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Top 10 Boston Celtics of All Time: Legends in Green and Glory
When you talk NBA royalty, the Boston Celtics sit on the throne. Eighteen banners. Decades of dominance. And a roster history stacked with Hall of Fame hoopers, clutch kings, and culture-setters who repped that green with pride. This ain’t just a list—it’s a roll call of the dudes who built the NBA brick by brick, banner by banner.
From Bill Russell’s 11 rings to Larry Legend’s swagger, from Hondo’s hustle to The Truth’s clutch gene, these Celtics didn’t just win—they defined winning. They led, they sacrificed, and they dominated on both ends of the floor. Different eras, same result: excellence in green.
This squad is deeper than tradition—it’s blood, sweat, and parquet. These are the Top 10 Boston Celtics of All Time, and they didn’t just make history… they wore it.
10. Kevin Garnett
Power Forward/Center, 6’11”, 240 lbs
Years with Celtics: 2007–2013
Kevin Garnett didn’t just arrive in Boston—he changed the entire culture. The moment KG touched down, the Celtics went from a rebuilding squad to title contenders overnight. His intensity, defense, and unselfishness gave the team an edge it hadn’t had since the ’80s.
Garnett was the anchor of the legendary 2008 championship squad, setting the tone with defensive dominance and locker room leadership. He brought Boston its first title since 1986 and turned a group of stars into a true team.
Stats? Sure—15.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game in green. But it was the attitude, the grit, the pride that made him a Celtic legend. KG didn’t just play for Boston—he bled for it.
Accolades:
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NBA Champion (2008)
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NBA Defensive Player of the Year (2008)
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5× NBA All-Star (with Celtics)
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Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer (2020)
9. Sam Jones
Shooting Guard, 6’4”, 198 lbs
Years with Celtics: 1957–1969
Sam Jones was the Celtics’ go-to bucket before clutch even had a name. The man had a silky bank shot, ice in his veins, and a habit of showing up when it mattered most. He averaged 17.7 points per game across his career and elevated in the playoffs—dropping daggers with that signature smooth release.
Jones won 10 NBA titles with Boston, second only to Bill Russell, and was the reliable scorer on a team full of defensive juggernauts. When Red Auerbach needed a closer, he called Sam.
Quiet killer. Big moment sniper. Sam Jones is as essential to Celtics history as green and white.
Accolades:
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10× NBA Champion
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5× NBA All-Star
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No. 24 retired by Celtics
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Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer (1984)
8. Robert Parish
Center, 7’1”, 230 lbs
Years with Celtics: 1980–1994
Robert Parish, aka “The Chief,” brought steady dominance to the paint for over a decade. Durable, dependable, and deadly from mid-range, Parish was the ironman of the Celtics dynasty during the ‘80s.
He averaged 16.5 points, 10 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game over 14 seasons in Boston, helping power the team to three NBA titles. While Bird and McHale got the highlights, Parish got the boards, blocked shots, and quietly punished opponents every night.
He holds the record for most games played in NBA history, and he played most of them in green—like a true Celtic warrior.
Accolades:
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3× NBA Champion (with Celtics)
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9× NBA All-Star (6 with Celtics)
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No. 00 retired by Celtics
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Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer (2003)
7. Dave Cowens
Center, 6’9”, 230 lbs
Years with Celtics: 1970–1980
Dave Cowens didn’t care about flash—he cared about winning. Undersized for a center but overflowing with heart, hustle, and toughness, Cowens was all gas, no brakes. He could bang in the post, knock down jumpers, and lock up bigger players night after night.
He averaged 18.2 points and 14.0 rebounds per game as a Celtic, won an MVP in 1973, and led Boston to two NBA championships in the ’70s. Whether it was diving on loose balls or defending 7-footers, Cowens showed up like every game was Game 7.
Old-school grit. Celtic pride. MVP-level impact.
Accolades:
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2× NBA Champion
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NBA MVP (1973)
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8× NBA All-Star
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Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer (1991)
6. Kevin McHale
Power Forward, 6’10”, 210 lbs
Years with Celtics: 1980–1993
Kevin McHale had the nastiest post game this side of Hakeem. Up-and-under, pump fake, turnaround, fadeaway—you name it, McHale had it. He was the ultimate mismatch, torching defenders with footwork and finesse, then locking them up on the other end.
He averaged 17.9 points and 7.3 rebounds over his career, made seven All-Defensive Teams, and helped Boston win three NBA titles alongside Bird and Parish. McHale wasn’t loud—his game did the talking, and it spoke fluent buckets and clamps.
Tough, skilled, and straight-up unstoppable down low, McHale is the prototype for power forwards who get it done on both ends.
