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 Soft-spoken and modest aptly
describe John Havlicek's
personality, an interesting
combination for the man who is
regarded as the best sixth man in
NBA history. John "Hondo" Havlicek
combined his running ability and
endurance to establish a style of
constant movement on offense and
defense that frustrated opponents
and added to the Boston Celtics'
magic. During his 16 years with the
Boston Celtics, coach Red Auerbach
described Havlicek as the "guts of
the team." The man who popularized
the integral role of the sixth man
was a collegiate star at Ohio State.
An All-America and All-Big Ten
selection in 1962, "Hondo" teamed
with fellow Hall of Famers Jerry
Lucas and Bob Knight to land Ohio
State the 1960 NCAA championship. In
1962, Havlicek was drafted by both
the Boston Celtics and the NFL's
Cleveland Browns. After being cut by
the Browns in training camp,
Havlicek began a celebrated 16-year
career with the Celtics...Book
John Havlicek for Your Event
When Havlicek arrived in Boston, the
Celtics were fresh off their fourth
consecutive championship, the team
was loaded with future Hall of
Famers, and it appeared the
six-foot-five Havlicek didn't have a
true position in the NBA. His
versatility, offensive firepower and
crafty play became paramount in
Boston winning another four-straight
NBA titles (1963-66). In total,
Havlicek would win eight
championships in Boston. From the
day he arrived in Boston, Havlicek
was a scoring threat, and became the
first player to score 1,000 points
in 16 consecutive seasons. His best
single season was 1970-71 (28.9). By
the late 1970s, Havlicek had become
the heart-and-soul and acknowledged
leader of the most successful
basketball franchise in history.
A
13-time NBA All-Star Havlicek
retired in 1978 and his number 17
jersey was immediately retired at
the Boston Garden. During his
career, Havlicek was named MVP of
the 1974 NBA Finals, was named to
the All-NBA First and Second Teams
11 times and was an NBA
All-Defensive First Team selection
five times. Statistically, "Hondo"
scored 26,395 points (20.8 ppg,
sixth all-time), and played in 1,270
games (fourth all-time). In 172
playoff games, Havlicek averaged
22.0 ppg. Havlicek will forever be
remembered for stealing an inbound
pass in the 1965 Eastern Conference
Finals against the Philadelphia
76ers that preserved Boston's
110-109 victory. Johnny Most's
legendary call, "Havlicek stole the
ball," remains a classic description
of a memorable moment in NBA
history. In 1980, Havlicek was named
to the NBA's 35th Anniversary Team
and the 50th Anniversary Team in
1996.
>>> Book John Havlicek for Your Event
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