Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the top 50 of each major North American sports team. That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists and consistently look to update them when necessary and based on necessity. As such, we are delighted to present our post-2023 revision of our top 50 Boston Celtics.

As for all of our top 50 players in basketball, we look at the following:

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the National Basketball Association.

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles that are not reflected in a stat sheet.

Last year, Boston made history by winning their 18^th NBA Championship, giving them the sole lead.  Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown led the Celtics from beginning to end, giving us some significant list jumps, though no new entrants.  That will likely change next year.

As always, we present our top five, which saw no changes:

1. Bill Russell
2. Larry Bird
3. John Havlicek
4. Bob Cousy
5. Paul Pierce

You can find the entire list here.

Jayson Tatum, who added another First Team All-NBA, moved from #15 to #12.

Al Horford inched up three spots to #19.

Jaylen Brown, who won the Eastern Conference Finals and NBA Finals MVP vaulted to #21 from #27.

We thank you for your continued support of our lists on Notinhalloffame.com.

Playoff Rondo.

Rajon Rondo loved it best when the lights were at their brightest.

The Boston Celtics acquired him in a 2006 draft-day trade from Phoenix, and he was a Second Team All-Rookie. Rondo won the starting job as a sophomore, and the Celtics loaded him with talent with Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen joining him and Paul Pierce. Boston won the championship that year, but although many credited the "Big Three", Rondo was at times their best player in the playoffs.

Rondo improved his defense and earned a Second Team All-Defensive slot after his 2008 playoff success. Afterwards, he went to four straight All-Star Games and was in the conversation as one of the top point guards in the league. Rondo won the steals title in 2009-10, coinciding with a First Team All-Defensive nod, which was the first of two. He then became a better distributor, winning back-to-back assists titles (2011-12 & 2012-13), and was an All-NBA Third Team Selection in 2011-12. Notably, Rondo also finished 10th and 8th for the MVP in those seasons and was the face of the franchise. Everything was going well for Rondo until he tore his ACL in January of 2013, and nothing was the same again.

Rondo returned a year later, but his traditional and advanced statistics were a little lower. Boston was struggling, and in December of 2014, he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks to help them in their playoff run. Bluntly, Rondo did not help Dallas, and he was benched in the playoffs. Dallas did not want him, and Rondo's journeyman phase began.

He signed with Sacramento and won his third and final assists title (2015-16). Coincidentally, this was also his last season averaging more than 10 points per game. He played for Chicago, then New Orleans, then signed with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he was now coming off the bench. Rondo could still light it up, but it was becoming less frequent. He helped them win the 2020 NBA Championship, and this was his last great moment in the sport. Rondo played two more years, playing for Atlanta, the Los Angeles Clippers, the Lakers again, and Cleveland.

As good as Rondo was at his peak, his off-court issues could push him on the wrong side of the fence.

Pre-2023-24 Rank: #46.

Positional Notes:  Brown has also played considerable time as a Shooting Guard.

Peak Period:  From 2017-18 to 2023-24.  Brown’s continued growth should see him extend his Peak Period.

We said earlier that Jayson Tatum was the best player on the Boston Celtics team that won the 2024 NBA Championship, but Jaylen Brown was named the Eastern Conference Final and NBA Finals MVP. Tatum was named to his third All-Star Game and was arguably snubbed for a Third-Team All-NBA, adding to the increasing chip on his shoulder. 

This season could be explosive for Brown and the Celtics.

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the 50 of each major North American sports team.  That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists out and we always consistently look to update them when we can and based on necessity.  As such, we are very happy to present our post 2022/23 revision of our top 50 Boston Celtics.

As for all of our top 50 players in basketball we look at the following:

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the National Basketball Association.

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet.

Last year, Boston made it to their second Eastern Conference Final, and they are legit contenders to make it there again.  There were some significant jumps on the list based on last season.

As always, we present our top five, which was not affected by the last season:

1. Bill Russell

2. Larry Bird

3. John Havlicek

4. Bob Cousy

5. Paul Pierce

You can find the entire list here.

