Who made the list of the top 5 Boston Celtics players of the century?
The Boston Celtics are the most storied franchise in all of basketball, bar none. Picking a top 5 list of all-time Boston Celtics is an impossible challenge – how do you pick between Bill Russell and Larry Bird? Between Bob Cousy and John Havlicek?
Any sort of ranking like this is arbitrary. Measuring “greatness,” as ambiguous a concept as there is, is not an exact science. For a franchise as legendary as this one, whose greatness spans so many different eras, how do you even begin to separate who belongs in a top 5 list?
So, while that conversation is certainly valuable, this is going to be a different exercise. In this article, we rank the top players of this century. This exercise allows us to reflect on the legacies of more recent Celtics players who might not get a moment in the spotlight in a broader survey.
How do you separate the contributions of Rajon Rondo, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce to the 2008 championship team? Did Isaiah Thomas do enough to earn a place in the discussion? How do you value contributions to those losing teams of the early 2000s?
Does anybody on the current team deserve a spot on the list? While it’s largely a team of new faces and they haven’t won much yet, there is a case to be made that this is the most talented team Boston has put on the court this century. They have a serious shot to win a championship this year – that’s saying something when their opponent from the bay might be the best NBA team of all time. Does that count for something?
These are the questions this list is going to address. You don’t have to agree (sound off in the comments either way). Hopefully, this will inspire some debate about the more recent heroes of Celtics lore.
Honorable Mention: Ray Allen
Oh, Ray Ray.
We want to celebrate you. And you deserve to be celebrated.
For goodness’ sake, the 2008 Boston Celtics would not have a championship without Ray Allen. He came to Boston at the peak of his powers, and sacrificed significantly to become the player Boston needed him to be.
And so what if he made his living just running off screens and shooting? Allen was never below the 87th percentile among wings in points per shot attempt in his time in Boston, and was in the 97th percentile or higher in three seasons, per Cleaning the Glass. That’s a crazy level of efficiency. That shooting unlocked a lot for a Boston Celtics offense that jumped from 28th the year before Allen arrived to 9th with him.
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What a shame it is, then, that Googling Ray Allen nowadays just leads to a never-ending tsunami of drama.
Allen felt he was getting frozen out during that last season, and didn’t like the way the coaching staff handled it. Rajon Rondo is mad that Allen joined the Miami Heat, the team the Celtics were at war with. Paul Pierce was hurt that Allen didn’t give him a heads up about his free agency decision after years of forming a brotherhood, and called Allen out for not attending ex-teammates charity events. Kevin Garnett has thrown around the phrases “loyalty” and “moving on” when talking about him. It all smacks of reality show-esque drama and it’s a crying shame.
Allen ultimately just misses this list, and it’s painful to leave him out. His work ethic was legendary, and he was a giant contributor on that championship team. But it’s just tough, because a list like this is ultimately grading players’ legacies, and the narrative surrounding Allen’s legacy is just so muddled. As much as we want to evaluate greatness solely based off a player’s on-court contributions, don’t you have to factor in the fact that the entire rest of that championship team wants nothing to do with him? Don’t you factor in him helping your enemy defeat you, at least to some extent?
Even if you don’t ding Allen for not being beloved, you’re kind of dinging him by elevating other players Boston has more love for (which is a totally natural thing to do). It sucks to do. It feels like betrayal. But in the subjective world of defining “greatness,” these are the kind of choices that have to be made. That’s the way it will be until something breaks and the love is put back into this relationship.
No. 5: Isaiah Thomas
Let’s get controversial, right from the get go! Isaiah Thomas over Ray Allen, yes, we went there! Only on Chowder and Champions, folks. Buy a mug.
Look, I get why this is going to ruffle some feathers. Allen was on the team for five seasons and brought Boston a championship; Thomas was here for two and a quarter seasons, and his teams never had a shot at a trophy. On face value, this is bonkers. But indulge me, if you will. Let’s reminisce about Thomas’s time with the Boston Celtics.
Let’s not forget where Boston came from. A few short years ago, the Celtics had no clear post-championship-team path. Were they going to build around Rondo and Jeff Green? (Good call there, Danny Ainge, good call). Were they going to go into a painful rebuild, like the Philadelphia 76ers?
Luckily, the Celtics only dwelled in the cellar for one year. Avery Bradley emerged as a reliable shooter and a defensive menace; Jae Crowder and Marcus Smart brought an edge of toughness. And then, of course, there was Isaiah Thomas, whose emergence propelled the Celtics back to the playoffs. In his 30 PPG season, Boston marched all the way through to the Eastern Conference Finals, getting back there way ahead of any reasonable timeline for the franchise.
In his short time with the team, Thomas grew from exciting sixth man to reliable spark plug to offensive catalyst to MVP candidate. But Isaiah Thomas did more than accumulate stats, more than bring the Celtics back to the playoffs. He brought magic back to the Garden. The “King of the Fourth” always seemed to have a dagger in his pocket, and his finishes around the rim were often flat-out unfathomable.
