John Havlicek, Celtics legend, dies at 79 (2024)

FAQs

What caused John Havlicek's death? ›

The cause of death wasn't immediately available, but The Boston Globe said he had Parkinson's disease. Gravel-voiced Johnny Most's radio call of the 1965 steal — “Havlicek stole the ball! Havlicek stole the ball!” — helped make the play one of the most enduring moments in NBA history.

During his career with the Celtics, Havlicek won eight NBA championships, and he is also one of three NBA players with an unsurpassed 8-0 record in NBA Finals series. He is 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 was named an All-Star in 13 consecutive seasons (1965–66 to 1977–78) and was a five-time All-Defensive first team selection.

BOSTON -- Chris Ford, who won an NBA Championship as a player with the Celtics in 1981 and then two more titles as an assistant coach, has died. Ford passed away Tuesday night due to heart failure. He was 74 years old.

On April 15, 1965 John Havlicek made one of the most iconic plays in NBA History with a steal against the 76ers in the final seconds of Game 7 of the 1965 Eastern Division Finals.

Below, we present a gallery of all the players who never lost in the NBA Finals, led by John Havlicek, KC Jones and Tom Sanders, who went 8-0 in the league's championship series.

Robert Keith Horry (/ˈɒri/ ORR-ee; born August 25, 1970) is an American former professional basketball player and current sports commentator. He earned the nickname "Big Shot Rob", because of his clutch shooting in important games.

Boston holds the record for the most championships, having won the Finals 18 times. Boston also won the most consecutive titles, winning eight in a row from 1959 to 1966. The Los Angeles Lakers have the most NBA Finals appearances, with 32.

On March 9, 1969, nearly two months before Jones hung up his sneakers for good, the Celtics retired his No. 24 jersey to TD Garden rafters. Fifteen years later, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a member of the 1984 class.

Havlicek's youthful physical intensity was like a shot of adrenaline for the aging team. Coming off the bench mostly as a forward, he averaged 14.3 points during his rookie year, many of them coming at the receiving end of Cousy's famous passes on the fast break. “I made a living off Bob Cousy,” Havlicek often said.

Was John Havlicek a 6th man? ›

While aptly described as soft-spoken and modest, John Havlicek is regarded as the best sixth man in NBA history. "Hondo," who popularized the integral role of the sixth man, was a collegiate star at Ohio State.

Wycliffe K. Grousbeck (born June 13, 1961) is an American entrepreneur who is the majority owner and governor of the National Basketball Association's Boston Celtics. Worcester, Massachusetts, U.S.

With 3:48 remaining in the first quarter of Boston's season opener against the Houston Rockets, Celtics shooting guard Chris Ford drilled a straightaway 3-pointer -- the first made 3-pointer in NBA history. Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Boston sports teams!

Hondo's NBA nickname was inspired by John Wayne's movie of the same name. The movie, which was released in 1953, was very popular at the time, and John Wayne received a lot of praise for his amazing performances. The nickname was reportedly given to Havlicek by his childhood friend, who couldn't pronounce his name.

Cowens retired as a player in 1980, as Boston drafted Kevin McHale and traded for Robert Parish to replace him at center. Boston then won the 1981 NBA Championship. "I have sprained my ankle at least 30 times over the duration of my career, broken both legs and fractured a foot," Cowens said upon retiring.

Havlicek played on Ohio State teams that included Jerry Lucas, Bob Knight, and Larry Siegfried.