All-Time Boston Celtics Team

Since the beginning of the 21th century, Boston has been called the “City of Champions” more than any other town. The Patriots, Bruins and Red Sox all have experienced great success during this time, but no team in Beantown can claim more championships than the Boston Celtics.

The Celtics have won 17 NBA championships. That’s more titles than their Boston brethren and any other NBA team.

Those who have worn the Celtic green are among the greatest in NBA history and have been defining players of their eras. Bill Russell in the 1960s, John Havlicek in the 1970s and Larry Bird in the 1980s are all on the “Mount Rushmore of Celtics.” But who fills out that fourth spot, and who would fill out the all-time Celtics roster?

We will answer those questions as we look at the best of the best in Celtics history. These are the best 12 players to lace up the sneakers for the winningest franchise in NBA history, the Boston Celtics.

Bob Cousy

Boston Celtics point guard Bob Cousy goes after a loose ball in game against the St. Louis Hawks in 1956. AP Photo

Position: Point guard

Experience: 14 years (1950-63, 1969-70)

Years with Celtics: 13 seasons (1950-63)

Career stats: 18.4 PPG, 7.5 APG, 5.2 RPG

Celtics stats: 18.5 PPG, 7.6 APG, 5.2 RPG

Championships (titles with Celtics in bold): Six (1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963)

All-time Celtics team role: Starter

Bottom line: Well, no one would ever confuse Bob Cousy with Hot Sauce or The Professor from And-1 fame, but when Cousy joined the NBA, many skeptics thought he was too flamboyant for the game.

He quickly proved those doubters wrong by making the All-Star Game as a rookie, and by also making it the next dozen years of his career. Cooz racked up eight straight assists titles during his career and was the first guard to win the MVP award in 1956-57.

When he retired from the Celtics in 1963, Cousy was the NBA’s all-time leader in assists.

He came back for a seven-game stint during the 1969-70 season with the Cincinnati Royals and also was their head coach.

John Havlicek

Boston Celtics shooting guard John Havlicek shoots against the Cincinnati Royals in 1963. Frank C. Curtin / AP Photo

Position: Shooting guard

Experience: 16 years, all with Celtics (1962-78)

Career stats: 20.8 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 4.8 APG

Championships: Eight (1963-66, 1968-69, 1974, 1976)

All-time Celtics team role: Starter

Bottom line: Bill Russell may have the most NBA championships with 11, but no one has a better record in the NBA Finals than John Havlicek. He went 8-0 in the Finals, which ties K.C. Jones and Satch Sanders for the most wins without a series loss.

“Hondo” also was drafted by the Cleveland Browns but concentrated strictly on basketball shortly afterward, and Celtics fans couldn’t be happier. He started out as a sixth man, but eventually became a starter and the team’s best player after Russell retired.

Havlicek made 13 All-Star teams and is still the Celtics’ all-time leading scorer with 26,395 points.

Larry Bird

Boston Celtics forward Larry Bird, right, passes off after driving the baseline against the Indiana Pacers in 1981. AB / AP Photo

Position: Small forward

Experience: 13 years, all with Celtics (1979-92)

Career stats: 24.3 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 6.3 APG

Championships: Three (1981, 1984, 1986)

All-time Celtics team role: Starter

Bottom line: The only other person in the discussion with LeBron James for greatest small forward of all time, Larry Bird spent half his career as a power forward. But he’s still best known for being the main cog in the legendary front line of the 1980s Celtics.

“Larry Legend” was a three-time NBA MVP, and by winning those awards consecutively from 1984 to 1986, he joins Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell as the only players to accomplish that feat.

Although he is famous for his shooting and scoring, Bird was an all-around great player and is the only player in NBA history to average at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists for a career.

Kevin McHale

Boston Celtics power forward Kevin McHale, left, drives against Chicago Bulls forward David Greenwood in 1980. Fred Jewell / AP Photo

Position: Power forward

Experience: 13 years, all with Celtics (1980-93)

Career stats: 17.9 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 1.7 APG

Championships: Three (1981, 1984, 1986)

All-time Celtics team role: Starter

Bottom line: Just like Havlicek before him, Kevin McHale started off as a sixth man before ascending to the Celtics’ starting lineup.

During the 1983-84 season, he became the first bench player in NBA history to make an All-Star team and also won the first of his two Sixth Man of the Year awards.

McHale was known for his array of low-post moves, which may be somewhat obsolete today, but were the toast of the NBA in the 1980s.

