Top Ten Celtic Players of All Time

[cordobes]

Rick Fox sucks.

Yeah, but I've read somewhere (probably here) that he's growing his son as a Celtic fan. If that's true, way to go Rick.

[Celtic_E]

Thanks for the insightful opinions. I couldn't feel any more welcome on celticsblog than this.

Here's my two cents on this topic. I think anytime a sports writer makes up his own list of top players of all time, regardless of any team or sport, he opens up a lot of controversy. But I guess that's what writers are supposed to do, write something to get people talking. With that said IMO anytime a sports writer makes up his own list of top players of all time, he should be obligated to at least give some criteria for his selection. I somehow feel that the article's intention was good but it was written mainly to stir up controversy.

Back to the list. At this time of his career, I feel that Pierce has done enough to land him a spot on the top 15 Celtic players of all time but not yet enough for the top ten. But Pierce's position on my list could change after this series is done based on what I have seen him do so far. KG, on the other hand, has still a left lot to prove while wearing a Celtics jersey. Same goes for Ray Allen. They are both excellent players but they did their achievements while wearing other jerseys. If the Celtics somehow manage to win 3 championships out of the next 4 years as Roy Hobbs mentioned earlier, I think a lot of people won't mind if you consider KG, Pierce, and Allen on at least your top 15 of all time.

[SShoreFan 2.0]

1. Russell
2. Bird
------------
3. Havlicek
4. Cousy
5. Cowens
6. McHale
------------
7. Pierce
8. Sam Jones
9. Heinsohn
10t. Parish
10t. Sharman

With a minor disagreement on order I agree 100% with this list and the requisite of a minimum of 5 years.

The player who loved being a Celtic the most?  Walton.

[angryguy77]

Rick Fox sucks.

Yeah, but I've read somewhere (probably here) that he's growing his son as a Celtic fan. If that's true, way to go Rick.

If he is, then he's on the wrong track by picking the lakers this series.  Needs to use Wlaton as an example of fatherhood

[Fan from VT]

if the C's had been able to start Parish, Mchale, bird, pierce, and DJ, i'm pretty sure they'd have won some rings still.

Disagree with you there.  With Pierce in place of Larry, I think we lose in '84, and there's no guarantee we win in '81, either.  In '86, I think we would have probably won that one regardless, although it's hard to say.

He's replacing Ainge with Pierce in that lineup, not Bird, though he probably  meant to replace Bird. I agree with you, but I'm pretty sure we'd have won in 86 with Pierce - Walton, Wedman and Sichting were really very good that year.

Using Roy's "5 years as a Celtic" criteria, my list would go (only guys I've watched playing):
1. Bird
2. McHale
3. Pierce
4. Parrish
5. Reggie
6. DJ

Ah, misread that.  Yes, Pierce is pretty clearly better than Danny was.  He's not, on the other hand, as good as Bird (which many from time to time claim.)

yeah, i was intentionally throwing pierce in there at shooting guard, just to attempt to demonstrate that there is nothing inherent about pierce that prevents him from being a winner...a winner is determined by the team. was ainge better than pierce just becuase he got to play on those championship teams? is pierce a worse player just because he's been surrounding with significantly worse talent than those '80s squads? i say no.

[TruthSerum]

Never underrate the importance of The Truth.

[nickagneta]

1. Russell - but only because he had more rings and he also was a player-coach.

2. Bird - there's no other choice but Bird

3. Havlicek - possibly the best 6th man ever, the franchises leader in games played and points scored, and besides Russell, the 2nd best defensive player to ever where the Green. Those that didn't see him play in his prime will laugh at this statement, but Havlicek would have given Michael Jordan fits with his defensive play.

4. Cousy - best PG ever in Green. Showy and flashy before that was even thought of in basketball and tremendously innovative.

5. Heinsohn - most don't realize just how good of a player Tommy was. He was a 20/10 guy and he was getting those 20 points and 10 rebounds while playing his whole career alongside someone who averaged 16 points and 22.5 rebounds a game for his career. And also a 2 time Celtic coach of world champions and the best color anylist in team history. I know that those things have nothing to do with playing but they move him up the list in my mind as greatest ever.

