John Joseph Havlicek was an American professional basketball player who spent his entire career with the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association, winning eight NBA championships, beginning with his first four seasons with the team.
31 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.
3.
John Havlicek was born in Martins Ferry, Ohio, where his parents ran a general store.
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John Havlicek was of Czech and Croatian descent, from his father and mother respectively.
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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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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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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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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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John Havlicek was later immortalized for his clutch steal in the closing seconds of the 1965 Eastern Conference championship.
10.
John Havlicek stood with his back to Greer, guarding Chet Walker.
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In Game 5 of the 1968 Eastern Division Finals, John Havlicek recorded a near triple-double with 29 points, 9 rebounds, and 10 assists as the Celtics avoided elimination at the hands of the 76ers.
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The Celtics won the 1974 NBA Championship, and John Havlicek was named NBA Finals MVP.
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John Havlicek was named to five first team and three second team NBA all-defensive teams.
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John Havlicek finished his sixteen-year career with eight NBA championships and thirteen all-star appearances.
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John Havlicek retired in 1978 as a 13-time NBA All-Star, and his number 17 jersey was immediately retired by the Celtics.
16.
At the time, John Havlicek was the NBA career leader in games played and third in points behind Chamberlain and Oscar Robertson.
17.
In 1980, John Havlicek was selected as one of the league's greatest players ever, being named to the NBA 35th Anniversary Team.
18.
In 1984, John Havlicek became a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
19.
John Havlicek was named the 14th best player of all-time in Bill Simmons's Book of Basketball.
20.
In October 2021, John Havlicek was again 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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John Havlicek is the Celtics' all-time leading scorer with 26,395 points, which ranks 16th all-time in the NBA.
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John Havlicek played in 1,270 games, which ranks 30th all-time.
23.
In 1974, John Havlicek received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement.
24.
In October 2022, John Havlicek was inaugurated in the Croatian-American Sports Hall of Fame.
25.
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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John Havlicek had no desire to coach; instead, he served as a corporate speaker.
27.
John Havlicek was a member of the board of the Genesis Foundation, which assists children with disabilities and genetic disorders.
28.
John Havlicek met his wife, Beth, while both were attending Ohio State University.
29.
Chris John Havlicek attended the University of Virginia on a basketball scholarship in the early 1990s.
30.
Jill John Havlicek married former Major League Baseball outfielder and coach Brian Buchanan.
31.
John Havlicek died on April 25,2019, in Jupiter, Florida at the age of 79.