piece of the titles he won with Russell. 

I think you'd be hard pressed to argue Havlicek as the better "player" whether he was a greater "Celtic" or not is a closer debate I suppose. 

But, don't want to detract from the thread too much. The fact that it's a discussion shows how great Hondo was. 

*Forgot Hondo had 2 titles post Russell. Def big point in his favor.

Edited by ztejas
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