The Boston Celtics legend, Havlicek, who had won 8 NBA championships with the team and was also elected by NBA to be the Basketball Hall of Famer back in 1984, has died at the age of 79 on Thursday this week.
Havlicek was suffering from Parkinson’s disease which led to his death as confirmed by the Boston Celtics in their following statement.
“His defining traits as a player were his relentless hustle and wholehearted commitment to the team over self,” the team said. “He was extraordinarily thoughtful and generous, both on a personal level and for those in need, as illustrated by his commitment to raising money for The Genesis Foundation for Children for over three decades through his fishing tournament. John was kind and considerate, humble and gracious. He was a champion in every sense, and as we join his family, friends, and fans in mourning his loss, we are thankful for all the joy and inspiration he brought to us.”
He has been the Celtics’ all-time leading scorer with a total of 26395 points and was named the All-Star for the team 13 times along with being the MVP for the 1974s finals. In every season of his career, Havlicek played at least 73 games for the team and 82 games in 5 seasons.
He was born in Martins Ferry, Ohio and excelled from a young age at not only basketball but also at baseball and football during high school. He studied and played for Ohio State and worked with players like Jerry Lucas and Bob Knight in order to win the 1960s NCCA championship.
He was nicknamed as Hondo during his college years and was drafted by the Boston Celtics in the draft of 1962 as the no. 7 overall pick.
After retiring from the sport, Havlicek went on to own three franchises of Wendy’s in the states of Massachusetts, Florida as well as Ohio. He had been honored as one of the 50 greatest players in the NBA History back in the 1997’s All-Star game.
Related Content
