John Havlicek - Misplaced Pages

American basketball player (1940–2019)

John Havlicek
Personal information
Havlicek in the 1960s
Born	(1940-04-08)April 8, 1940 Martins Ferry, Ohio, U.S.
Died	April 25, 2019(2019-04-25) (aged 79) Jupiter, Florida, U.S.
Listed height	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Listed weight	203 lb (92 kg)
Career information
High school	Bridgeport (Bridgeport, Ohio)
College	Ohio State (1959–1962)
NBA draft	1962: 1st round, 7th overall pick
Selected by the Boston Celtics
Playing career	1962–1978
Position	Small forward / shooting guard
Number	17
Career history
1962–1978	Boston Celtics

Career highlights and awards
8× NBA champion (1963–1966, 1968, 1969, 1974, 1976) NBA Finals MVP (1974) 13× NBA All-Star (1966–1978) 4× All-NBA First Team (1971–1974) 7× All-NBA Second Team (1964, 1966, 1968–1970, 1975, 1976) 5× NBA All-Defensive First Team (1972–1976) 3× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1969–1971) NBA All-Rookie First Team (1963) NBA anniversary team (35th, 50th, 75th) No. 17 retired by Boston Celtics NCAA champion (1960) Consensus second-team All-American (1962) Third-team All-American – AP (1961) 2× First-team All-Big Ten (1961, 1962) No. 5 retired by Ohio State Buckeyes

Career statistics
Points	26,395 (20.8 ppg)
Rebounds	8,007 (6.3 rpg)
Assists	6,114 (4.8 apg)

Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball Reference

Basketball Hall of Fame
Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame

John Joseph Havlicek (often nicknamed Hondo) (/ˈhævlɪtʃɛk/ HAV-lih-chek; April 8, 1940 – April 25, 2019) was an American professional basketball player who spent his entire career with the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

A swingman, Havlicek played collegiate basketball for the Ohio State Buckeyes from 1959 to 1962, winning an NCAA championship in 1960. He was drafted by the Celtics in 1962 and played with the team until his retirement in 1978. A 13-time NBA All-Star, Havlicek was named to the All-NBA First Team four times and to the All-NBA Second Team seven times. He was also named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team on five occasions and to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team three times. Havlicek is known for his stamina and his hustle as well as his abilities.

During his career with the Celtics, Havlicek won eight NBA championships, and he is also one of three NBA players with an unsurpassed 8–0 record in NBA Finals series. He is known for stealing the ball to save the game–and the Celtics' playoff hopes–near the end of Game Seven in the 1965 Eastern Conference Finals. Havlicek served as captain of the Celtics from 1969 to 1978, and was named NBA Finals MVP in 1974. Following his retirement, his number 17 jersey was retired by the Celtics. Havlicek was inducted into Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1984.

Early life

Havlicek was born in Martins Ferry, Ohio, where his parents ran a general store. He was of Czech and Croatian descent, from his father and mother respectively. Havlicek was a three-sport athlete at Bridgeport High School in Bridgeport, Ohio, where he was a boyhood friend of Baseball Hall of Famer Phil Niekro.

Collegiate career

Havlicek played college basketball at Ohio State University with future seven-time NBA All-Star Jerry Lucas, who was his roommate, future first-round NBA draft pick Larry Siegfried, future coaching legend Bobby Knight, and Mel Nowell, among many others. The 1960 Ohio State Buckeyes, coached by head coach Fred Taylor and assistant coaches Jack Graf and Frank Truitt, won the 1960 NCAA title. Havlicek was named as an alternate of the 1960 United States national team that competed in the 1960 Summer Olympics.

Professional career

Boston Celtics (1962–1978)

Havlicek was drafted by the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Cleveland Pipers of the American Basketball League (ABL), and the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL) in 1962. However, after the Pipers failed in their bid to leave the ABL to join the NBA with Havlicek on that team due to him competing briefly as a wide receiver in the Browns' training camp that year, Havlicek focused his energies on playing for the Celtics going forward. A swingman who could play either guard or forward, he was known for his stamina, with competitors stating that it was a challenge just to keep up with him. Head coach Red Auerbach went on to call him "the guts of the team". Nicknamed "Hondo" (a nickname inspired by the 1953 movie of the same name starring John Wayne), Havlicek revolutionized the "sixth man" role in the NBA coming off the bench for the Celtics during his early years.