The Celtics formed their entire identity around Thomas. They were a scrappy squad of overachievers who won thanks to unmatched effort and some magic from The Little Guy. They managed to feel like an underdog even as they marched to the top seed in the conference.
Look at this quote from Thomas’s article on The Players’ Tribune. He was reflecting on the show of support from the Celtics crowd when he played just hours after the death of his sister, Chyna.
"I can’t even describe it. The applause that I got, I can still hear it. People had these signs they made, and I can still see them: THIS IS FOR CHYNA. WE <3 ISAIAH. That sort of thing. Then they did a moment of silence, the whole arena, in Chyna’s honor. And it was like … man. I just realized, in that moment, that I didn’t need the court to shield me. I didn’t need to block it all out, and pretend I wasn’t grieving. I didn’t have to be alone in this. The whole arena was right there with me. Honestly, it felt like the whole city of Boston was with me… And at that point, you know, I think it just kind of hit me, like — of course I’ve gotta play. First of all, I’m going to do it for Chyna, and for my family. But then I’m also going to do it for my city. ’Cause what they’re showing me right now, is all I needed tonight: to know I’m not alone."
In his very first game for the Celtics, he received two technical fouls; an automatic ejection. That was his first game. If that’s not a Celtics player right there, I don’t know what is.
And then this quote is just utterly heartbreaking.
"I’ll never be Tom Brady now. And I’ll never be David Ortiz. I’ll never be Bill Russell, or Paul Pierce, or Kevin Garnett, or Larry Bird. But whether I would have without this trade, or I wouldn’t have — I still like to imagine one thing. I like to imagine that sometime not long from now, somewhere in Boston, someone is going to be a parent, talking basketball to their kid. And their kid is going to ask them, point-blank like kids do, you know, “Yo — why you become a Celtics fan?” And that parent, man, they’re going to think back to themselves — really think on it. And then they’re going to smile, and tell the truth. “I saw Isaiah Thomas play.” That would make me very happy. For me, I think, that’d be enough."
Thomas became a beloved Boston Celtics icon in his (cough) short time here, and he loved the city right back. More importantly, he brought the Celtics to the Conference Finals. That Conference Finals berth re-legitimized the franchise, and probably helped seal the deal in the Gordon Hayward pursuit.
He singlehandedly made a trip to the Garden exciting again. While his time here ended far too soon, The Little Guy is not going to be forgotten.
No. 4: Antoine Walker
People forget just how great Antoine Walker was.
The Boston Celtics were not a serious team when they drafted Walker sixth overall in 1996 (in a draft that included Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, and Allen Iverson). After years of contending for championships, the Celtics won 48, 32, 35, and 33 wins in the seasons following Larry Bird’s retirement. In the 1995-1996 season, the Celtics had the 17th ranked offense and the 22nd ranked defense.
Antoine Walker didn’t turn things around – at least not right away. The Celtics won 15 games the next year with a -6.8 net rating. What he did, instead, was give a fanbase (one still reeling from Larry Bird walking out that door) a star to root for.
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Walker put up 17.5 points per game in his rookie year and earned a selection to the All-Rookie team. Rick Pitino didn’t contribute much to the franchise (outside of an infamous rant), but one thing he did accomplish? Unlocking Walker – he helped his former college player to a 22 PPG, 10 RPG second season that earned him an All-Star appearance. He would be an All-Star twice more in his Celtics tenure, including one appearance as an All-Star starter.
Imagining Walker in a modern offense is a fascinating thought exercise. He was a 6’9 forward who could dribble, shoot the three, and pass like a guard. His basic assist numbers aren’t impressive, but his assist percentage was phenomenal for a non-guard at the time. His defense is rarely talked about nowadays, but maybe the rangy forward would fit better in a switch-heavy modern defense.
Walker gets forgotten because he was a part of so many miserable Celtics squads, but his impact on the franchise is undeniable. He led the Celtics back to the playoffs in 2002 alongside Paul Pierce, a massive moment for a franchise struggling to find its way. He played seven seasons in Celtics green (ignoring that 24 game return in 2005) and played 81 or 82 games in five of them. He gave a starving fanbase something to cheer about for the first time in years. For those reasons, he is most certainly deserving of a top 5 spot.
No. 3: Rajon Rondo
Rajon Rondo is a fascinating basketball case study.
The game has largely moved past his type of greatness. Game managers in the mold of Chris Paul or Rajon Rondo are changing their games to survive in a world where point guards need to be hyper-athletic quick-decision drivers, or elite shooters. The game manager archetype is going extinct and, with the extinction of that archetype, Rondo has had a tougher and tougher time finding a basketball home. He has bounced from Dallas to Sacramento to Chicago to New Orleans to Los Angeles, still looking for a place where his talent fits in.
But good god, was he something as a member of the Boston Celtics.
Rondo was drafted by Boston and played there for eight and a quarter seasons. He was viewed as a bit of a basketball novelty – a point guard with a 6’9 wingspan and goliath hands who could dish out 20 assists one night and grab 16 rebounds the next, all while playing top-level defense.
His basketball IQ was awe-inspiring. He would shift teammates inches to open up just the right amount of space, and hit people with passes that seemed impossible. Younger teammates would get hit in the face with balls until they wised up and realized they could get a pass from Rondo at any moment.
