Paul Pierce
LA Clippers forward Paul Pierce (34) kisses the parquet floor one last time during a game against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
The Boston Celtics have been around for the past 71 years. As such, their list of top 10 NBA Draft picks in franchise history is of outrageous quality.
From legendary scorers to the forefathers of dominant winning, from dynamic lead guards to treacherous post-up monsters, the Boston Celtics of old commonly put the opposition to shame. The Massachusetts-based franchise owns the title for, well, most titles won at 17 overall, among various other significant accolades.
A lot of that success was born through their triumphs in the NBA Draft. Sure, the Celtics have made outstanding free agent acquisitions before. Yes, they have also pulled off a pretty good trade or two throughout their expansive history. But mostly, it's been their work choosing between amateur prospects that has made them the most prosperous franchise in league history.
Boston's absurd track record in the draft is so rich, in fact, that eight of the 10 guys who made our list of best Celtics picks ever are in the Hall of Fame. I haven't done the research to back this up, but I'm gonna go ahead and say no other team except perhaps the Los Angeles Lakers can make a similar claim.
Some of the men who made the final pecking order date back to the prehistoric era of NBA basketball; others are still trekking along to this day. Without further ado, we present the 10 best Celtics draft picks of all time.
Honorable mentions: Antoine Walker (1996), Reggie Lewis (1987), Danny Ainge (1981)
10. Frank Ramsey (SG/SF) — No. 5 pick in 1953 NBA Draft
Career stats (with the Celtics): 623 GP, 13.4 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 1.8 APG, 39.9 FG%, 80.4 FT%
Leading us off is one of the winningest players in Celtics history, the immortal Frank Ramsey.
Though his numbers don't quite jump off the screen, Ramsey was a member of seven title teams while in Boston, and played a crucial role for each of them. There's actually a reason as to why his career averages are so mundane — the 2-guard played fewer than 25 minutes nightly over his nine seasons with the Celtics.
Why? We'll let him explain from the video above:
"I don't know how it evolved except I was playing guard at the time and I was behind two All-Star guards: [Bob] Cousy and [Bill] Sharman…and I wasn't big enough to be a full-time forward."
Simply put, Ramsey never became a starter because he had to sit behind two of the greatest basketball players of all time. (Yeah, the 1950s Celtics were stacked to say the least.)
Nonetheless, in the process, the former Celtics great became known for one major distinction: To this day, Ramsey is considered the NBA's first sixth man, a concept that is still very much thriving.
Without his willingness to come off the bench, and Red Auerbach's ingenuity in creating the role for him, who knows how long it would have taken for the sixth man to become mainstream. (It certainly would have happened eventually. Still, a pretty huge honor for Ramsey to be the first.)
And for that (plus the seven titles), he deserves his place in our ranking of greatest Celtics draft picks ever.
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9. Rajon Rondo (PG) — No. 21 pick in 2006 NBA Draft
Career stats (with the Celtics): 505 GP, 11.1 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 8.4 APG, 1.9 STL, 0.1 BLK, 2.8 TOV, 47.5 FG%, 25.2 3P%, 62.1 FT%
Next up on our countdown is the mercurial ex-Celtic known as Rajon Rondo. The former Kentucky Wildcat spent eight-plus seasons in Boston and was the team's starting point guard during their last title run in 2008.
Rondo's accolades as a member of the Celtics include four All-Star nods, an All-NBA Third Team selection in 2012 and four separate All-NBA Defensive Team berths. He led the league in assists twice while with Boston and in steals once.
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The 6'1″ floor general was special for his ability to distribute and anticipate on the defensive end. His ridiculous seven-foot wingspan and huge hands made him an absolute pest to go up against, and also helped him keep the ball on a string when ball-handling as lead guard.
Though it's unlikely Rondo will ever be a Hall of Famer like Ramsey, he still places ahead of him on our list thanks to competing in a tougher era and being a vital member of Boston's late 2000s resurgence. (Am I admitting to recency bias? Pretty much.)