Havlicek was later immortalized for his clutch steal in the closing seconds of the 1965 Eastern Conference Finals. In the seventh and final game, played at Boston Garden on April 15, the Celtics led the Philadelphia 76ers 110–109 with five seconds left. They only needed to inbound the ball from underneath their basket to secure the victory and advance to the 1965 NBA Finals. However, Bill Russell's pass struck one of the basket's support wires hanging down from the ceiling, leading to a turnover that gave the 76ers and Wilt Chamberlain the ball and a chance to win the game. Hal Greer was set to throw the inbounds pass for the 76ers. Havlicek stood with his back to Greer, guarding Chet Walker. But as Greer's pass came inbounds, Havlicek spun, leaped, and tipped the pass to Sam Jones. Veteran referee Earl Strom, who wrote about the game in his memoir Calling the Shots, called Havlicek's reaction one of the greatest plays he ever saw in his 32 years as a professional official. Announcer Johnny Most's call of "Havlicek stole the ball!" was dubbed by the NBA as "the most famous radio call in basketball history."

Havlicek was a key player in the Celtics' dynasty during the 1960s. The team won NBA championships in six of his first seven NBA seasons.

In Game 5 of the 1968 Eastern Division Finals, Havlicek recorded a near triple-double with 29 points, nine rebounds, and 10 assists as the Celtics avoided elimination at the hands of the 76ers. He added a strong performance in Game Seven, recording 21 points, 12 rebounds, and eight assists in a 100–96 road win against the 76ers. In that series, the Celtics became the first NBA team to overcome a 3–1 playoff series deficit.

Havlicek became a full-time starter in the 1969–1970 season. He also became the Celtics' captain in 1969, and continued in that role until 1978. Havlicek "stood as the bridge from the Bill Russell era to the Celtics' next championship team". The Celtics won the 1974 NBA Championship, and Havlicek was named NBA Finals MVP.

With one second left in the second overtime of Game Five of the 1976 NBA Finals, Havlicek made a leaning, running bank shot that appeared to be the game-winner. Phoenix called an illegal timeout, resulting in a technical foul shot converted by Jo Jo White. However, Phoenix still had one final possession, and Gar Heard scored for Phoenix to tie the game. The Celtics went on to win in triple overtime. The game was hailed as the greatest NBA Finals game ever played.

Havlicek retired after the 1977–78 NBA season at age 38. In April 1978, The Sporting News stated: "The consensus is that Havlicek is still better than 80 percent of the players in the NBA".

Legacy

"'On stamina alone, he’d be among the top players who ever played the game,' longtime New York Knicks coach Red Holzman once said of John “Hondo” Havlicek. "'It would’ve been fair to those who had to play him or those who had to coach against him if he had been blessed only with his inhuman endurance. God had to compound it by making him a good scorer, smart ballhandler and intelligent defensive player with quickness of mind, hands and feet'".

Havlicek retired as a 13-time NBA All-Star, and his number 17 jersey was retired by the Celtics. At the time, Havlicek was the NBA career leader in games played (a mark surpassed in 1984 by Elvin Hayes) and was in third place on the list of all-time NBA leaders in points scored. Longtime Celtics teammate Bill Russell once described Havlicek as "'the best all-around ballplayer ever saw'". At the time of his death, Havlicek was the Celtics' all-time leading scorer with 26,395 points (20.8 points per game). He was also the first player to score 1,000 points in 16 consecutive seasons, with his best scoring season coming during the 1970–71 season, when he averaged 28.9 points per game. He was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team five times and was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team three times.

Havlicek finished his 16-year career with eight NBA championships. As of 2019, only Bill Russell (with 11) and Sam Jones (with 10)--both of whom were Celtics teammates of Havlicek's--had won more NBA championships than he had. Havlicek won all eight NBA Finals in which he participated.

