A swingman, Havlicek played collegiate basketball for the Ohio State Buckeyes from 1959 to 1962, winning an NCAA championship in 1960. He was drafted by the Celtics in 1962 and played with the team until his retirement in 1978. A 13-time NBA All-Star, Havlicek was named to the All-NBA First Team four times and to the All-NBA Second Team seven times. He was also named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team on five occasions and to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team three times. Havlicek is known for his stamina and his hustle as well as his abilities.
During his career with the Celtics, Havlicek won eight NBA championships, and he is also one of three NBA players with an unsurpassed 8–0 record in NBA Finals series. He is known for stealing the ball to save the game–and the Celtics' playoff hopes–near the end of Game Seven in the 1965 Eastern Conference Finals. Havlicek served as captain of the Celtics from 1969 to 1978, and was named NBA Finals MVP in 1974. Following his retirement, his number 17 jersey was retired by the Celtics. Havlicek was inducted into Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1984.
Havlicek was drafted by the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Cleveland Pipers of the American Basketball League (ABL), and the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL) in 1962. However, after the Pipers failed in their bid to leave the ABL to join the NBA with Havlicek on that team due to him competing briefly as a wide receiver in the Browns' training camp that year, Havlicek focused his energies on playing for the Celtics going forward. A swingman who could play either guard or forward,[6][7][8] he was known for his stamina, with competitors stating that it was a challenge just to keep up with him.[9] Head coach Red Auerbach went on to call him "the guts of the team".[10] Nicknamed "Hondo" (a nickname inspired by the 1953 movie of the same name starring John Wayne),[2] Havlicek revolutionized the "sixth man" role in the NBA coming off the bench for the Celtics during his early years.[11][12][13]
Havlicek was later immortalized for his clutch steal in the closing seconds of the 1965 Eastern Conference Finals. In the seventh and final game, played at Boston Garden on April 15, the Celtics led the Philadelphia 76ers 110–109 with five seconds left. They only needed to inbound the ball from underneath their basket to secure the victory and advance to the 1965 NBA Finals. However, Bill Russell's pass struck one of the basket's support wires hanging down from the ceiling, leading to a turnover that gave the 76ers and Wilt Chamberlain the ball and a chance to win the game.[2]Hal Greer was set to throw the inbounds pass for the 76ers. Havlicek stood with his back to Greer, guarding Chet Walker. But as Greer's pass came inbounds, Havlicek spun, leaped, and tipped the pass to Sam Jones.[2] Veteran referee Earl Strom, who wrote about the game in his memoir Calling the Shots, called Havlicek's reaction one of the greatest plays he ever saw in his 32 years as a professional official.[14] Announcer Johnny Most's call of "Havlicek stole the ball!" was dubbed by the NBA as "the most famous radio call in basketball history."[15]
Havlicek was a key player in the Celtics' dynasty during the 1960s.[16] The team won NBA championships in six of his first seven NBA seasons.[17]
In Game 5 of the 1968 Eastern Division Finals, 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.[18] He added a strong performance in Game Seven, recording 21 points, 12 rebounds, and eight assists in a 100–96 road win against the 76ers. In that series, the Celtics became the first NBA team to overcome a 3–1 playoff series deficit.[19]
Havlicek became a full-time starter in the 1969–1970 season.[20] He also became the Celtics' captain in 1969, and continued in that role until 1978.[21] Havlicek "stood as the bridge from the Bill Russell era to the Celtics' next championship team".[22] The Celtics won the 1974 NBA Championship, and Havlicek was named NBA Finals MVP.[23]
With one second left in the second overtime of Game Five of the 1976 NBA Finals, Havlicek made a leaning, running bank shot that appeared to be the game-winner. Phoenix called an illegal timeout, resulting in a technical foul shot converted by Jo Jo White. However, Phoenix still had one final possession, and Gar Heard scored for Phoenix to tie the game. The Celtics went on to win in triple overtime. The game was hailed as the greatest NBA Finals game ever played.[24]
Havlicek retired after the 1977–78 NBA season at age 38.[1] In April 1978, The Sporting News stated: "The consensus is that Havlicek is still better than 80 percent of the players in the NBA".[25]
Legacy
"'On stamina alone, he’d be among the top players who ever played the game,' longtime New York Knicks coach Red Holzman once said of John “Hondo” Havlicek. "'It would’ve been fair to those who had to play him or those who had to coach against him if he had been blessed only with his inhuman endurance. God had to compound it by making him a good scorer, smart ballhandler and intelligent defensive player with quickness of mind, hands and feet'".[23]
Havlicek retired as a 13-time NBA All-Star, and his number 17 jersey was retired by the Celtics.[26] At the time, Havlicek was the NBA career leader in games played (a mark surpassed in 1984 by Elvin Hayes)[27] and was in third place on the list of all-time NBA leaders in points scored.[28] Longtime Celtics teammate Bill Russell once described Havlicek as "'the best all-around ballplayer [he] ever saw'".[29] At the time of his death, Havlicek was the Celtics' all-time leading scorer with 26,395 points (20.8 points per game).[30][31] He was also the first player to score 1,000 points in 16 consecutive seasons, with his best scoring season coming during the 1970–71 season, when he averaged 28.9 points per game.[32] He was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team five times and was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team three times.[33]
Havlicek finished his 16-year career with eight NBA championships.[9][23] As of 2019, only Bill Russell (with 11) and Sam Jones (with 10)--both of whom were Celtics teammates of Havlicek's--had won more NBA championships than he had.[34] Havlicek won all eight NBA Finals in which he participated.[35]
In 1980, Havlicek was selected as one of the league's greatest players ever, being named to the NBA 35th Anniversary Team.[36] In 1984, Havlicek became a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.[10] In 1996, he was selected as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History by a panel of journalists, players, coaches, executives, and general managers.[37] He was also named the 14th best player of all time in Bill Simmons's Book of Basketball.[38] In October 2021, Havlicek was again honored as one of the league's greatest players of all time by being named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.[39] To commemorate the NBA's 75th Anniversary, The Athletic published their own list of the top 75 players of all time, ranking Havlicek as the 29th-greatest player in NBA history.[22]
In 1974, Havlicek received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement.[40] In 2007, Bridgeport High School in his hometown renamed their gymnasium "John J. Havlicek Gymnasium".[41] Fellow NBA Hall of Famer Chris Mullin wore number 17 as a tribute to Havlicek.[42] In October 2022, Havlicek was inaugurated into the Croatian-American Sports Hall of Fame.[43] In December 2022, the NBA named the newly redesigned trophy presented to the NBA Sixth Man of the Year the “John Havlicek Trophy” in his honor.[44]
In addition to his on-court success, Havlicek was known for his character[45][46] and for his commitment to placing the team ahead of his own individual achievements.[47] Longtime Celtics coach Red Auerbach once said, "'If I ever had a son, I would want him to be like John Havlicek'".[46]
Post-playing career
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. The success of his investments left Havlicek with a comfortable income after retirement and he never had to work for a conventional salary again. He had no desire to coach; instead, he served as a corporate speaker.[1]
Havlicek was a member of the board of the Genesis Foundation, which assists children with disabilities and genetic disorders. He and his wife Beth held the John Havlicek Celebrity Fishing Tournament for more than three decades, with proceeds going to the foundation.[29]
Personal life
Havlicek met his wife, Beth, while both were attending Ohio State University. The couple married in 1967. They had two children: a son named Chris and a daughter named Jill.[2] Chris Havlicek attended the University of Virginia on a basketball scholarship in the early 1990s.[48] Jill Havlicek married former Major League Baseball outfielder and coach Brian Buchanan.[49]