Jayson Tatum only went up two spots to #15, despite a second consecutive First Team All-NBA, but that is more due to the incredible players the franchise has had. 

Veteran Center, Al Horford, went up two spots to #22.

Jaylen Brown, who was named a Third Team All-NBA player last year, advanced five spots to #27.

Marcus Smart, who is now with Memphis did not jump from #29.  This is not a reflection on Smart’s season, but more of a commentary on how loaded this list is and how hard it is to jump.

We welcome your input and comments and as always, we thank you for your support.

Four times an All-Star with the Atlanta Hawks, Al Horford signed with the Boston Celtics in 2016 with the hope that this would be the team that would earn him his first NBA Championship.  It finally happened in 2024.

In Horford’s first season in Boston, he averaged 14 Points per Game and was a solid defensive player, aiding the Celtics in pushing Cleveland to a seventh Games in the Eastern Conference Finals.  The year after, Horford added his fifth All-Star, won Second Team All-Defensive honors, and again helped lead his team to the ECF, again losing to the Cavaliers.  After another solid season in 2018-19 where he averaged 12.6 Points and had a career-best .586 in Effective Shooting Percentage, Horford signed with division rival Philadelphia, but that did not end his story in Boston.

The Celtics reacquired Horford, who was now with Oklahoma City in a trade before the 2021/22 Season, and though the Center was aging, he was still a valuable starter capable of big moments.  Horford and the Celtics made it to the 2022 Finals, and though in 2022/23 he dipped below 10 Points per Game for the first time, his leadership still helped the Celtics make another deep playoff run.

Last year, Horford only started in half of his games, but though he has a reduced role, his veteran presence and defensive skills helped Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown win it all, with the trio winning their first NBA Championship.

There are very few sports organizations around the world  that have the history and legacy of the Boston Celtics. Since being founded in 1946, the Celtics have gone on to win 32 division titles, 10 conference titles and 17 NBA Finals while seeing nearly 40 of their former players be inducted in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame including 23 of them having their numbers retired by the organization. 

Below, we’ll take a look at several of those hall of famers that played for the green and white over the franchise’s nearly 80-year history. Who will be the next Celtic to be inducted into the hall of fame? Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum…Using a BetMGM Massachusetts bonus code is a must now that online sports betting is about to be legalized in the state of Massachusetts.

Bill Russell

Widely considered one of the greatest basketball players ever, Russell is arguably the greatest winner in sports history winning 11 NBA titles during his career, all with the Boston Celtics between 1956 and 1969 in his 14-year NBA career. He was also a five-time MVP, a 12-time NBA All-Star, a three-time All-NBA First Team selection, and an eight-time All-NBA second team selection. He was also named to the NBA’s 25th, 35th, 50th, and 75th anniversary teams while also having his No.6 jersey retired by not just the Boston Celtics but league wide as well, with no player on any team being allowed to wear the number. 

Larry Bird

Another player widely considered one of the greatest players in NBA history. Bird is a three-time NBA Champion, a three-time NBA MVP, a 12-time NBA All-Star, a nine-time All-NBA first team selection, and the NBA Rookie of the Year in 1980 among many other accolades. Quite simply, Bird is one of the greatest players to ever suit up and he has had his No.33 jersey retired at the high school, collegiate, and NBA level. 

Kevin McHale 

Another Celtics legend from the 1980s, McHale was a three-time NBA Champion for the Celtics alongside Larry Bird as well as a seven-time NBA All-Star, a three-time NBA All-Defensive First Team selection, a three-time NBA All-Defensive Second Team selection and a two-time NBA Sixth Man of the Year award winner. He also was named to the NBA All-Rookie team in 1981 as well as being a 50th and 75th NBA anniversary team selection. His No.32 jersey is retired by the Boston Celtics. 