In 1980, Havlicek was selected as one of the league's greatest players ever, being named to the NBA 35th Anniversary Team. In 1984, Havlicek became a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. In 1996, he was selected as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History by a panel of journalists, players, coaches, executives, and general managers. He was also named the 14th best player of all time in Bill Simmons's Book of Basketball. In October 2021, Havlicek was again honored as one of the league's greatest players of all time by being named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. To commemorate the NBA's 75th Anniversary, The Athletic published their own list of the top 75 players of all time, ranking Havlicek as the 29th-greatest player in NBA history.

In 1974, Havlicek received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement. In 2007, Bridgeport High School in his hometown renamed their gymnasium "John J. Havlicek Gymnasium". Fellow NBA Hall of Famer Chris Mullin wore number 17 as a tribute to Havlicek. In October 2022, Havlicek was inaugurated into the Croatian-American Sports Hall of Fame. In December 2022, the NBA named the newly redesigned trophy presented to the NBA Sixth Man of the Year the “John Havlicek Trophy” in his honor.

In addition to his on-court success, Havlicek was known for his character and for his commitment to placing the team ahead of his own individual achievements. Longtime Celtics coach Red Auerbach once said, "'If I ever had a son, I would want him to be like John Havlicek'".

Post-playing career

Havlicek was shrewd with his money during his playing career, and he invested much of this income in the Wendy's fast food chain during its formative years. The success of his investments left Havlicek with a comfortable income after retirement and he never had to work for a conventional salary again. He had no desire to coach; instead, he served as a corporate speaker.

Havlicek was a member of the board of the Genesis Foundation, which assists children with disabilities and genetic disorders. He and his wife Beth held the John Havlicek Celebrity Fishing Tournament for more than three decades, with proceeds going to the foundation.

Personal life

Havlicek met his wife, Beth, while both were attending Ohio State University. The couple married in 1967. They had two children: a son named Chris and a daughter named Jill. Chris Havlicek attended the University of Virginia on a basketball scholarship in the early 1990s. Jill Havlicek married former Major League Baseball outfielder and coach Brian Buchanan.

Havlicek had Parkinson's disease during his later years. He died on April 25, 2019, in Jupiter, Florida at the age of 79. Following his death, Boston City Hall was lit in green in his memory.

NBA career statistics

Legend
GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field goal percentage	3P%	3-point field goal percentage	FT%	Free throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game	Bold	Career high
†	Won an NBA championship	*	Led the league

Regular season


Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
1962–63†	Boston	80*	—	27.5	.445	—	.728	6.7	2.2	—	—	14.3
1963–64†	Boston	80	—	32.3	.417	—	.746	5.4	3.0	—	—	19.9
1964–65†	Boston	75	—	28.9	.401	—	.744	4.9	2.7	—	—	18.3
1965–66†	Boston	71	—	30.6	.399	—	.785	6.0	3.0	—	—	18.8
1966–67	Boston	81*	—	32.1	.444	—	.828	6.6	3.4	—	—	21.4
1967–68†	Boston	82	—	35.6	.429	—	.812	6.7	4.7	—	—	20.7
1968–69†	Boston	82	—	38.7	.405	—	.780	7.0	5.4	—	—	21.6
1969–70	Boston	81	—	41.6	.464	—	.844	7.8	6.8	—	—	24.2
1970–71	Boston	81	—	45.4*	.450	—	.818	9.0	7.5	—	—	28.9
1971–72	Boston	82	—	45.1*	.458	—	.834	8.2	7.5	—	—	27.5
1972–73	Boston	80	—	42.1	.450	—	.858	7.1	6.6	—	—	23.8
1973–74†	Boston	76	—	40.7	.456	—	.832	6.4	5.9	1.3	.4	22.6
1974–75	Boston	82	—	38.2	.455	—	.870	5.9	5.3	1.3	.2	19.2
1975–76†	Boston	76	—	34.2	.450	—	.844	4.1	3.7	1.3	.4	17.0
1976–77	Boston	79	—	36.9	.452	—	.816	4.8	5.1	1.1	.2	17.7
1977–78	Boston	82	—	34.1	.449	—	.855	4.0	4.0	1.1	.3	16.1
Career		1,270	—	36.6	.439	—	.815	6.3	4.8	1.2	.3	20.8
All-Star		13	10	23.3	.481	—	.756	3.5	2.6	.3	.0	13.8

