John Havlicek All-Time Franchise Scoring Record
Havlicek stole the ball!
John Joseph Havlicek ( HAV-lih-chek; April 8, 1940 – April 25, 2019), often nicknamed Hondo, was an American professional basketball player who spent his entire 16-year career with the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Havlicek won eight NBA championships — one of three NBA players with an unsurpassed 8–0 record in the NBA Finals series — and was voted the NBA Finals MVP in 1974.
- Role
- Small Forward / Shooting Guard
- Championships Won
- 8
- All-Star Selections
- 13
- Status
- Record surpassed by Larry Bird in 1990; Hall of Fame Inductee
Lore & Background
Havlicek is known for his stamina and his hustle as well as his abilities. 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.
In Their Own Story
The parquet floor creaked under the weight of forty minutes of nonstop motion. By the fourth quarter, lungs burned for everyone except Havlicek. He didn't need to dribble deep into the lane to score; he knew exactly where the defense would break. A sharp cut behind a screen, a quick catch-and-shoot rhythm that bypassed the collapse, and the ball snapped through the net. There was no celebration, only the next possession. The scoreboard ticked up not with flash, but with the steady accumulation of a man who refused to let his legs tire when the team needed him most.
Reader's Guide
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 seven times. He was also named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team on five occasions and to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team three times.
Did You Know?
- Havlicek won eight NBA championships and was one of three NBA players with an unsurpassed 8–0 record in the NBA Finals series.
- He was nicknamed 'Hondo' after the 1953 movie of the same name starring John Wayne.
- Havlicek revolutionized the 'sixth man' role in the NBA, coming off the bench for the Celtics during his early years.
- He was drafted by the Boston Celtics, the Cleveland Pipers of the ABL, and the Cleveland Browns of the NFL in 1962.
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