Plus, his chances of making the Hall someday aren't that low either. Per Basketball Reference, Rondo's odds of earning the mighty distinction are presently at 38.8 percent. Who knows? Maybe with a late-career revival his case could get a bit stronger, eventually making all 10 of the guys on our list Hall of Famers.
But to be totally honest, eight out of 10 is ridiculous enough as is.
8. Jo Jo White (PG) — No. 9 pick in 1969 NBA Draft
Career stats (with the Celtics): 670 GP, 18.8 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 5.2 APG, 1.4 STL, 0.2 BLK, 2.5 TOV, 44.3 FG%, 83.1 FT%
A two-time NBA champ and seven-time All-Star, Jo Jo White comes in at No. 8.
The electric point guard was never the best player on his own team (that honor is bestowed upon another guy coming up on our countdown), but he was still a vital member of multiple elite Celtics teams of yesteryear.
Further aiding his case as a Celtics all-timer is the fact that White had a tendency to save his best play for the postseason. Not only are his playoff averages better than his regular season numbers, but he even owns one impressive bit of hardware: The 1976 NBA Finals MVP trophy.
In that year's championship bout, a six-game battle against the Phoenix Suns, the Hall of Fame point guard averaged 21.7 points, 5.8 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game. What's more, in the all-important Game 5, with the series deadlocked at two games apiece, White had the performance of a lifetime.
The incomparable floor general finished the contest with 33 points, nine assists and six rebounds, and sank the game-sealing free throw to boot. Oh, also, he played 60 minutes that night. No, seriously. (Game 5 of the 1976 Finals went to triple-overtime and is still considered one of the greatest Finals showdowns ever.)
Without White, the Celtics probably drop Game 5 at home, and perhaps the series as well. It's fair to say adding a title to Boston's unfathomable collection of 17 is what earned White his spot in our pecking order.
7. Sam Jones (SG) — No. 8 pick in 1957 NBA Draft
Career stats (with the Celtics): 871 GP, 17.7 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 2.5 APG, 45.6 FG%, 80.3 FT%
Like a lot of the other players on our list, an overly simplified way to describe Sam Jones is with one word: Winner.
One of the NBA's first prototypes for the modern 2-guard, Jones owns the record for second most titles won in a career…at an astounding 10. He played for the Celtics for all 12 years he was in the NBA, making five All-Star rosters and three All-NBA Second Teams in that span.
During the final season of his legendary career, with Bill Russell acting as player/coach and on his final legs, Jones used up every bit of effort he had left to walk away as a champion.
After an average regular season, he upped his numbers across the board during the 1969 NBA Finals to 18.7 points and 3.6 boards per contest while playing 30.1 minutes a night. Jones even hit a game-winner in the series' pivotal Game 4, one that turned the tide against the heavily favored Los Angeles Lakers.
Overall, however, the shooting guard didn't lead his team in scoring for the series (another guy coming up on our countdown did), and he didn't earn Finals MVP either (that honor went to Jerry West despite the loss). Did Jones care about all that, though?
Well, I don't know, I've never spoken to him. But for a guy as revered as he was, I'm going to go ahead and presume: No!
All jokes aside, those 1960s Celtics squads cared a whole lot more about winning than personal accolades. And Jones, as one of the team's leaders, is one reason why that was so.
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6. Tom Heinsohn (PF) — Territorial pick in the 1956 NBA Draft
Career stats (as a Celtic): 654 GP, 18.6 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 2.0 APG, 40.5 FG%, 79.0 FT%
Yet another Hall-of-Famer checks in at No. 6 on our list, Holy Cross' own Tom Heinsohn.
Younger Bostonians may know him best as the current voice of Celtics home broadcasts, who is an unabashed supporter of his old team. As a matter of fact, when you search the legendary big man's name on Youtube, the third search result is "Tommy Heinsohn goes berserk."
No, seriously.