Paul Pierce

Pierce is the most recent Celtic on this list, playing for the organization from 1998 through 2013. Pierce is considered one of the best small forwards of the last 30 years and was a 10-time NBA All-Star as well as a member of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary team. Pierce would go on to be a first-ballot NBA Hall of Famer while also having his No.34 jersey retired by the team in 2018. 

John Havlicek

Another key part of the Celtics dynasty in the 1960s and 1970s, Havlicek helped lead the organization to eight NBA titles over 16 seasons while being a 13-time NBA All-Star and being named to the All-NBA first team four-times. He also was one of the best defenders of his era, being named to five NBA All-Defensive First Teams and three NBA All-Defensive Second Teams. The Celtics retired his No.17 in 1978 immediately after his retirement following the 1978 season. 

Robert Parrish

One of the greatest centers of his era, Parrish was another member of the Celtics success in the 1980s winning three titles with the organization between 1980 and 1994. He was also a nine-time NBA All-Star during his 21-year career with all nine appearances coming while a member of the Celtics. He was a member of the NBA’s 50th and 75th anniversary teams and has his double zero jersey retired by the Celtics. 

These of course are just a handful of the 37 players that have played for the Celtics before being inducted in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Other notable Hall of Fame players include Pete Maravich, Dave Cowens, Bill Walton, Dennis Johnson, Gary Paton, Shaquille O’Neal, Kevin Garnett, Dominique Wilkins, Bob McAdoo.

 Future NBA Hall of Famers that played for the Celtics include Rajon Rondo and Kyrie Irving. Outside of those two point guards, the next best chance for hall of fame candidacy is likely of star forward Jayson Tatum. While the 25-year old still has a long ways to go in his career to reach that point, his career is off to a great start including being a four-time NBA All_Star, being an All-NBA First Team selection, an All-NBA Third Team selection and being named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2018. 

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the 50 of each major North American sports team.  That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists out and we always consistently look to update them when we can and based on necessity.  As such, we are very happy to present our post 2021/22 revision of our top Boston Celtics.

As for all of our top 50 players in basketball we look at the following: 

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the National Basketball Association. 

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet.

Last year, Boston was a nice surprise by making the Eastern Conference Finals and they took the Golden State Warriors to six Games before going down in defeat.  Last year resulted in one new surprise entrant and three elevations.

As always, we present our top five, which was not impacted by last season:

1. Bill Russell

2. Larry Bird

3. John Havlicek

4. Bob Cousy

5. Paul Pierce

You can find the entire list here.

Jayson Tatum, who was a Second Team All-NBA Selection and the winner of the inaugural Eastern Conference Finals MVP, vaulted to #18 from #30.

Reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Marcus Smart, moved from #35 to #29.

Former All-Star, Jaylen Brown, moved up to #33 from #37.

Center, Robert Williams, surprisingly is already ranked.  He is #37.

Daniel Theis, who was traded back to the Celtics and has now been traded to Indiana, moved up to two spots to #44.

We welcome your input and comments and as always, we thank you for your support.

Perhaps it is a bit of a surprise that Robert Williams is ranked this high, but we love our intangibles and defense here.

It was not a great start for Williams, whose stock fell in the Draft when questions about his work ethic arose, and he did not do himself any favors in his first training camp, but the talent was there and he was worth the investment.  The Center played off the bench for his first two years, showing flashes of defensive genius, but this was just the beginning.

Williams logged more playing time (18.9 MP) in 2020-21, yet still averaged 1.8 Blocks per Game, and was seventh in Blocks per Game.  Last year was when Williams proved he belonged in the defensive elite, earning not only Second Team All-Defensive Honors with his 102.4 leading the NBA in Defensive Rating.  He was also fifth in Defensive Win Shares (3.9), second in Blocks per Game (2.2), and if Williams was in the Game you knew exactly what he was there to do.

In 2022-23, Williams was oft-injured, appearing in only 35 Games and missed the playoffs, and this would be his swansong in Beantown as he was traded to Portland after in the summer of 2023.  

Pre-2021-22 Rank: #50, Pre-2022-23 Rank: #33, Pre-2023-24 Rank: #22.