6. Bill Sharman - the forgotten great often. The best pure shooter of his time who averaged 43-45% FG% in a time when the average FG% was probably in the mid 30's. And those were mostly outside shots.

7. Kevin McHale - probably the 3rd best defensive player ever to wear a Celtic uniform and most likely the greatest PF in team history. If not for his ankle injury that he played through in the 87 postseason that rendered him a different player thereafter, he may have averaged 25 points and 13 rebounds right up into the 92-93 season. He was that dominant.

8. Dave Cowens - the epitome of what a Celtic was. An awesome team player that played with more energy and heart than just about anyone in Celtic history. He was a 6'-9" center in a time just after the NBA center went from being the 6'9" to 6'10" player to a player that was generally a 7 footer. And he dominated those bigger guys on most nights.

9. Paul Pierce - the current Captain is about to cement his legacy as being the greatest Celtic to play on the most bad Celtic teams but still was good enough to help the Celtics to a championship as well. Maybe the best offensive scorer in Celtic history and another one of those heart guys that played better than his physical attributes probably should have let him play.

10. Take your pick there are so, so many more. The Jones Boys, JoJo, Parish, DJ, Walker, Reggie and still we could go on. My last pick would be a toss up between the Jones' and Parish. And yet I have to leave off my third favorite Celtic of all time in Jo Jo White.

[mustang]

If the list is best, not necessarily most talented...

1. Russell
2. Bird
3. Hondo
4. Cousy
5. Sam Jones (as clutch as Bird, and submerged his game for the team as much as anyone ever has on any team)
6. McHale (loved him, but always got the feeling there was another gear he could have reached. still, amazing player.)
7. Cowens
8. Sharman
9. Heinsohn
10. Pierce (if he plays like this for a few more years. If not, then Jo Jo or Frank Ramsey ("y'all are playing with my money") or Parish)

10a. Reggie (if only for what could have been, I replay that midrange jumper in my head all the time). RIP.

[Chief]

I'd say five year minimum and at least one championship...

Well that takes Bias off my list.

[Cry Baby]

The problem with this Celtics franchise is there are too many superstars to choose from... The trio of Perce, Garnett and Allen is just one of the many "big 3" sets Boston have ever produce... Even before Bird, Mchale, Parish, there was Cowens, Havlicek and Jojo White... Before that, there was Russell, Cousy, Heinsohn... Even before the Russell era, there was Cousy, Sharman and MacCauley... Pretty tough to choose...     

[Redz]

I'd say five year minimum and at least one championship...

Well that takes Bias off my list.

[Roy Hobbs]

1. Russell - but only because he had more rings and he also was a player-coach.

2. Bird - there's no other choice but Bird

3. Havlicek - possibly the best 6th man ever, the franchises leader in games played and points scored, and besides Russell, the 2nd best defensive player to ever where the Green. Those that didn't see him play in his prime will laugh at this statement, but Havlicek would have given Michael Jordan fits with his defensive play.

4. Cousy - best PG ever in Green. Showy and flashy before that was even thought of in basketball and tremendously innovative.

5. Heinsohn - most don't realize just how good of a player Tommy was. He was a 20/10 guy and he was getting those 20 points and 10 rebounds while playing his whole career alongside someone who averaged 16 points and 22.5 rebounds a game for his career. And also a 2 time Celtic coach of world champions and the best color anylist in team history. I know that those things have nothing to do with playing but they move him up the list in my mind as greatest ever.

6. Bill Sharman - the forgotten great often. The best pure shooter of his time who averaged 43-45% FG% in a time when the average FG% was probably in the mid 30's. And those were mostly outside shots.

7. Kevin McHale - probably the 3rd best defensive player ever to wear a Celtic uniform and most likely the greatest PF in team history. If not for his ankle injury that he played through in the 87 postseason that rendered him a different player thereafter, he may have averaged 25 points and 13 rebounds right up into the 92-93 season. He was that dominant.

