It’s hard to choose the top 10 players of all time for this great organization, and their proud and strong history.
There have been many players over their 78 years of existence that could be considered as the greatest Celtic of all time.
But, alas, we are going to break it down to the top 10.
10StarPicks breaks it down for you:
10. Robert Parish
14 years as a Celtic.
Celtic career numbers; 17 ppg / 10 rpg / 2 apg
3 Championships
2x All NBA
0 MVP
“Chief” was a legend in the middle for the Celtics. He played the C position with a cool demeanor and power. He was great on the fast break and played tough no nonsense defense. He is #1 on the Celtics list for most offensive and defensive rebounds.
9. Bob Cousy
13 years as a Celtic.
Celtic career numbers; 19 ppg / 5 rpg / 8 apg
6 Championships
12x All NBA
1x MVP
The Cooz was before my time but his PG play is legendary. The 6-1 PG deserves respect for his game. He was the NBA assists leader for 8 consecutive seasons, and was a key piece during the Celtics dynasty.
8. Sam Jones
12 years as a Celtic.
Celtic career numbers; 18 ppg / 5 rpg / 3 apg
10 Championships
3x All NBA
0 MVP
Another great one before my time, known for his ability to win games with clutch shooting and his quickness on the hardwood, he was one of the best. Jones is 1 of only 6 Celtics to score 50 points in a game.
7. Dave Cowens
10 years as a Celtic.
Celtic career numbers; 18 ppg / 14 rpg / 4 apg
2 Championships
3x All NBA
1x MVP
Cowens was a gritty player who was a hard nosed guy who played with everything he had on both ends of the court. A perfect example of heart. Cowens was only the 4th center in NBA history to average 5 apg in a single season, his court vision and selflessness was vital to the team.
6. Jayson Tatum
7 years as a Celtic.
Celtic career numbers; 23 ppg / 7 rpg / 4 apg
0 Championships
3x All NBA
0 MVP
The smooth scorer is already great and only getting better according to the Sportsbooks. He was the 1st Boston rookie to score 25+ points in a playoff game since Larry Bird. He was also the youngest player ever to score at least 20 pts in 4 consecutive playoff games and the youngest Celtic to score 50+ points.
5. Kevin McHale
13 years as a Celtic.
Celtic career numbers; 18 ppg / 7 rpg / 2 apg
3 Championships
1x All NBA
0 MVP
McHale was a post move master down in the box. With long arms and great defensive prowess. The 6-10 PF was all-NBA Defensive team 6x. He was one of the NBA’s most dominant forces down low, out-spinning and outmaneuvering defender after defender.
4. Paul Pierce
15 years as a Celtic.
Celtic career numbers; 22 ppg / 6 rpg / 4 apg
1 Championship
4x All NBA
0 MVP
Pierce was an explosive scorer with a great touch. He is one of only 3 players to score 20,000 career points with the Cs. “The Truth” ended his career in 2nd place on Boston’s all-time scoring list
3. John Havlicek
16 years as a Celtic.
Celtic career numbers; 21 ppg / 6 rpg / 5 apg
8 Championships
11x All NBA
0 MVP
Another Celtic great, who played with toughness. He was a clutch player on offense and defense.
He was a defensive minded player who could play the forward or the guard positions. “Hondo” is known widely for his clutch steal in the closing seconds of the 1965 Eastern Conference Finals.
“Havlicek stole the ball!”
2. Bill Russell
13 years as a Celtic.
Celtic career numbers; 15 ppg / 23 rpg / 4 apg
11 Championships
11x All NBA
5x MVP
A true Celtic legend. Another great before my time but his resume is filled with greatness. He was a defensive master, and was the absolute centerpiece of the Celtics dynasty that won 11 NBA championships. The big man chalked up 12 consecutive seasons of 1,000+ rebounds.
1. Larry Bird
13 years as a Celtic.
Celtic career numbers; 24 ppg / 10 rpg / 6 apg
3 Championships
10x All NBA
3x MVP
One of the all time best all around players ever, he was able to do it all, score, rebound, and pass. With 69 triple doubles he is tops on the Celtics career list. Larry was able to attack teams and wreck them by whatever means needed effortlessly during his Celtics career. He was a great leader, who brought the Celtics to a +32 win improvement over the previous season when he was a rookie. Larry Legend could make opponents pay from both inside and outside. Bird is only the 3rd player in NBA history to win 3 consecutive MVP Awards.
Not too bad for a guy who “wasn’t able to run or jump.”