It should be known, though, that Heinsohn was one hell of a player in his heyday. No only did he make six All-Star games, he was a four-time All-NBA Second Team member and Rookie of the Year in 1957. Most importantly, he won eight titles during his time in Boston — seven of them coming in a row.
His winning ways, impressive numbers and longevity with the franchise spanning over multiple decades earns him a spot in our top 10.
(Also, quickly, just wanted to say: If you were drafted by the Celtics and aren't a Hall-of-Famer with multiple rings to your name, then what were you even doing?)
Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports
5. Kevin McHale (PF) — No. 3 pick in 1980 NBA Draft
Career stats (with the Celtics): 971 GP, 17.9 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 1.7 APG, 0.4 STL, 1.7 BLK, 1.9 TOV, 55.4 FG%, 26.1 3P%, 79.8 FT%
Next up we have our first Celtics great of the '80s, Kevin McHale.
Throughout his illustrious 13-year career, all of which he spent in Boston, the Hall-of-Famer was a seven-time All-Star, a two-time Sixth Man of the Year, made All-NBA First Team in 1987, as well as three All-Defensive First Teams. He was also a key member of three Celtics championships, in 1981, 1984 and 1986.
So yeah, you could say he had a solid career.
McHale spent the early portion of his playing days coming off–actually, better said, dominating off the bench. And once he became a full-time starter in 1986, his play hit an even higher plateau.
Over the next five seasons, until 1990, the former Minnesota Golden Gopher averaged 22.7 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.8 blocks per game while shooting an astounding (for the time period) 57.4 percent from the floor. He referred to his own abilities to score in the paint as "the torture chamber."
Simply put, McHale was an incredible player. Put him in today's NBA, and his long arms, instincts as a shot-blocker and brutality as a low-post scorer would have made him the perfect small-ball center. His talent would translate to any era, even the three-point-obsessed modern times we are currently experiencing.
4. Dave Cowens (PF/C) — No. 4 pick in 1970 NBA Draft
Career stats (with the Celtics): 726 GP, 18.2 PPG, 14.0 RPG, 3.9 APG, 1.2 STL, 1.0 BLK, 2.4 TOV, 46.0 FG%, N/A 3P%, 78.2 FT%
I went back and forth between Dave Cowens and McHale at No. 4. Admittedly, I probably should have slotted the latter one spot higher than the former, but the fact that Cowens won an MVP trophy swayed me into doing the opposite.
Not to mention, his peak as a player, three seasons from 1974-76 were just a bit more impressive; over that span, Cowens averaged 19.4 points, 15.5 rebounds (3.7 offensive), 4.4 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.1 blocks per game.
In addition to his 1973 MVP, the former Florida State Seminole was a two-time champ, an eight-time All-Star, and earned All-NBA Second Team honors three times. (Yes, he somehow won MVP once and still had zero First Team All-NBA appearances for his career. I don't get it either.)
Cowens also had a few pretty clutch performances throughout his playing days. In Game 7 of the 1974 Finals, on the road, Cowens dropped a vital 28-point, 14-rebound, four-assist, two-steal stat line against some guy called Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, earning his Celtics a title in the process.
The 1974 championship was of added importance because it was the first in the post-Bill Russell era. Cowens (and one of his teammates we'll talk about momentarily) helped usher in a new age of Celtic dominance — one that acted like a bridge connecting Russell and the transcendent Boston teams of the '80s.
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3. Paul Pierce (SF) — No. 10 pick in 1998 NBA Draft
Career stats (with the Celtics): 1,102 GP, 21.8 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 3.9 APG, 1.4 STL, 0.6 BLK, 2.9 TOV, 44.7 FG%, 37.0 3P%, 80.6 FT%
All right, I admit, I may be overrating Paul Pierce just a bit. I mean, does he really deserve to rank ahead of guys who won more than one title and own multiple MVPs? Probably not.
Regardless, I gave him the nod over McHale and Cowens due to his longevity (15 years with the Celtics) and the fact that he was the driving force behind making the franchise relevant again in the new millennium.