*Positional Notes:  Tatum also plays at Power Forward but has logged more minutes at SF.

*Peak Period:  2017-18 to 2023-24.  Tatum has completed seven seasons, the maximum for our Peak Period metrics.

Last year, he did it.

Jayson Tatum, the newest megastar on the long list of Boston Celtics, was the best player on the NBA Championship team (although Jaylen Brown was the ECF and Finals MVP), and everyone who did that made the Hall of Fame.

Here is the scary part:  Tatum enters this season with the same roster and a chip on his shoulder after feeling disrespected for his lack of playing time in the United States Gold Medal win at the Paris Olympics.  The Celtics could do it again, and he is in line to earn his fourth straight First Team All-NBA and first MVP.

Pre-2021-22 Rank: #47, Pre-2022-23 Rank: #43, Pre-2023-24: #40

Peak Period: From 2016-17 to 2023-24.

Every team wants a player like Jrue Holiday.

Jrue Holiday was an All-Star in 2013 (his last season in Philadelphia), and it took another ten, which coincidentally was his last year in Milwaukee, to earn a second trip.  In between, Holiday joined a particular group that won an NBA Championship (with Milwaukee) and an Olympic Gold Medal (with the United States) in the same year.  

How do you top that?

You do it again.

Last season, his first in Boston, Holiday played a substantial role in the Celtic’s record-breaking 18^th Title, and months later, he again won Gold for the United States. 

Holiday may never be a superstar, but he is one of the most coveted roster players of the last ten years.  That could be worth a look from the powers that be in Springfield.

Regular visitors of Notinhalloffame.com know that we are slowly working on the top 50 of every major team in the NHL, NBA, NFL and MLB.  Once that is done, we intend to look at how each team honor their past players, coaches and executives.  As such, it is news to us that Boston Celtics have announced that they will be retiring Kevin Garnett’s #13 on March 13, 2022 during their home game against Dallas.

Last season, during their game against the Clippers on February 13, the team made the announcement that Garnett’s jersey retirement would be impending.

Garnett, who entered the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in the Class of 2020, was with the Minnesota Timberwolves for his first twelve years, was traded to the Celtics in 2007.  Boston also signed Ray Allen, and along with Paul Pierce, the trio won the NBA Championship that year.

Garnett stayed with the Celtics for six seasons, went to four All-Star Games and was also the 2008 Defensive Player of the Year.  As a Celtic, Garnett was chosen for one First Team All-NBA Selection, three First Team All-Defensive Selections and one Second Team All-Defensive Selection.

His #5 will join Robert Parish (#00), Walter Brown (#1), Red Auerbach (#2), Dennis Johnson (#3), Bill Russell (#6), JoJo White (#10), Bob Cousy (#14), Tom Heinsohn (#15), Tom Sanders (#16), John Havlicek (#17), Dave Cowens (#18), Don Nelson (#19), Bill Sharman (#21), Ed Macauley (#22), Frank Ramsey (#23), Sam Jones (#24), K.C. Jones (#25), Cedric Maxwell (#31), Kevin McHale (#32), Larry Bird (#33), Paul Pierce (#34), Reggie Lewis (#35) and Jim Loscutoff (LOSCY).

We would like to congratulate Kevin Garnett for earning this honor.

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the 50 of each major North American sports team.  That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists out and we always consistently look to update them when we can and based on necessity.  As such, we are very happy to present our pre-2021-22 revision of our top 50 Boston Celtics.

As for all of our top 50 players in basketball we look at the following: 

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the NBA. 

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet.

Please note, that this is our first revision in three years, and despite the legends who have suited up in Boston green, we have four new entries and one slight elevation.

As always, we present our top five immediately, though nothing has changed in this upper-tier.

1. Bill Russell

2. Larry Bird

3. John Havlicek

4. Bob Cousy

5. Paul Pierce

You can find the entire list here.

Jayson Tatum, a two-time All-Star and a Third Team All-NBA Selection last year enters at #30.  