8. Dave Cowens - the epitome of what a Celtic was. An awesome team player that played with more energy and heart than just about anyone in Celtic history. He was a 6'-9" center in a time just after the NBA center went from being the 6'9" to 6'10" player to a player that was generally a 7 footer. And he dominated those bigger guys on most nights.

9. Paul Pierce - the current Captain is about to cement his legacy as being the greatest Celtic to play on the most bad Celtic teams but still was good enough to help the Celtics to a championship as well. Maybe the best offensive scorer in Celtic history and another one of those heart guys that played better than his physical attributes probably should have let him play.

10. Take your pick there are so, so many more. The Jones Boys, JoJo, Parish, DJ, Walker, Reggie and still we could go on. My last pick would be a toss up between the Jones' and Parish. And yet I have to leave off my third favorite Celtic of all time in Jo Jo White.

Looks like we agree on the top 10+1, nick, despite our order being a bit different.

[nickagneta]

1. Russell - but only because he had more rings and he also was a player-coach.

2. Bird - there's no other choice but Bird

3. Havlicek - possibly the best 6th man ever, the franchises leader in games played and points scored, and besides Russell, the 2nd best defensive player to ever where the Green. Those that didn't see him play in his prime will laugh at this statement, but Havlicek would have given Michael Jordan fits with his defensive play.

4. Cousy - best PG ever in Green. Showy and flashy before that was even thought of in basketball and tremendously innovative.

5. Heinsohn - most don't realize just how good of a player Tommy was. He was a 20/10 guy and he was getting those 20 points and 10 rebounds while playing his whole career alongside someone who averaged 16 points and 22.5 rebounds a game for his career. And also a 2 time Celtic coach of world champions and the best color anylist in team history. I know that those things have nothing to do with playing but they move him up the list in my mind as greatest ever.

6. Bill Sharman - the forgotten great often. The best pure shooter of his time who averaged 43-45% FG% in a time when the average FG% was probably in the mid 30's. And those were mostly outside shots.

7. Kevin McHale - probably the 3rd best defensive player ever to wear a Celtic uniform and most likely the greatest PF in team history. If not for his ankle injury that he played through in the 87 postseason that rendered him a different player thereafter, he may have averaged 25 points and 13 rebounds right up into the 92-93 season. He was that dominant.

8. Dave Cowens - the epitome of what a Celtic was. An awesome team player that played with more energy and heart than just about anyone in Celtic history. He was a 6'-9" center in a time just after the NBA center went from being the 6'9" to 6'10" player to a player that was generally a 7 footer. And he dominated those bigger guys on most nights.

9. Paul Pierce - the current Captain is about to cement his legacy as being the greatest Celtic to play on the most bad Celtic teams but still was good enough to help the Celtics to a championship as well. Maybe the best offensive scorer in Celtic history and another one of those heart guys that played better than his physical attributes probably should have let him play.

10. Take your pick there are so, so many more. The Jones Boys, JoJo, Parish, DJ, Walker, Reggie and still we could go on. My last pick would be a toss up between the Jones' and Parish. And yet I have to leave off my third favorite Celtic of all time in Jo Jo White.

Looks like we agree on the top 10+1, nick, despite our order being a bit different.

Yeah, it's pretty easy to be that close. The top 9 in my opinion are pretty unarguable as to who they may be. The order is probably debateable but the players themselves I feel are solidly entrenched in the top 9.

I could understand someone dropping Sharman or Pierce out of the top nine and maybe including Sam Jones and one other I forgot, Frank Ramsey. But I'll take the better athlete and more versatile Pierce over both of them and Sharman was the man on those early Celtic teams. Any of the old timers on those teams admit to that. He was taking the most important shots and was the behind the scenes leader, or so I have read. So he got my vote.

Most younger generation guys will include the contemporaries and forget the old time greats, but Parish, DJ, Tiny, Walker, and even JoJo really weren't league wide recognized as being as great as Ramsey, Sharman, Sam Jones, and Heinsohn were during their tenure with the team.

Personally I think Tiny might be one of the three best point guards ever, but he wasn't when he was here. Parish was a great center, but he doesn't belong in the 50 greatest list, IMO, and he wasn't as important to his Celtic teams or considered league wide as great as those aforementioned players were in their generation.