It was a somber Thursday evening as Celtics legend John Havlicek passed away at the age of 79.
On top of being an eight-time NBA champion and a Finals MVP, Havlicek made an especially large impact on both his peers and fans with his character. As news spread of Hondo's passing, the tributes poured in for the Hall-of-Famer. Here are a few. . .
Tommy Heinsohn
Tommy Heinsohn on John Havlicek: "He's still the all-time leading scorer, isn't he, with the Celtics? And justifiably so. He gets lost in the brouhaha over the [eras around him]… He became a total star." — Chris Forsberg (@ChrisForsberg_) April 26, 2019
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Mike Gorman
I cannot come up with words to describe what we lost with the passing of John Havlicek. I can only assure you that everything you hear or read about what a genuinely good man he was is true. He was what we hope our heroes can be. @nba @celtics — Mike Gorman (@celticsvoice) April 26, 2019
Tom E. Curran
The first NBA superstar I ever was aware of was John Havlicek. Drafted as a DB by the Cleveland Browns and by the Celtics out of Ohio State, he played until he was 38. He was a machine. One of the rare players from that era who probably could play some in this one. pic.twitter.com/4g4j4C06zN — Tom E. Curran (@tomecurran) April 26, 2019
David Aldridge
Very sad news. Mr. Havlicek was a gentleman in every interaction, and he was one of the greatest Celtics ever. https://t.co/s2HQC590YY — David Aldridge (@davidaldridgedc) April 26, 2019
Jamal Crawford
RIP to the great John Havlicek. Prayers to his family. — �� Jamal Crawford (@JCrossover) April 26, 2019
Jay Bilas
RIP to one of the game's greatest players, former Ohio State and Boston Celtics great John Havlicek. Hondo could run all day, and was among the classiest people in basketball. John Havlicek was unforgettable. pic.twitter.com/VYdgbt1Ttg — Jay Bilas (@JayBilas) April 26, 2019
Justin Termine
John Havlicek:
- 8-0 in Finals.
- 1974 Finals MVP
- 11 All-NBA Teams
- 5 All-Def Teams (didn't exist first 6 yrs of career)
- Most famous steal in NBA History
- Most well conditioned player in NBA History
- Best 6th man ever
Absolute legend. — Justin Termine (@TermineRadio) April 26, 2019
Ian Browne
RIP to John Havlicek, one of the best Celtics of them all. Despite the legendary steal, he still didn't get quite the hype he deserved because he was overshadowed by a pantheon of other legends. — Ian Browne (@IanMBrowne) April 26, 2019
Tommy Beer
R.I.P the great John Havlicek.
One of the most underrated players in league history.
Consider this:
Only two players in NBA history have scored at least 26,000 career points, grabbed at least 8,000 rebounds and dished out at least 6,000 assists:
LeBron James and John Havlicek — Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer) April 26, 2019
Charles P. Pierce
John Havlicek was a giant. The perpetual motion machine. And as great a gentleman as ever was.#RIP #Hondo — Charles P. Pierce (@CharlesPPierce) April 26, 2019
Alex English
Just saw that one of my childhood idols John Havlicek has passed. One of the greatest small forwards ever. I patterned my movement after him. #RIPJohnHavlicek #legend — Alex English (@AlexEnglish_2) April 26, 2019
Donnie Wahlberg
Rest in peace John Havlicek. @celtics nation will miss you. #RIPHondo ☘️������ — Donnie Wahlberg (@DonnieWahlberg) April 26, 2019
Forever a Celtic. Rest in peace, John Havlicek. ☘️ pic.twitter.com/1wIxf642Zm — NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) April 26, 2019
Mike Zarren
You grow up hearing about these giants of the game and expect them to be distant god-like figures who occasionally appear and dispense wisdom. Then you're lucky enough to meet #17 and he's quiet, inquisitive, humble, endlessly positive, and so friendly. Just a special human. ��☘️ — Mike Zarren (@mikezarren) April 26, 2019
Adam Silver
NBA commissioner Adam Silver on the passing of John Havlicek: "John's passion and energy endeared him to basketball fans and made him a model for generations of NBA players." pic.twitter.com/D54ocmpfXP — Chris Forsberg (@ChrisForsberg_) April 26, 2019
Bill Russell
It is getting difficult each time I hear about another contemporary that passes! What is harder is when we lose guys like John Havlicek, he was not just a teammate & a great guy, but he was family. That is how our @celtics teams were. #RIP Hondo @NBA #RIPJohnHavlicek @NBAonTNT pic.twitter.com/VP9MGPjrmZ — TheBillRussell (@RealBillRussell) April 26, 2019
Ray Allen
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