Jaylen Brown, an All-Star last year, comes in at #37.

Two players who are now no longer Celtics, Daniel Theis and Kemba Walker, debut at #46 and #49 respectively.

Marcus Smart moved up from #38 to #35.

We welcome your input and comments and as always, we thank you for your support.

When Daniel Theis was draft eligible in 2013, the German Center was not on anyone’s radar.  This changed when after four seasons as a German League All-Star, and German League Champion with Brose Bamberg, he was on the North American radar, and the Celtics signed him in 2017.

Theis was a bench player in his first two years, barely averaging 14 Minutes per Game, but he was a nice change of pace with his European style of play.  While he was not the most physical player, Theis can’t be classified as soft either.

In 2019-20, Theis became a starter, and showed improvement defensively with a 1.3 Blocks per Game Average with a Celtic-high 6.6 Rebounds per Game.  Theis was much of the same in 2020-21, and he helped them go deep in to the playoffs.  He left Boston when he was traded during the 2020-21 season to the Bulls, but returned in 2022 when his then team, Houston, treaded him back to Boston for their playoff run.  Theis, who helped Boston reach the NBA Finals, but he was traded again after, this time to Indiana.

After one year at Duke, Jayson Tatum was a proven lottery pick, taken third overall in the 2017 Draft.  It didn’t take long for Tatum to prove the Celtics correct in selecting him.

Blessed with incredible footwork and slick shooting, Tatum was an All-Rookie and an immediate starter, usually at Small Forward, and has there been a season thus far where we have not seen his game improve?  Tatum went to his first of what is currently four straight All-Stars in his third season (2019-20), which was when he netted his first 20-plus PPG year (23.4).  The year after, he raised that to over 26, and was now the unquestioned leader of the Celtics and an upper-echelon perfomer.  If there was any doubt of that, it was erased in 2021-22, where he took Boston to the NBA Finals (losing to Golden State) but captured the inaugural Eastern Conference FInals MVP.  He was also named a First Team All-Star.  In 2022-23 season, Tatum broke 30 Points per Game, and was the league-leader in Points with 2,225.  He was again named a First Team All-NBA player.

Tatum had his ultimate breakthrough last year when he led the Celtics to the NBA Championship off of a 26.9 PPG year and third consecutive First Team All-NBA.  This propelled Tatum into the Celtics stratosphere, and if he remains with Boston for years to come, it is possible that a top-five rank on the most prestigious basketball franchise could come his way.

Taken number 3 in the 2016 Draft after playing a year at California, Jaylen Brown has to date played five seasons with the Boston Celtics where he emerged as an All-Star

Brown was an All-Rookie player, but he would become a starter in his second year, doubling his PPG from 6.6 to 14.5. His third season was a year of regression, as he lost his shooting touch, and only started 20 Games, but Brown’s fourth year showed the exact progression that the Celtics brass hoped for.  The Shooting Guard increased his PPG to over 20 with his advanced metrics also rising.  

Three years ago, Brown made his first All-Star and had career bests in Points (24.7), Assists (3.4) and PER (19.9), and the year after had similar numbers.  Brown elevated his game to another level last season, adding All-Star number two and pricuring his first All-NBA nod (Third Team).  He set personal bests in Points (26.6) and Rebounds per Game (6.9), and became a top teir player, though he was still direspected.

Brown and the Celtics rocketed to an easy NBA Championship in 2024, with him winning the ECF and NBA Finals Player of the Year.  Brown proved his mettle, though in many circles he enter the 2024-25 Season as disrespected as ever.  

Regular visitors of Notinhalloffame.com know that we are slowly working on the top 50 of every major team in the NHL, NBA, NFL and MLB. Once that is done, we intend to look at how each team honor their past players, coaches and executives.  As such, it is news to us that the Boston Celtics will be retiring the #5 of Kevin Garnett next season.