Fellow Hall of Famer Charles Barkley once said that McHale was the best player he ever played against because he was “unstoppable offensively.”

Bill Russell

Bill Russell goes up for a shot against the St. Louis Hawks in a 1951 game at the Boston Garden.

Position: Center

Experience: 13 years, all with Celtics (1956-69)

Career stats: 15.1 PPG, 22.5 RPG, 4.3 APG

Championships: 11 (1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969)

All-time Celtics team role: Starter

Bottom line: The greatest winner in team sports proved that basketball is more than just offense — the defensive end is just as important.

Russell dominated the likes of Wilt Chamberlain (7-foot-1, 275 pounds) despite being the size of Paul George (6-foot-10, 220 pounds). While Chamberlain and other offensive-oriented centers got the acclaim, Russell got the rings. And his value to the Celtics was immense.

That is no more apparent than in end-of-season awards. Russell won the MVP award five times, yet was an All-NBA first team selection just three times. Voters deemed other centers to be better players, but said no one was more valuable to his team than Russell.

If you ask Russell about that, he is perfectly fine with their assessment. He won’t complain about his 11 rings, the last two of which came as a player-coach.

Paul Pierce

Boston Celtics forward Paul Pierce drives past Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant in Game 3 of the 2008 NBA Finals in Los Angeles. Mark J. Terrill / AP Photo

Position: Small forward

Experience: 19 years (1998-2017)

Years with Celtics: 15 seasons, (1998-2013)

Career stats: 19.7 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 3.5 APG

Celtics stats: 21.8 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 3.9 APG

Championships (titles with Celtics in bold): One (2008)

All-time Celtics team role: Bench

Bottom line: On roughly 25 other NBA teams, Paul Pierce would have been the starting small forward on an all-time team, but he has to take a backseat and bench seat due to Larry Legend.

Still, The Truth is second all-time in Celtics history in scoring and solidified himself in franchise lore by emerging from a wheelchair in the 2008 NBA Finals to bring Boston its first NBA championship in 22 years and win the Finals MVP award.

Robert Parish

Boston Celtics center Robert Parish pulls down a rebound against the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Boston Garden in 1981. John Martell / AP Photo

Position: Center

Experience: 21 years (1976-1997)

Years with Celtics: 14 seasons (1980-94)

Career stats: 14.5 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 1.4 APG

Celtics stats: 16.5 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 1.5 APG

Championships (titles with Celtics in bold): Four (1981, 1984, 1986, 1997)

All-time Celtics team role: Bench

Bottom line: “The Chief” never was supposed to be a Celtic, but he was acquired in one of the most lopsided trades in NBA history. In 1980, the Celtics landed two Hall of Famers, Parish and Kevin McHale, in one trade and they, along with Larry Bird, formed perhaps the greatest front line in NBA history.

Parish was a nine-time All-Star and a force on both ends of the court for Boston. When he retired, he ranked sixth all-time in rebounds and blocks and had over 23,000 points.

But Parish’s greatest ability was his availability. His 1,611 games are the most in NBA history.

Dave Cowens

Boston Celtics center Dave Cowens chases a loose ball against the New York Nets in 1977. AP Photo

Position: Center

Experience: 11 years (1970-80, 1982-83)

Years with Celtics: 10 seasons (1970-80)

Career stats: 17.6 PPG, 13.6 RPG, 3.8 APG

Celtics stats: 18.2 PPG, 14.0 RPG, 3.9 APG

Championships (titles with Celtics in bold): Two (1974, 1976)

All-time Celtics team role: Bench

Bottom line: Bill Cowens was the bridge in the 1970s between the Bill Russell and Larry Bird eras. Cowens wasn’t loaded with Hall of Fame teammates like those two, but he held his own and led the Celtics to two more championships in what was considered a “down” decade for the franchise.

Cowens won the MVP award in 1973, and as a testament to his all-around greatness, he was the first player in NBA history to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks in a single-season (1977-78). Only three other players have accomplished that feat since then.

Sam Jones

Boston Celtics shooting guard Sam Jones, left, drives against the Los Angeles Lakers in a 1968 NBA playoff game in Los Angeles. HF / AP Photo

Position: Shooting guard

Experience: 12 years, all with Celtics (1957-69)

Celtics stats: 17.7 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 2.5 APG

Championships: 10 (1959-66, 1968-69)

All-time Celtics team role: Bench

Bottom line: Ten rings in 12 seasons make Sam Jones the second-greatest winner in NBA history. While Bill Russell ran the defense, Jones was the catalyst on offense and was the Celtics’ best scorer during their legendary run.

