J-Speaks: One Loss And A Near Loss In Celtics' Family

On Friday night, the Celtics began their home portion of their Eastern Conference Semifinals tilt against the No. 1 Seeded Milwaukee Bucks in the wake of the passing of legendary player of their franchise and a serious health scare by their leader in the front office. 

On Apr. 25 Hall of Famer John “Hondo” Havlicek passed away after a short battle with Parkinson’s disease in Jupiter, FL. He was 79 years old and is survived by his wife Beth, and children Chris and Jill, who is married to former MLB outfielder Brian Buchanan. 

John’s wife Beth, who she was married to for 52 years said of her now late husband, “It is with deep sadness that I, along with our son Chris, daughter Jill, and seven grandchildren, announce the passing of our beloved husband, father and grandfather, John Havlicek. John was a proud man of integrity, moral character, and kindness, and was the Captain of our team.” 

“The entire Havlicek Family thanks you for your compassion during his valiant battle with Parkinson’s Disease. We would also like to thank the many dear friends and fans for the immeasurable support, respect and love they continue to give to Number 17.” 

That love was also shown by the current Celtics squad Friday night as they wore black warmup short sleeve shirts with a No. 17 in green honoring Mr. Havlicek. 

There was also a moment of silence for him prior to tip-off of the Celtics 123-116 loss in Game 3 on ESPN, to fall behind 2-1 in the postseason series. At the first timeout of the contest, a highlight video was shown on the jumbotron of Havlicek story career, which concluded with a spotlight shined on his retired No. 17 banner hanging in the rafters of TD Garden. 

Among the moments from that highlight video included his famous steal of the late great Hal Greer’s inbounds pass that got the Celtics passed the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1965 Eastern Conference Finals.

The longtime gravel-voice of the Celtics on the radio Johnny Most call of that steal 54 years ago, “Havlicek stole the ball! Havlicek stole the ball! It’s all over! It’s all over!”-was the icing on the cake on one of the most enduring plays in the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA). 

In a statement, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said of the Hall of Famer, eight-time NBA champion with the C’s and voted one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA history back in 1997, “John Havlicek was wonderful friend who represented the best of the NBA…A trusted teammate who prioritized winning, John’s passion and energy endeared him to basketball fans and made him a model for generations of NBA players.” 

In his 16 seasons with the Celtics, Havlicek along with helping the Celtics win eight of their 17 NBA titles, winning Finals MVP in 1974 compiled a career resume that consisted of 1,270 regular-season games played, scoring 26,395 points, which was at the time of his retirement No. 3 on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. Havlicek averaged 20.8 points for his career. He also grabbed 8,007 career rebounds; registered 6,114 assists; was an 11-time All-NBA selection, with five of those having him on the First Team; earned eight NBA All-Defensive First or Second Team selections; and was selected as an All-Star 13 times. His No. 17, which was raised to the rafters in the old Boston Garden shortly after he retired in 1978 now resides alongside the other 21 retired numbers.  

Nicknamed “Hondo” because of his resemblance of the late great actor John Wayne, Havlicek was drafted in the First-Round of the 1962 NBA Draft by Celtics out of Ohio State joining a star studded Celtics lineup of Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, K.C. Jones, Sam Jones, Tom Sanders, now Celtics color and part-time studio analyst for NBC Sports Boston Tommy Heinsohn, Dave Cowens, Jo Jo White, and Frank Ramsey. 

Five days after losing one proud member of their franchise, Celtics President Danny Ainge, who helped the team two of their NBA record 17 Larry O’Brien trophies back in the 1980s had a mild heart attack. 

The 60-year-old Ainge received immediate medical attention last Tuesday evening in Milwaukee, WI according to a statement by the organization last Thursday and is expected to make a full recovery. 

Ainge's son Austin via a tweet @coachainge said, "In the wee hours at the hospital, after learning my dad was okay, I was brought to tears thinking of how many people went above and beyond to help my dad &family. The medical staff and Celtics family did so much to help and make sure he was ok. We are so grateful. Thank you!" 

Ainge, who also had a minor heart attack back in 2009 was scheduled to return back to Boston, MA that evening, according to “The Athletic’s” Shams Charania. 

The Celtics lost Game 2 at the Bucks 123-102 that night on TNT to even the best-of-seven Semifinals series at 1-1.  

The former Celtic, who also played parts of his 14-year playing career in “The Association” with the Sacramento Kings, Portland Trail Blazers and Phoenix Suns was active and walking around just a shade over 48 hours after the mild heart attack he endured and is doing a lot better according to Charania. 

Team Head Coach Brad Stevens said after the team’s practice last Thursday that he frequently contacted with Ainge’s family and said they all were doing well. 

“He’s resting well and feeling better,” Stevens said. “You know, obviously always scary but he’s got a good support network. Obviously, you expect a full recovery and he’s feeling good. So, that’s all positive, but certainly scary.” 

Coach Stevens added, “To me, he’s a friend and the family’s been so good to us. So, you don’t even think about anything else. You just want him to be comfortable and feeling great, getting better, that it’s a good prognosis.” 

The loss of Mr. Havlicek and the possible loss of Ainge puts things into perspective, especially at this time of the year for an NBA team where the main goal is to continue to advance and possibly be at the door step of winning a title. At the end of the day though, it is just a game and a life is more precious than just one game. 

No one understands this better than the Celtics longest tenured player in perimeter defensive ace Marcus Smart, who has been on the shelf since late in the regular-season after serious injuring an oblique muscle. 

The fifth-year veteran out of Oklahoma State is very close with Ainge, who was right there as comfort and support after his mother Camellia Smart who was diagnosed and eventually passed away from cancer a year ago. 

