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Boston Celtics: 25 Best Players To Play For The Celtics

By Phil Watson

Apr 24, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; A general view of TD Garden prior to the first round of the NBA Playoffs between the Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 24, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; A general view of TD Garden prior to the first round of the NBA Playoffs between the Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports /
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BOSTON, MA – JUNE 1987: Kevin McHale #32 of the Boston Celtics does a reverse layup on Mychal Thompson #43 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the 1987 NBA Basketball Finals at the Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The Lakers won the Championship 4 games to 2. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA – JUNE 1987: Kevin McHale #32 of the Boston Celtics does a reverse layup on Mychal Thompson #43 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the 1987 NBA Basketball Finals at the Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The Lakers won the Championship 4 games to 2. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

PF. 1980-93. Kevin McHale. 6. player. 18. <strong> How Acquired: </strong>3rd overall pick from Minnesota, 1980 NBA Draft

Kevin McHale made an impression on scouts at Minnesota with his long, gangly arms and frame, averaging 17.4 points and 8.8 rebounds as a senior.

Using a pick acquired the day before, the Boston Celtics took McHale with the third overall pick in the 1980 NBA Draft and he immediately became a major contributor as a sixth man on three title teams.

BOS_06_MCHALE
BOS_06_MCHALE /

McHale was the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year in 1983-84 and 1984-85 and was also a seven-time All-Star, six-time All-Defensive selection and an All-NBA pick in 1986-87. That season, he was fourth in the MVP voting.

He led the NBA in field-goal percentage in 1986-87  and 1987-88 and was part of three championship teams in Boston in 1981, 1984 and 1986.

In five NBA Finals appearances, McHale averaged 17.9 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.

He announced his retirement at the conclusion of the 1993 NBA Playoffs.

In 13 seasons with the Celtics, McHale averaged 17.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 31.0 minutes per game, shooting .554/.261/.798.

He was general manager of the Minnesota Timberwolves from 1995-2008, also serving two stints as interim head coach with a record of 39-55.

McHale was hired as head coach of the Houston Rockets in June 2011 and has gone 193-130 in parts of five seasons before being fired in November 2015.

McHale was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999. He is 28th in NBA history with 1,690 blocked shots, 14th with a field-goal percentage of .554 and 34th with an average of 1.7 blocks per game.

Next: Big Red Captained 2 Title Teams

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