John Joseph Havlicek was an American professional basketball player who spent his entire career with the Boston Celtics, winning eight NBA championships, four of them coming in his first four seasons with the team.
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28 Facts About John Havlicek
2.
John 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.
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3.
John Havlicek was born in Martins Ferry, Ohio, where his parents ran a general store.
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4.
John Havlicek was of Czech and Croatian descent, from his father and mother respectively.
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5.
John Havlicek was a three-sport athlete at Bridgeport High School in Bridgeport, Ohio, where he was a boyhood friend of Baseball Hall of Famer Phil Niekro.
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6.
John Havlicek played college basketball at Ohio State University with future seven-time NBA All-Star Jerry Lucas, who was his roommate, future first-round NBA draft pick Larry Siegfried, future coaching legend Bobby Knight, and Mel Nowell, among many others.
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7.
John Havlicek was named as an alternate of the 1960 United States national team that competed in the 1960 Summer Olympics.
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8.
John Havlicek was drafted by both the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association and the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League in 1962.
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9.
John Havlicek was a swingman who could play in either the guard position or the forward position.
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10.
John Havlicek has been immortalized for his clutch steal in the closing seconds of the 1965 Eastern Conference championship.
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11.
In Game Five of the 1968 Eastern Division Finals, John Havlicek recorded a near triple-double with 29 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists as the Celtics avoided elimination at the hands of the 76ers.
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12.
However, John Havlicek's shot went in with one second left, and Phoenix was allowed one final shot after Jo Jo White converted a technical foul shot for Phoenix's illegal timeout.
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13.
John Havlicek was named to eight NBA all-defensive teams, and was known for his ability to harass ballhandlers and get steals.
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14.
John Havlicek finished his career with eight NBA championships and was named to 13 all-star teams during his 16-year career.
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15.
At the time of his retirement, John Havlicek was the NBA career leader in games played and third in points behind Chamberlain and Oscar Robertson.
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16.
John Havlicek retired as the NBA career leader in field goal attempts and missed field goals.
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17.
In 1980, John Havlicek was selected as one of the league's greatest players by being named to the NBA 35th Anniversary Team.
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18.
In 1984, John Havlicek became a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
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19.
John Havlicek was named the 14th best player of all-time in Bill Simmons's Book of Basketball.
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20.
In October 2021, John Havlicek was honored as one of the league's greatest players of all time by being named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.
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21.
In 1974, John Havlicek received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement.
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22.
John Havlicek was shrewd with his money during his playing career, and he invested much of this income in the Wendy's fast food chain during its formative years.
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23.
John Havlicek had no desire to coach; instead, he served as a corporate speaker.
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24.
John Havlicek was a member of the board of the Genesis Foundation, which assists children with disabilities and genetic disorders.
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25.
John Havlicek met his wife, Beth, while both were attending Ohio State University.
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26.
Chris John Havlicek attended the University of Virginia on a basketball scholarship in the early 1990s.
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27.
Jill John Havlicek married former Major League Baseball outfielder and coach Brian Buchanan.
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