Boston Celtics: Top 10 NBA Draft picks in franchise history

2. John Havlicek (SG/SF) — No. 7 pick in 1962 NBA Draft

Career stats (with the Celtics):  1,270 GP, 20.8 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 4.8 APG, 1.2 STL, 0.3 BLK, 2.5 TOV, 43.9 FG%, N/A 3P%, 81.5 FT%

“Havlicek steals it! Havlicek stole the ball!”

One of the most famous calls in NBA history was born during Game 7 of the 1965 Eastern Conference Finals. The Celtics held a precarious one-point lead. The Philadelphia 76ers (featuring Wilt Chamberlain) had the ball, with a chance to inbound and go for the win.

Well, I already sorta gave away what happened next.

It’s impossible to define a player’s career — especially one with as many layers as Havlicek’s — with a single play. But if we absolutely had to, that steal against Philly is a pretty good one to pick.

The man known as “Hondo” was simply a winner. He spent 16 seasons with the Celtics, winning a championship in half of them, Finals MVP in 1974 and making the All-Star team 13 times. He also earned an All-NBA distinction 11 times (four of them as a First Teamer).

Havlicek’s last game came in 1978. At the ripe age of 37, in front of a raucous Garden crowd, with over 46,000 minutes played to that point, his legs on the verge of giving out, he threw up a 29-point, eight-assist stat line as his goodbye to the sport.

It was an impressive and fitting final outing from the legend. (By the way, Hondo is still the franchise’s all-time leading scorer, which is kind of insane to consider.)