Boston Celtics legend John Havlicek passes away

BOSTON - APRIL 14: Former Boston Celtics great and Hall of Famer John Joseph "Hondo" Havlicek was honored on the anniversary of his immortal steal by Celtics by Robert Epstein. Wycliffe Grousbeck and Steve Pagliuca are also pictured. The Boston Celtics took on the Toronto Raptors at TD Garden. (Photo by Barry Chin/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) /

It’s a sad day for the Boston Celtics organization after announcing one of the greatest to ever wear the uniform, John Havlicek, passed away.

John Havlicek died peacefully today at the age of 79.

The Boston Celtics are one of the most blessed franchises in sports today. They have 17 championships, making them one of the greatest teams not only in basketball but in sports worldwide. They have a myriad of Hall of Famers, and some of the game’s very best. Bill Russell holds the record for most championships with 11. He was so good they named the championship trophy after him. Then, after him, there were greats like Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. Today, one of the best to ever throw on a green jersey passed away.

Havlicek may be one of those players that fall by the wayside when ranking the best to ever touch a basketball, but he shouldn’t. He played in a completely different era, but 13 All-Star games in 16 seasons are still amazing. In every single one of his seasons, he scored 1,000 points.

He was remarkably durable. He played 1,270 games in his career and averaged 20.8 points per game with 6.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists. It was a wonderful career with a decorated franchise.

After basketball, Havlicek didn’t spend much time in the limelight. He wasn’t seen at basketball games and didn’t take jobs with other organizations. Once basketball was done for him, that was it.

Havlicek was fighting Parkinson’s Disease. There hasn’t been a released cause of death at this time.

The Celtics released a statement regarding Havlicek’s death:

"John Havlicek is one of the most accomplished players in Boston Celtics history, and the face of many of the franchise’s signature moments. He was a great champion both on the court and in the community, winning 8 NBA championships and an NBA Finals MVP, while holding Celtics career records for points scored and games played… 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."

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RIP Hondo. He will be missed.

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