Playoffs


Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
1963†	Boston	11	—	23.1	.448	—	.667	4.8	1.5	—	—	11.8
1964†	Boston	10	—	28.9	.384	—	.795	4.3	3.2	—	—	15.7
1965†	Boston	12	—	33.8	.352	—	.836	7.3	2.4	—	—	18.5
1966†	Boston	17	—	42.3	.409	—	.841	9.1	4.1	—	—	23.6
1967	Boston	9	—	36.7	.448	—	.803	8.1	3.1	—	—	27.4
1968†	Boston	19	—	45.4	.452	—	.828	8.6	7.5	—	—	25.9
1969†	Boston	18	—	47.2	.445	—	.855	9.9	5.6	—	—	25.4
1972	Boston	11	—	47.0	.460	—	.859	8.4	6.4	—	—	27.4
1973	Boston	12	—	39.9	.477	—	.824	5.2	5.4	—	—	23.8
1974†	Boston	18	—	45.1	.484	—	.881	6.4	6.0	1.3	.3	27.1
1975	Boston	11	—	42.2	.432	—	.868	5.2	4.6	1.5	.1	21.1
1976†	Boston	15	—	33.7	.444	—	.809	3.7	3.4	.8	.3	13.2
1977	Boston	9	—	41.7	.371	—	.820	5.4	6.9	.9	.4	18.3
Career		172	—	39.9	.436	—	.836	6.9	4.8	1.1	.3	22.0

References

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External links

Career statistics from NBA.com and Basketball Reference
Havlicek's Basketball Hall of Fame profile

Links to related articles

Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball 1959–60 NCAA champions

Head coach: Fred Taylor

Assistant coaches: Jack Graf; Frank Truitt

v t e 1962 NCAA Men's Basketball Consensus All-Americans
First Team	Len Chappell Terry Dischinger Jerry Lucas Bill McGill Chet Walker
Second Team	Jack Foley John Havlicek Art Heyman Cotton Nash John Rudometkin Rod Thorn

1961 Ohio State Buckeyes football—FWAA national champions

Head coach: Woody Hayes

Assistant coaches: Lyal Clark; Alan Fiers; Ernie Godfrey; Esco Sarkkinen; Bo Schembechler

v t e Cleveland Browns 1962 NFL draft selections
Gary Collins Leroy Jackson Chuck Hinton Sandy Stephens John Furman Stan Sczurek Hank Rivera Sam Tidmore John Havlicek Charley Dickerson Jerry Goerlitz Albert White Ronnie Myers Clifton McNeil Ted Stute Frank Gardner Jim Shorter Tom Goosby Bill Cummings Dennis Biodrowski Herbert Harlan Sonny Bishop John Anabo Paul Flatley

v t e 1962 NBA draft
Territorial pick	Dave DeBusschere Jerry Lucas
First round	Bill McGill Paul Hogue Zelmo Beaty Len Chappell Wayne Hightower LeRoy Ellis John Havlicek
Second round	Terry Dischinger John Rudometkin Bob Duffy Kevin Loughery Chet Walker Bud Olsen Hubie White Gene Wiley Jack Foley

v t e Boston Celtics
Founded in 1946 Based in Boston, Massachusetts
Franchise	History All-time roster Draft history Accomplishments and records Head coaches Seasons Current season
Arenas	Boston Arena Boston Garden Hartford Civic Center TD Garden
Personnel	Owner(s) Boston Basketball Partners President Rich Gotham General manager Brad Stevens Head coach Joe Mazzulla
G League affiliate	Maine Celtics
Retired numbers	00 1 2 3 5 6 10 14 15 16 17 18 19 21 22 23 24 25 31 32 33 34 35 LOSCY MIC
NBA championships	1957 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1968 1969 1974 1976 1981 1984 1986 2008 2024
Rivalries	Detroit Pistons Los Angeles Lakers Miami Heat New York Knicks Philadelphia 76ers
Culture and lore	Broadcasters Radio network Celtic Pride Celtics/Lakers: Best of Enemies Lakers versus Celtics and the NBA Playoffs Mike Gorman Johnny Most "Havlicek stole the ball" 1961 Boston Celtics boycott Auerbach Center North Station The Sports Museum of New England Reebok Pro Summer League Newhart Uncut Gems Extended Family Starting 5 Jaylen Brown & Jayson Tatum
Category Commons

