John simply responded by saying, "Quit pushing me around and I will quit running so hard." His Ohio State head coach Fred Taylor said that for many years high school coaches often encouraged him to recruit this or that guy, claiming he was the next John Havlicek. In fact, John hit .440 in high school and Phil said he would have been a major leaguer for sure had he stayed with baseball. In more modern terms, he was sort of like Scottie Pippen on defense with Chris Mullin-type skills on offense, although Mullin (who wore number 17 in the pros because of Hondo) was a better shooter and John was a better ballhandler and driver, and faster. Here you will have the opportunity to learn about John Havlicek’s most memorable moments on the court, and browse through photos from his years as a Boston Celtics player. Bereft of many shooting opportunities in college, he reported to camp a bit reluctant to shoot as a defensive ace rookie breaking in on a five-time NBA champion. His brief stint as a CBS commentator during the 1978 Finals shortly after he retired showed that John was probably too low-key, honest and non-hyperbolic to be what television wanted. It is certainly no coincidence that the majority of the Spurs roster is comprised of international players. Philadelphia had its own cast of future Hall of Famers to support Chamberlain, including Hal Greer and Chet Walker. But when one factors in Hondo's huge defensive edge over Robertson, Havlicek's best seasons rank as better. John may have gotten Boston over the top in 1980, Bird's rookie season and the last for Cowens in a Boston uniform. Following Chamberlain's last basket, the Celtics center Bill Russell inbounded the ball from under his own basket, attempting a long pass down the court, however the high pass hit a guide wire holding up the basket. The 2014 Spurs reminded us of this, but it is unlikely their success will spawn many American imitators. The first third of his career was also played in a black and white TV age, which today must seem like the prehistoric era to younger fans, and thus somehow less valid. Thus, John had the total respect of his teammates. Havlicek's package of athletic ability, size, high skill, drive, basketball intelligence and conditioning has only been approached by the smaller John Stockton and maybe Bird. Playoffs Per 100 Poss. When John retired in 1978 at halftime of his final game during a contest televised by CBS vs. Buffalo, the Celtic fans gave him nearly a 10-minute standing ovation before he spoke. He was honored as an inductee to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1984, about six years after the Celtics retired his No. When an injured Havlicek, in streetclothes, was introduced to the opposing crowd at New York's Madison Square Garden before game 4 of the 1973 Eastern Conference finals on Easter Sunday vs. the hated rival Knicks, the partisan Gotham crowd gave Hondo a sincere ovation. To opt out of the sale of your personal information as permitted by the California Consumer He was also a good rebounder for his size, averaging as many as nine rebounds a game, and rarely missed a blockout. Plus, traveling and palming rules are not enforced enough to make it harder to play one-on-one ball well. Driving Havlicek throughout his long NBA career were several things. And that team only won after beating Boston in the East finals 4-3 because of a severe shoulder injury in game three suffered by Havlicek when he ran blindly into a hard screen by bruising Dave DeBusschere. What team did John Havlicek play for? Perhaps what Bill Russell offered in that 1974 Sports Illustrated article by Underwood says it best. His flashy finishes will continue it. He played all 16 of his NBA seasons in Boston and took home the championship in eight of them. Copyright © 2020 NBA Media Ventures, LLC. He played in an era before comparatively very little TV coverage (and no Internet), so there are not many sound bites or clips of him to show in today's highlight-saturated era. But the coverage was far lesser then, and baseball had more lore and ink. "I learned to score by taking advantage of every opening," he explained in the Underwood article. Perhaps great swingman, something about running well without the ball, or being an extraordinary defender. it will apply to data controlled jointly by the NBA and WarnerMedia as well as other data controlled by WarnerMedia. West, Robertson, Lucas, DeBusschere and Willis Reed all retired that year, Wilt had left the game in 1973 and Russell five years before. He simply had no weaknesses.". As time ran out in the close Celtic banner-clinching victory, Phoenix rookie Ricky Sobers threw a 75-foot shot toward the basket in final desperation. By 1969 he had become the star who led Boston to the last title of the Russell era. Jones, etc. 7 overall pick in the 1962 NBA Draft. Lucas only won one title, at the end of his career as a platoon pivotman with the 1973 Knicks. John was a perennial all-defense selection and played forwards and guards exceptionally well, making him even more valuable. Johnny Most would be a radio fixture for Celtics games for decades to come, finally retiring in 1990. Hondo said that today's players are more flashy, but that for each dunk they might get, he or others from his era would get two backdoor layups. That is a pretty telling statistic. "He's right in your shirt whether you're five feet from the basket or 20," said Bucks shooting ace McGlocklin. Jones, John Thompson, and Satch Sanders, all of whom would be named to the Basketball Hall of Fame. Other than spending his time volunteering for non-profit organizations, the Havlicek family has earned positive reputations in both the sports and business worlds. If you follow the history of basketball and know anything about the greats, then you definitely know about John Havlicek’s legacy to the basketball community. Chosen with the No. Now the Oscar supporters might argue that he had to do so much on offense that it was unfair to expect him to be a standout defender. Hondo, along with West, was the most self-effacing of this group and probably the least flashy. Havlicek went on to become the Celtics' all-time leading scorer with 26,395 points in a Celtics record 1,270 games played. John then recovered to say that Cowens won game six for them - "we were finally able to keep him on the floor", referring to his foul-outs in previous games. Basketball isn't a sport that is as easily captured in stats like baseball is since so much happens all the time and away from the ball. He kept improving as a shooter thoroughout his long career until he became a very accurate marksman, and a deadly one at that in the clutch. His father was a Czech immigrant butcher who favored soccer over hoops, and his parents spoke Czech at home almost exclusively. Sixth, his dogged defense, unselfish passing and subtly graceful offensive style of constantly moving without the ball didn't inspire ooh's and aah's in a game now dominated by highlight-style plays. The steal at the end of game seven in the 1965 eastern finals, the record nine-point second overtime in the 1974 Finals, the running banker off glass at the end of game six's second OT in the 1976 Finals are just a few of many examples of his greatness in the clutch. In fact, blocks and steals are often compiled by guys who gamble a lot and don't play particularly good defense. As evidence of his continued improvement, John shot a career-best 87 percent from the foul line in 1974-75, his 13th season. Great competitiveness, to be sure. "We don't worry about that, we're professionals now," he answered in his southern Indiana drawl, "but I won this one for Terre Haute." Do Not Sell My Personal Information |