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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 – CIRCA 1983: Nate Archibald #7 of the Boston Celtics dribbles the ball up court against the Atlanta Hawks during an NBA basketball game circa 1983 at the Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. Archibald played for the Celtics from 1978-83. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA – CIRCA 1983: Nate Archibald #7 of the Boston Celtics dribbles the ball up court against the Atlanta Hawks during an NBA basketball game circa 1983 at the Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. Archibald played for the Celtics from 1978-83. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

22. player. 18. <strong> How Acquired: </strong>Trade, San Diego Clippers, Aug. 4, 1978. PG. 1978-83. Tiny Archibald

Tiny Archibald had won a scoring title, an assist title and been a three-time All-Star before he ever got to the Boston Celtics, but what he did after he got there was one of the rarest comebacks the NBA has seen.

Archibald came to the Celtics in August 1978 along with Billy Knight, Marvin Barnes and second-round picks in 1981 and 1983 from the San Diego Clippers in exchange for Kermit Washington, Sidney Wicks, Kevin Kunnert and Freeman Williams.

BOS_22_ARCHIBALD
BOS_22_ARCHIBALD /

The trade came after Archibald had missed the entire 1977-78 season after tearing his Achilles tendon, the sort of injury that few players to that point had fully recovered from.

Archibald recovered well enough to become a three-time All-Star for the Celtics, including earning All-Star MVP honors in 1981, and he was an All-NBA selection in 1980-81, when he quarterbacked Boston to an NBA title.

He was also fifth in the MVP voting in 1979-80, when he was second in the NBA in assists.

Archibald remained with Boston until he was waived in July 1983 at age 34.

In five seasons with the Celtics, he averaged 12.5 points, 7.1 assists and 1.9 rebounds in 31.2 minutes per game, shooting .469/.224/.790.

A second-round pick of the Cincinnati Royals out of UTEP in the 1970 NBA Draft, Archibald was a three-time All-Star with that franchise, which also played as the Kansas City-Omaha Kings and Kansas City Kings while he was there.

He was traded to the New York Nets in September 1976, playing one injury-shortened season there before being dealt again in September 1977 to the Buffalo Braves.

After he was cut by Boston, he was signed by the Milwaukee Bucks in August 1983, playing one season before retiring after the 1983-84 season.

Archibald was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991. He is 22nd all-time with 6,476 assists and an average of 7.4 assists per game.

Next: A Tale Of What Could Have Been

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