v t e Boston Celtics 1962–63 NBA champions
4 Lovellette 6 Russell 12 Swartz 14 Cousy 15 Heinsohn 16 Sanders 17 Havlicek 18 Loscutoff 20 Guarilia 23 Ramsey 24 S. Jones 25 K. Jones
Head coach: Auerbach
Regular season Playoffs

v t e Boston Celtics 1963–64 NBA champions
4 Lovellette 6 Russell 12 Naulls 15 Heinsohn 16 Sanders 17 Havlicek 18 Loscutoff 20 Siegfried 21 McCarthy 23 Ramsey 24 S. Jones 25 K. Jones
Head coach: Auerbach
Regular season Playoffs

v t e Boston Celtics 1964–65 NBA champions
6 Russell 11 Counts 12 Naulls 15 Heinsohn 16 Sanders 17 Havlicek 18 Thompson 20 Siegfried 21 Bonham 24 S. Jones 25 K. Jones
Head coach: Auerbach
Regular season Playoffs

v t e Boston Celtics 1965–66 NBA champions
5 Thompson 6 Russell 11 Counts 12 Naulls 14 Watts 16 Sanders 17 Havlicek 18 Sauldsberry 19 Nelson 20 Siegfried 21 Bonham 24 S. Jones 25 K. Jones
Head coach: Auerbach
Regular season Playoffs

v t e Boston Celtics 1967–68 NBA champions
6 Russell 11 Graham 12 Thacker 16 Sanders 17 Havlicek 18 Howell 19 Nelson 20 Siegfried 24 S. Jones 26 Weitzman 27 J. Jones 28 Embry
Head coach: Russell
Regular season Playoffs

v t e Boston Celtics 1968–69 NBA champions
6 Russell 7 Bryant 11 Graham 12 Chaney 16 Sanders 17 Havlicek 18 Howell 19 Nelson 20 Siegfried 24 Jones 26 Johnson 28 Barnes
Head coach: Russell
Regular season Playoffs

v t e Boston Celtics 1973–74 NBA champions
7 Williams 10 White 11 Kuberski 12 Chaney 17 Havlicek (Finals MVP) 18 Cowens 19 Nelson 20 Hankinson 29 Finkel 32 Downing 35 Silas 44 Westphal
Head coach: Heinsohn
Assistant coach: Killilea
Regular season Playoffs

v t e Boston Celtics 1975–76 NBA champions
10 White (Finals MVP) 11 Scott 17 Havlicek 18 Cowens 19 Nelson 27 Stacom 30 McDonald 31 Boswell 33 Kuberski 34 Ard 35 Silas 42 Anderson
Head coach: Heinsohn Assistant coach: Killilea
Regular season Playoffs

v t e Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 1984
Players	John Havlicek Sam Jones
Coaches	Jack Gardner
Contributors	Cliff Fagan Ed Steitz

