If He Played Today: John Havlicek

The late John Havlicek almost never dunked the ball, and there was no 3-point shot during his NBA stint. So basketball fans, particularly those that feel treys and jams are all there is to pro ball, may think the 6'5", 205-pound "Hondo" might not thrive in today's League.

That could not be more wrong. These accomplishments only tell part of the story:

8-Time Champ

Finals MVP (1974)

13-Time All-Star

8-Time All-Defensive (5X First Team, 3X Second team)

11-Time All-NBA (4X First Team, 7X Second Team)

Hall-of-Famer

"Jarrin' John" (as Johnny Most called him) was drafted both by the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Browns, but he put his energy into basketball, with Red Auerbach labeling him as "the guts of the team".

In the 1969-70 season, prior to the arrival of Dave Cowens, Havlicek led his team in the three major categories with 24.2 PPG, 7.6 RPG and 6.8 APG - all while logging 41.6 minutes per contest.

He bettered those numbers the next season with Cowens manning the center spot, averaging 45.4 MPG, 28.9 PPG, 9.0 RPG and 7.5 APG. Steals were not recorded until the 73-74 season, after which John averaged more than one steal per game - with Johnny Most's "Havlicek stole the ball" outcry being the single most-famous theft.

So yes, John Havlicek could play-and-star in today's game. Never flashy, he simply got the job done on both ends of the court - and he did it very, very well.

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