Accolades:
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3× NBA Champion
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7× NBA All-Defensive Team
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6× NBA All-Star
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Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer (1999)
5. Bob Cousy
Point Guard, 6’1”, 175 lbs
Years with Celtics: 1950–1963
Before flashy passes were cool, Bob Cousy was putting on a show. Known as “The Houdini of the Hardwood,” Cousy brought flair and creativity to the game that had never been seen before. Behind-the-back, no-look, between-the-legs—he was the original playmaker.
Cousy averaged 18.5 points and 7.6 assists per game, won six championships, and led the league in assists eight straight years. He was the floor general of the first Celtics dynasty and the bridge between fundamentals and flair.
He wasn’t just running the offense—he was orchestrating magic in green and white.
Accolades:
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6× NBA Champion
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NBA MVP (1957)
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13× NBA All-Star
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Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer (1971)
4. Paul Pierce
Small Forward, 6’7”, 235 lbs
Years with Celtics: 1998–2013
Paul Pierce was Boston’s beacon during its darkest days—and the closer when the lights were brightest. The Truth dropped buckets from every spot on the floor, took the toughest assignments, and never ducked a moment.
He averaged 21.8 points, 6 rebounds, and 3.9 assists in his 15 seasons with the Celtics, climbed to second all-time on the franchise scoring list, and finally broke through with a 2008 title and Finals MVP when Boston rebuilt around him with KG and Ray Allen.
Whether it was a late-game dagger or a gutsy playoff battle, Paul Pierce lived for the clutch—and lived in Celtics lore.
Accolades:
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NBA Champion (2008)
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NBA Finals MVP (2008)
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10× NBA All-Star
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No. 34 retired by Celtics
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Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer (2021)
3. John Havlicek
Shooting Guard/Small Forward, 6’5”, 203 lbs
Years with Celtics: 1962–1978
John Havlicek was the epitome of effort, endurance, and excellence. The man ran like he had a motor wired to his sneakers—never stopped moving, never took plays off, and always found a way to win. He started his career as a sixth man on a dynasty and finished it as the franchise’s all-time leading scorer.
Over 16 seasons, Hondo averaged 20.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 4.8 assists, won eight championships, and became the blueprint for the modern two-way wing. His most iconic moment? The legendary steal in the 1965 playoffs: “Havlicek stole the ball!”—a call that still echoes in NBA history.
He was versatile, unselfish, and unshakable in the clutch. Hondo didn’t chase stats—he chased banners.
Accolades:
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8× NBA Champion
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13× NBA All-Star
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11× All-NBA selection
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No. 17 retired by Celtics
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Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer (1984)
2. Larry Bird
Small Forward/Power Forward, 6’9”, 220 lbs
Years with Celtics: 1979–1992
Larry Legend wasn’t just one of the greatest Celtics—he was one of the greatest to ever do it, period. A cold-blooded shooter, elite passer, and mental assassin, Bird could torch you from the outside or back you down with old-man strength and attitude.
In 13 seasons, Bird averaged 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 6.3 assists, won three MVPs in a row (1984–1986), and led Boston to three championships in the golden era of NBA hoops. He talked trash, backed it up, and made every teammate better with his all-around brilliance.
Clutch? Automatic. Grit? Off the charts. Larry Bird brought small-town toughness and big-game greatness—and became a Celtic for life.
Accolades:
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3× NBA Champion
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3× NBA MVP (1984–1986)
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12× NBA All-Star
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9× All-NBA First Team
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No. 33 retired by Celtics
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Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer (1998)
1. Bill Russell
Center, 6’10”, 215 lbs
Years with Celtics: 1956–1969
Bill Russell isn’t just the greatest Celtic of all time—he’s the most decorated winner in sports history. Period. With 11 NBA championships in 13 seasons, Russell turned defense, leadership, and mental toughness into a weaponized art form. He changed the way basketball was played—and how success was defined.
He averaged 15.1 points and an absurd 22.5 rebounds per game, dominated every center of his era, and anchored the most dominant dynasty the league has ever seen. But it wasn’t just the numbers—it was the intangibles. Russell was the heart, soul, and spine of a Celtics machine that crushed everything in its path.
He also broke barriers off the court, becoming the NBA’s first Black head coach and standing tall in the fight for civil rights.
Accolades:
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11× NBA Champion
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5× NBA MVP
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12× NBA All-Star
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No. 6 retired by Celtics and across the NBA
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Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer (1975)
Still reppin’ Boston pride? Don’t miss the legends on the gridiron in our Top 10 New England Patriots of All Time—from Brady to Bruschi, it’s all heart and hardware.
Or keep the hardwood heat going with the Top 10 NBA Players of All Time—where Celtics greats battle the best to ever lace ’em up.
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