“Danny is just one of those guys. He takes time out of his life and his day, whatever he’s doing and his schedule, to make sure you’re all right,” Smart said last week. “He constantly checks in on my family and everything like that. Just personally for me he’s been like another mentor to me.”

“From when I first got here Danny was that person, I seen every day…He means a lot to my life as well. I just hope he makes a speedy recovery.” 

Along with winning two NBA championships alongside Hall of Famers Larry Bird and now NBATV studio analyst and NBA on TNT color analyst Kevin McHale and Robert “The Chief” Parrish, Ainge played both basketball and baseball for the BYU Cougars. In 1981, Ainge received the Wooden Award as the top collegiate basketball player in the nation. 

Before his aforementioned 14-year NBA career, Ainge played parts of three seasons with MLB’s Toronto Blue Jays, where he batted .269. 

Following his retirement from basketball following the 1994-95 NBA campaign, Ainge served as a color commentator for the NBA on TNT. He then coached the Suns for three-plus seasons from 1996-99 but resigned suddenly, citing needing to spend more time with his family. 

In 2003, Ainge came back to the organization where his professional basketball journey as a player began being hired as the Celtics Executive Director of Basketball Operations, where he has been ever since. 

Five years into his position, Ainge was named NBA Executive of the Year in 2008 after he engineered trades for perennial All-Star 2004 Kia MVP and future Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett and recent inductee in Springfield, MA last year Ray Allen, the all-time leader in three-pointers made. Garnett and Allen alongside fellow future Hall of Famer and current ESPN NBA studio analyst Paul Pierce led them to their previously mentioned 17^th NBA title defeating the rival Los Angeles Lakers in six games in the 2008 Finals. 

The one thing that Ainge and the now late Mr. Havlicek understood about this time of the year was it was about winning championships, which they both did. 

As the late great Hall of Fame coach and executive of the Celtics Red Auerbach once said, “The Boston Celtics are not a team, they are a way of life.” He added, “And no one personified the Celtic way more than Havlicek.”  

Ainge did it in the 1980s as mentioned with the C’s twice and Havlicek did it in his first six seasons with the team, following him leading the Buckeyes to a title as a collegiate just two years earlier. 

As the likes of Russell, Cousey, the Jones brothers-no relation and Heinsohn gradually retired, Havlicek became the leader of the team, and went from Sixth Man, which he thrived in to a starter. With White and Cowens alongside, the Celtics won titles in 1974, where as mentioned Havlicek won MVP and 1976. 

Via Twitter, Mr. Russell posted two weeks ago about his former teammate Havlicek, “It is getting difficult each time I hear about another contemporary that passes! What is harder is when we lose guys like 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.”  

Like Ainge, Havlicek was also multiple sport athlete, where he turned his love to run as a boy into excelling at basketball, baseball, and football at Bridgeport High School in Bridgeport, OH. 

When the child of Czechoslovakian immigrants, who was born and raised in small town Martin Ferry, OH decided to go to Ohio State, he decided to not play football. While he did play baseball for the Buckeyes, batting over .400 in his freshmen season he focused on basketball and he was remarkable at it. 

Havlicek averaged 14.6 points in his three seasons playing alongside future NBAers in Jerry Lucas and eventual teammate with the Celtics Larry Siegfried and future Hall of Fame coach Bobby Knight. 

After helping the Buckeyes win it all as a sophomore in 1960, beating the University of California 75-55, Havlicek help guide them to Big Ten titles and to the NCAA title game in his junior and senior seasons but lost to the University of Cincinnati both times. 

In his three seasons at Ohio State, Havlicek and his squad compiled an incredible 78-6 record. 

The All-State selection in all three sports at Bridgeport High was not selected chosen by both the Celtics in 1962, but also by the NFL’s Cleveland Browns in the seventh round. He played in several exhibition games that summer before being cut in favor of eventual All-Pro Gary Collins. 

Following his retirement from the Celtics, Havlicek remained in “Beantown” managing his investments, and later split time between New England and Jupiter, FL, occasionally returning to Ohio State for reunions of that 1960 title team and Celtics events. Along with his No. 17 being retired by the C’s, his Buckeye number was retired during a ceremony back in the 2004-05 season.

In the span of two weeks, the Boston Celtics lost one of the greatest players in their storied history and nearly not just another important part of their championship fabric on the floor and in the front office. Hall of Famer John Havlicek and Danny Ainge are not just revered for what they did on the hardwood, but the kind of family men, teammates, friends, and confidants they were to many off of it. They had a way of connecting with anyone they came into contact with or watched them from a far. 

One family is in mourning with their loss in the John Havlicek and one might have very close to seeing his life end but is recovering and will be able to continue living and having an impact on others in Danny Ainge.

Information, statistics, and quotations are courtesy of 4/25/19 www.nba.com story via Twitter and media reports, “Boston Celtics Legend John Havlicek dies at 79;” 4/26/19 10 p.m. Game 6 First-Round “Golden State Warriors versus Los Angeles Clippers,” on ESPN, presented by Mountain Dew with Mike Breen, Mark Jackson, Jeff Van Gundy, and Doris Burke; 4/27/19 10 a.m. news crawl during edition of NBATV’s “Gametime,” presented by State Farm with Casey Stern, Steve Smith, and Billy King; 5/2/19 3 p.m. edition of “NBA: The Jump” on ESPN with Rachel Nichols, Jackie MacMullan and Tracy McGrady; 5/2/19 www.nba.com story via Twitter and media reports “Celtics’ Ainge Recovering From Mild Heart Attack;” 5/3/19 9 a.m. edition of NBATV's "Gametime," with Matt Winer, Isiah Thomas, Jason Terry, and Grant Hill;  https://www.nba.com/games/20190503/MILBOS#/recap; https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_Celtics; https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Allen#Honors; https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danny_Ainge; and https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Havlicek.