1. John Joseph Havlicek was an American professional basketball player who spent his entire career with the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association.
37 Facts About John Havlicek
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John Havlicek was selected by the Celtics in the 1962 NBA draft and played with the team until his retirement in 1978.
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John Havlicek was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team on five occasions and to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team three times.
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John Havlicek is known for his stamina and his hustle as well as his abilities.
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John Havlicek served as captain of the Celtics from 1969 to 1978, and was named NBA Finals MVP in 1974.
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John Havlicek was inducted into Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1984.
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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 the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association, the Cleveland Pipers of the American Basketball League, 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 Finals.
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John Havlicek stood with his back to Greer, guarding Chet Walker.
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John Havlicek was a key player in the Celtics' dynasty during the 1960s.
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In Game 5 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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John Havlicek became the Celtics' captain in 1969, and continued in that role until 1978.
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John Havlicek "stood as the bridge from the Bill Russell era to the Celtics' next championship team".
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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 retired as a 13-time NBA All-Star, and his number 17 jersey was retired by the Celtics.
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At the time, John Havlicek was the NBA career leader in games played and was in third place on the list of all-time NBA leaders in points scored.
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At the time of his death, John Havlicek was the Celtics' all-time leading scorer with 26,395 points.
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John Havlicek was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team five times and was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team three times.
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John Havlicek won all eight NBA Finals in which he participated.
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In 1980, John Havlicek was selected as one of the league's greatest players ever, being named to the NBA 35th Anniversary Team.
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In 1984, John Havlicek became a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
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John Havlicek was named the 14th best player of all time in Bill Simmons's Book of Basketball.
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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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In 1974, John Havlicek received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement.
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In October 2022, John Havlicek was inaugurated into the Croatian-American Sports Hall of Fame.
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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.
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John Havlicek was a member of the board of the Genesis Foundation, which assists children with disabilities and genetic disorders.
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John Havlicek met his wife, Beth, while both were attending Ohio State University.
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Chris John Havlicek attended the University of Virginia on a basketball scholarship in the early 1990s.
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Jill John Havlicek married former Major League Baseball outfielder and coach Brian Buchanan.
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John Havlicek died on April 25,2019, in Jupiter, Florida at the age of 79.