Members of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

Players

Guards	R. Allen Archibald Barnett Beckman Belov Billups Bing Blazejowski Borgmann Braun Brennan Bryant Carter Cervi Cheeks Clayton Cooper-Dyke Cousy Dampier Davies Drexler Dumars Edwards Endacott Frazier Friedman Galis Gervin Ginóbili Goodrich Greer Grentz Guerin Hammon Hanson Hardaway Haynes Holman Hyatt Isaacs Iverson Jeannette Jenkins D. Johnson M. Johnson K. Jones S. Jones Jordan Kidd Lieberman Maravich Marcari Marčiulionis Martin McDermott McGrady D. McGuire Meyers R. Miller Moncrief Monroe Moore C. Murphy Nash Page Parker Payton Petrović Phillip Posey Richmond Robertson Rodgers Roosma J. Russell Schommer Scott Sedran Sharman K. Smith Staley Steinmetz Stockton Swoopes Thomas D. Thompson Timms Vandivier Wade Wanzer Weatherspoon West Westphal Whalen J. White Wilkens Woodard Wooden
Forwards	Arizin Augustus Barkley Barry Baylor Bird Bosh Boswell Bradley R. Brown Cash Catchings C. Cooper M. Cooper Cunningham Curry Dalipagić Dandridge Dantley Davis DeBusschere Dehnert Duncan English Erving Foster Fulks Gale Garnett Gasol Gates Gola Hagan Havlicek Hawkins Hayes Haywood Heinsohn Hill Howell Hudson L. Jackson G. Johnson B. Jones King Korać Kukoč Lucas Luisetti K. Malone McClain B. McCracken J. McCracken McGinnis McHale Mikkelsen C. Miller Mullin Nowitzki Pettit Pierce Pippen Pollard Pullins Radja Ramsey Rodman Schayes E. Schmidt O. Schmidt Stokes C. Thompson T. Thompson Twyman Walker Webber N. White Wilkes Wilkins Worthy Yardley
Centers	Abdul-Jabbar Barlow Beaty Bellamy Chamberlain T. Cooper Ćosić Cowens Crawford Daniels DeBernardi Divac Donovan Ewing Gallatin Gilmore Griffith Gruenig Harris-Stewart Houbregs Issel Jackson W. Johnson Johnston M. Krause Kurland Lanier Leslie Lovellette Lapchick Macauley Maciel M. Malone McAdoo Meneghin Mikan Mourning S. Murphy Mutombo Olajuwon O'Neal Parish Reed Risen Robinson B. Russell Sabonis Sampson Semjonova Sikma Thurmond Unseld Wachter Wallace Walton Washington Yao

v t e NBA 35th Anniversary Team
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Elgin Baylor Wilt Chamberlain Bob Cousy Julius Erving John Havlicek George Mikan Bob Pettit Oscar Robertson Bill Russell Jerry West

NBA 50th Anniversary Team

NBA 75th Anniversary Team

NBA Finals Most Valuable Player

1969: West
1970: Reed
1971: Alcindor
1972: Chamberlain
1973: Reed
1974: Havlicek
1975: Barry
1976: White
1977: Walton
1978: Unseld
1979: D. Johnson
1980: M. Johnson
1981: Maxwell
1982: M. Johnson
1983: Malone
1984: Bird
1985: Abdul-Jabbar
1986: Bird
1987: M. Johnson
1988: Worthy
1989: Dumars
1990: Thomas
1991: Jordan
1992: Jordan
1993: Jordan
1994: Olajuwon
1995: Olajuwon
1996: Jordan
1997: Jordan
1998: Jordan
1999: Duncan
2000: O'Neal
2001: O'Neal
2002: O'Neal
2003: Duncan
2004: Billups
2005: Duncan
2006: Wade
2007: Parker
2008: Pierce
2009: Bryant
2010: Bryant
2011: Nowitzki
2012: James
2013: James
2014: Leonard
2015: Iguodala
2016: James
2017: Durant
2018: Durant
2019: Leonard
2020: James
2021: Antetokounmpo
2022: Curry
2023: Jokić
2024: Brown

NBA on CBS

Related programs

Commentators

Key figures

Play-by-play	Gary Bender Tim Brant Bob Costas Don Criqui Eddie Doucette Frank Glieber Greg Gumbel Jim Kelly Verne Lundquist Brent Musburger Andy Musser Jim Nantz Mike Patrick Don Robertson Dick Stockton Pat Summerall
Color commentators	John Andariese Rick Barry Hubie Brown Elgin Baylor James Brown Quinn Buckner Doug Collins Billy Cunningham Terry Dischinger Len Elmore Keith Erickson John Havlicek Tom Heinsohn Rod Hundley Gus Johnson Steve Jones Sonny Jurgensen Stu Lantz Kevin Loughery Pete Maravich Jon McGlocklin Dick Motta Jeff Mullins Billy Packer Bill Raftery Cal Ramsey Oscar Robertson Mendy Rudolph Bill Russell Cazzie Russell Lynn Shackelford Larry Steele Lenny Wilkens
Sideline reporters	Charlsie Cantey Jane Chastain Irv Cross Jim Gray Sonny Hill Dan Jiggetts Andrea Joyce Pat O'Brien Lesley Visser

NBA Finals

All-Star Game

Lore

Rivalries	Bulls–Cavaliers Bulls–Pistons Celtics–Lakers Celtics–Pistons Lakers–Pistons 76ers–Celtics rivalry

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