Sure, Kevin Garnett was probably the best player on the 2008 championship team, but Pierce was their go-to scorer late in games as well as their unquestioned leader.
For the record, the Finals MVP voters agreed with me, as the 6'8″ small forward won the award over Garnett and Ray Allen.
Pierce's tenure with Boston ended before the 2014 season, when Ainge traded him (and Garnett) to the Brooklyn Nets for a whole lot of assets. (Assets that, to this day, are still paying off.)
The former Kansas Jayhawk finished his time with the Celtics with his name all over their record books: No. 2 in points scored (24,021), No. 7 in rebounds (6,651), No. 5 in assists (4,305), No. 1 in steals (1,583) and No. 1 in three-pointers made (1,823).
Not bad considering the team's 71-year history. Not bad at all.
2. John Havlicek (SG/SF) — No. 7 pick in 1962 NBA Draft
Career stats (with the Celtics): 1,270 GP, 20.8 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 4.8 APG, 1.2 STL, 0.3 BLK, 2.5 TOV, 43.9 FG%, N/A 3P%, 81.5 FT%
"Havlicek steals it! Havlicek stole the ball!"
One of the most famous calls in NBA history was born during Game 7 of the 1965 Eastern Conference Finals. The Celtics held a precarious one-point lead. The Philadelphia 76ers (featuring Wilt Chamberlain) had the ball, with a chance to inbound and go for the win.
Well, I already sorta gave away what happened next.
It's impossible to define a player's career — especially one with as many layers as Havlicek's — with a single play. But if we absolutely had to, that steal against Philly is a pretty good one to pick.
The man known as "Hondo" was simply a winner. He spent 16 seasons with the Celtics, winning a championship in half of them, Finals MVP in 1974 and making the All-Star team 13 times. He also earned an All-NBA distinction 11 times (four of them as a First Teamer).
Havlicek's last game came in 1978. At the ripe age of 37, in front of a raucous Garden crowd, with over 46,000 minutes played to that point, his legs on the verge of giving out, he threw up a 29-point, eight-assist stat line as his goodbye to the sport.
It was an impressive and fitting final outing from the legend. (By the way, Hondo is still the franchise's all-time leading scorer, which is kind of insane to consider.)
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1. Larry Bird (SF) — No. 6 pick in 1978 NBA Draft
Career stats (with the Celtics): 897 GP, 24.3 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 6.3 APG, 1.7 STL, 0.8 BLK, 3.1 TOV, 49.6 FG%, 37.6 3P%, 88.6 FT%
Where else could we close out our list but with one of the two greatest small forwards in NBA history, Larry Bird?
The legend's career spanned for 13 seasons, all of which were spent in Boston, and his accolades are numerous:
It's kind of scary to consider how much better Bird's numbers would have been had his career not gotten cut short due to injury. His averages (I mean, for his career, the guy was a walking 24 and 10 double-double along with six-plus assists nightly) are absurd to consider as is — imagine if his prime was extended just a bit?
Nevertheless, he's still No. 3 in Celtics history in scoring (21,791 points scored), No. 4 in threes made (649), No. 4 in rebounds (8,974), No. 2 in assists (5,695) and No. 3 in steals (1,556).
Bird was the perfect blend of scoring, rebounding and distributing — a LeBron James before LeBron James, even despite their difference in athleticism. For those who think James and Magic Johnson are the only two amazing passers to ever exist at 6'8″+, I have some news for you: Bird was just as good.
More importantly, though, as is the case with every great Celtic ever, Bird put winning above all else. And, once again, like the other guys on our countdown, he did a lot of it.
Now, it's time for us to look toward the future. Boston is on the clock, owners of the first pick of the 2017 NBA Draft. Will the player they take — be it Markelle Fultz, Lonzo Ball or whoever else — have a career resembling any of the men we just listed? Probably not; but if they enjoy even one-fifth of any of their successes, the selection will be yet another home run by the Celtics.
