[ad_1]
On April 25, 2019, the NBA lost one of its most accomplished players of all time, John Havlicek having died at the age of 79.
Havlicek had a 16-year career with the Boston Celtics, which included 13 star selections and eight NBA championships.
Tributes have sprung from NBA stars from yesterday and today, including one from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who recalled his first interaction with Havlicek, via Twitter:
I met John Havlicek at the same time and place as Red Auerbach and Bill Russell at my high school gym in the fall of 1961 – my first year. He was still playing when I joined the league and our friendship grew … No. 17 will always be a class act! TEAR @NBA
https://t.co/iq9pyuMH7S– Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (@ kaj33) April 26, 2019
Jerry West, who played against Havlicek in six NBA finals, recalled his professional ethic and his progression to stardom, according to Adrian Wojnarowski from ESPN:
Jerry West on Hondo: "John's legend has grown during his games in Boston with so many great teams and winning titles. He has progressed a lot during his career. This was a sign of the difficulty with which he was working on his game. Towards the end of his career, he became a great goalscorer. "Https://t.co/ZgkORe9q1W
– Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 26, 2019
During his spell at the Celtics, Havlicek averaged 20.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game. He took advantage of what was undoubtedly his best statistical season of the 1970-1971 season, with 28.9 points per game.
Havlicek was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1984 and is one of only four players in NBA history to win eight or more championships.
[ad_2]
Source link