Jones didn’t get the acclaim of many of his more-heralded Celtics teammates, but his steady presence was needed with the other big personalities on the team. Point guard Bob Cousy often would look for Jones on the court because he knew it usually resulted in a good outcome.

“After I was done with my magic, I wanted to put an assist next to my name,” said Cousy. “And Sam hardly ever missed.”

Jo Jo White

Boston Celtics point guard Jo Jo White lays up a shot over Golden State Warriors forward Rick Barry in 1976. J. Walter Green / AP Photo

Position: Point guard

Experience: 12 years (1969-81)

Years with Celtics: 10 years (1969-1979)

Career stats: 17.2 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 4.9 APG

Celtics stats: 18.4 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 5.1 APG

Championships (titles with Celtics in bold): Two (1974, 1976)

All-time Celtics team role: Bench

Bottom line: Jo Jo White joined the Celtics right after Bill Russell, Sam Jones and their 21 combined NBA championships retired. White initially came off the bench before joining the starting lineup and becoming the floor leader for a team built around John Havlicek and Dave Cowens.

White made seven straight All-Star teams in Celtics green, and he saved his best for when it mattered the most. He averaged 17.2 points per game in the regular season, but that average jumped to 21.5 during the postseason, and he was the 1976 Finals MVP.

Bill Sharman

Boston Celtics shooting guard Bill Sharman attempts shot against Guy Sparrow of the Philadelphia Warriors at Boston Garden in 1959. AP Photo

Position: Shooting guard

Experience: 11 years (1950-61)

Years with Celtics: 10 years (1951-61)

Career stats: 17.8 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 3.0 APG

Celtics stats: 18.1 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 3.0 APG

Championships (titles with Celtics in bold): Four (1957, 1959-61)

All-time Celtics team role: Bench

Bottom line: Bob Cousy’s backcourt mate for a decade, Bill Sharman really put the “shooting” into the shooting guard position. He was one of the first guards to make 40 percent of his shots from the field, and he led the NBA in free-throw percentage seven times.

Sharman won four NBA championships as a player for the Celtics and then switched sides and was even more successful with the Lakers. As a coach, general manager and president of the Lakers, Sharman won another six rings for a total of 10 NBA championships.

Tom Heinsohn

Boston Celtics forward Tommy Heinsohn (15) battles Syracuse Nationals center Dolph Schayes for a rebound in 1957. Peter J. Carroll / AP Photo

Position: Power forward

Experience: 9 years, all with Celtics (1956-65)

Career stats: 18.6 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 2.0 APG

Championships: Eight (1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965)

All-time Celtics team role: Bench

Bottom line: Kevin Garnett and Satch Sanders were in the running for this last spot, but Tommy Heinsohn gets the edge thanks to his lifelong association with the Celtics, which continues today.

He won eight titles in nine years to go along with six All-Star appearances as a player. He then spent nine years as a coach and won another two titles.

Heinsohn is one of four people to be inducted into the Pro Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player and coach.

Today, and for the last 38 years, he has been a Celtics broadcaster and collected another four rings as a commentator.

Red Auerbach

Boston Celtics general manager Red Auerbach hugs Bill Russell, left, and John Havlicek after team’s NBA championship win over the Los Angeles Lakers in 1968. AP Photo

Position: Head coach

Experience: 20 years (1946-66)

Years with Celtics: 16 seasons (1950-66)

Career stats: 938 wins, 479 losses, .662 winning percentage

Celtics stats: 795 wins, 397 losses, .667 winning percentage

Championships (all with Celtics): Nine (1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966)

All-time Celtics team role: Head coach

Bottom line: When Red Auerbach joined the Celtics in 1950, he was a vagabond who had resigned from three other coaching jobs over the previous year-and-a-half. When Red Auerbach retired from coaching in 1966, he was the greatest NBA coach of all time.

In between, he won nine NBA championships as a coach, and afterward, he would win another seven as an executive, giving him a total of 16 rings.

The NBA Coach of the Year award wasn’t introduced until the 1962-63 season, so Auerbach won it just once. But the NBA honored the godfather of the Celtics and his contributions to the coaching position by naming the award after him and handing out the Red Auerbach Trophy.