Hondo can finally take an exhale

(Bill Russell, Red Auerbach and John Havlicek/AP file)

John Havlicek, one of the great players of the 1960s and ‘70s, who Bill Russell once called the greatest all-around player he had ever seen, died on Thursday at the age of 79. 

Havlicek, or Hondo, went eight-for-eight in the NBA Finals, bridging the Russell era of the late ‘60s and the Havlicek-Cowens era of the mid-’70s. 

He still holds the Celtics’ franchise record for points (26,395), despite never playing with a 3-point line, and was known as a pioneer of the sixth-man role and for almost never missing a game.

He retired the NBA’s all-time leader in games (1,270) and only missed 30 regular season contests; he averaged just under 40 minutes for his playoff career; he averaged 47.2 minutes per game throughout the 1969 playoffs; he spawned one of the sport’s most famous radio calls; he was Russell’s lead assistant when both were still playing; he ran and ran and ran on the court, and, it turned out, actually had abnormally large lungs; he played at Ohio State with Bob Knight; and he lived an excessively interesting life for someone born into Ohio rurality. 

READING

• Bill Simmons’ memory of Hondo’s last game (from 2007)

• Bob Cousy and the Celtics family have lost a great friend in John Havlicek

• Will McDonough’s game story from the night “Havlicek stole the ball”

LISTENING

• Tommy Heinsohn on Hondo on NBCSN

• Bill Simmons and his dad on his podcast 

• Bob Ryan on WBUR
  

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