Debuting for the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1995, Kevin Garnett plated for them until 2007.  Garnett was a perennial All-Star and he was the 2003-04 MVP, but he grew frustrated with the team and sought a new environment.  Minnesota dealt Garnett to Boston for multiple players and picks, and his new team also signed Ray Allen, who was a free agent.  Together with Paul Pierce, the Celtics had a “Big Three” and they gelled immediately winning the NBA Championship.  

While that would be the only title that Garnett would win, he would have six seasons in a Boston uniform, with four All-Star Game appearances. With Boston, he also won the 2008 Defensive Player of the Year Award, was a First Team All-NBA Selection (2008), and was a three-time All-Defensive Selection (2008, 2009 & 2011).  

The other retired numbers by the Celtics are Walter Brown (#1), Red Auerbach (#2), Dennis Johnson (#3), Bill Russell (#6), JoJo White (#10), Bob Cousy (#14), Tom Heinsohn (#15), Tom Sanders (#16), John Havlick (#17), Dave Cowens (#18), Don Nelson (#19), Bill Sharman (#21), Ed Macauley (#22), Frank Ramsey (#23), Sam Jones (#24), K.C. Jones (#25), Cedric Maxwell (#31), Kevin McHale (#32), Larry Bird (#33), Paul Pierce (#34), Reggie Lewis (#35), Robert Parish (#00) and Jim Loscutoff (LOSCY).

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Kevin Garnett for earning this honor.

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the 50 of each major North American sports team.  We have a new one to unveil today, that of the Boston Celtics. 

Founded in 1946, the Boston Celtics are one of the original teams of the National Basketball Association, and one of the most successful.  Under the early guidance of Red Auerbach, and the on-court presence of Bill Russell and Bob Cousy, the Celtics became the first dynasty in the league.

As for all of our top 50 players in basketball we look at the following: 

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2. Traditional statistics and how they finished in the NBA.

3. Playoff accomplishments.

4. Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet.

Remember, this is ONLY based on what a player does on that particular team and not what he accomplished elsewhere and also note that we have placed an increased importance on the first two categories.

This list is updated up until the end of the 2018-19 Season.

The complete list can be found here, but as always we announce our top five in this article.  They are:

1. Bill Russell

2. Larry Bird

3. John Havlicek

4. Bob Cousy

5. Paul Pierce

We will continue our adjustments on our existing lists and will continue developing our new lists.  

Look for or All-Time Top 50 Indiana Pacers coming next!

As always we thank you for your support.

Dana Barros signed with the Celtics as a Free Agent the year after he was named an All-Star and the Most Improved Player of the Year Award with the Sixers.  With all due respect to Barros, the Celtics didn’t get that player, though the Point Guard did get a hometown player who gave them solid efficiency (16.4 PER) and a 10.1 PPG.  Barros' first two seasons in Boston would see him average 12.8 Points, and in his third year, his PER was 18.6.  He would leave Boston as part of a four-team trade but came back as an Assistant Coach in 2004 and would play in one game that year.

This one can be considered a little tricky.

When Kyrie Irving surprisingly requested a trade from Cleveland (to get away from LeBron, let's be honest!), Boston arguably stole him in the deal considering that the best player that they gave up, Isaiah Thomas was never the same after that hip injury that took him out during the previous playoffs.  Irving wanted to prove he could lead a powerhouse team, and he did…sort of.

Initially, it seemed that Jo Jo White arrived a year too late as after he was drafted, both Bill Russell and Sam Jones retired.   That was not the case as they would rebuild with White running the Point.  He wasn't alone as he had other stars with him such as Dave Cowens, John Havlicek, and Paul Silas.  White was an incredible ball-handler who would become the team's ironman competing in 488 straight games.  In his third season, he would start another significant streak as he was named to seven consecutive All-Star Games, which included a pair of Second Team All-NBA Selections.  Leading Boston to the NBA Championship in 1974, his best moment was two seasons later where he was the Finals MVP, capturing his second Championship Ring, punctuated by a 33 Point performance in a triple-overtime Game 5 win.