John Havlicek 13 All-Star Selections

Lore & Background

A swingman, Havlicek played college basketball for the Ohio State Buckeyes from 1959 to 1962, winning an NCAA championship in 1960. He was selected by the Celtics in the 1962 NBA draft and played with the team until his retirement in 1978. A 13-time NBA All-Star, Havlicek was named to the All-NBA First Team four times and to the All-NBA Second Team five times. He was also named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team on five occasions and to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team once. Havlicek is known for his stamina and his hustle as well as his abilities.

Reader's Guide

During his career with the Celtics, he became known for stealing the ball to save the game–and the Celtics' playoff hopes–near the end of game seven in the 1965 Eastern Conference Finals. Havlicek served as captain of the Celtics from 1969 to 1978, and was named NBA Finals MVP in 1974. Following his retirement, his number 17 jersey was retired by the Celtics. Havlicek was inducted into Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1984.

Did You Know?

• Havlicek was of Czech and Croatian descent, from his father and mother respectively.
• He was a three-sport athlete at Bridgeport High School in Bridgeport, Ohio, and a boyhood friend of Baseball Hall of Famer Phil Niekro.
• Havlicek played college basketball at Ohio State University with future seven-time NBA All-Star Jerry Lucas, who was his roommate.
• He was drafted by the Boston Celtics, the Cleveland Pipers of the ABL, and the Cleveland Browns of the NFL in 1962.
• Announcer Johnny Most's call of 'Havlicek stole the ball!' was dubbed by the NBA as 'the most famous radio call in basketball history.'