That basketball IQ helped him set up his three future-hall-of-fame teammates for big scoring nights even as they aged. It also led to fights with teammates and with coach Doc Rivers, who had trouble reeling in his mercurial star. But even still, Rondo was able to grow from plucky whiz kid to the team’s most important player.
He became famous for his quirky off-court persona, captured excellently in this Sports Illustrated feature story. While other Celtics would walk around distributing hugs and smiles at charity events, Rondo would perch in the corner and play challengers in Connect Four. He takes five showers on game days, the last one precisely 45 minutes before tip-off. He surprised an algebra class in Dorchester and wound up giving an impromptu lesson; the teacher told him she’d never seen someone solve equations in the way he did.
If his off-court quirks didn’t endear him to Celtics fans, his on-court intensity certainly did. He played with the not-here-to-make-friends mentality of old school players. Rondo famously got himself ejected pushing Kris Humphries, who had 50 pounds and 8 inches on him, after Humphries fouled Garnett in 2012. Rondo was in the midst of a streak of 37 games with 10 assists, but that didn’t stop him.
He regularly racked up 11 assist per game and 2 steal per game seasons, but it’s his postseason accolades that Celtics fans will remember. Nobody will ever forget him hanging 44 points and 10 assists on the Heat in Game 2 of the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals. He played all 53 minutes, and scored all 12 of Boston’s points in overtime. Nor will anyone forget the game Rondo dislocated his elbow in the third quarter, then came back out and inspired the Celtics to a victory playing largely with one hand.
Rajon Rondo was a crucial part of the 2008 title team and a key cog in its playoff runs in the following seasons. Some will call the third spot overly generous, but he did more than enough to earn it.
No 2: Kevin Garnett
No Boston Celtics player since Larry Bird has had a resume like Kevin Garnett.
15-time All-Star, including 14 consecutive selections from 1997-2011. 9-time All-NBA selection. 12-time All-Defensive selection. 17th all-time in points, 9th all-time in rebounds, 18th all-time in blocks. Somehow, even those stats seem to undersell a career that could very reasonably warrant a top-ten all-time spot.
Kevin Garnett had a phenomenal offensive skillset. He could score in the post or from the mid-range with efficiency. He had the quickness and handles to facilitate when needed, and his passing was surprisingly elite. He was in the 88th percentile or better in assist percentage among bigs every single season of his career, and was in the 95th percentile or better in eight different seasons.
What really made him special, of course, was his defense. Garnett was a maniac running around with a chainsaw ending all hope opposing offenses had. His quickness, length, and intensity made him one of the best defensive players this league has ever seen. He is the entire reason Boston’s defense jumped from 19th in the league in 2006-2007, to 1st in the league (by a wide margin) in 2007-2008.
Antoine Walker and Isaiah Thomas gave Boston energy. Kevin Garnett created a culture of intensity and devotion that made the Boston Celtics what they were.
His contributions make him an easy pick for the number two spot. His ability and athleticism were insane, but it’s the mental edge and, truthfully, the craziness, that Celtics fans will remember. He would have a case at the top spot, but it’s hard to deny the player selected as the greatest Boston Celtics player of the 21st century.
No 1: Kyrie Irving
Kyrie Irving is the greatest Boston Celtics player of the 21st century.
He’s only been here for a year or so, but his dribbling wizardry is unmatched, his shooting is elite, and his flat-earth conspiracy is more fun than anything Garnett or Rondo ever said in a press conference. This was an easy choice.
Just kidding.
Paul Pierce is the actual greatest Celtics player of the 21st century
I’m sorry, I had to do that.
Paul Pierce is the greatest Boston Celtics player of the 21st century, and it isn’t close.
How do you even begin to talk about Pierce’s contributions to this franchise? He is 2nd all-time in career points for a Celtic, 7th all-time in rebounds, 5th all-time in assists, 1st all-time in steals, and 4th all-time in blocks (blocks weren’t counted in Bill Russell’s day, so let’s say Pierce is probably 5th). He played 15 seasons for Boston. He brought the franchise to its first Conference Finals appearance in years, stuck with the franchise through its mediocre period, and was the hero of its 2008 Finals team.
Pierce’s game was sublime. He was a very capable distributor and a crafty scorer, and his elbow jumpers are the stuff of legend. People talk about mid-range scorers as inefficient, but Pierce was anything but that. His 120.1 points per shot attempt in Boston’s championship season placed him in the 95th percentile among forwards, even as his usage rate was in the 91st percentile. Kyrie Irving, largely considered a scoring savant, has only replicated that PSA mark in one season. It was only Pierce’s fifth-best season.
He was insanely good in the clutch. He was kept around NBA teams years after his talent had dropped off significantly, because nobody could drill daggers in the playoffs like him. He was the walking definition of “playing with heart.” His career averages don’t jump off the page, and he was never truly in the conversation with the game’s other elites.
But he defined Celtics Pride for a decade and a half, brought the city a championship, and gave fans too many memories to count. There is no question that he is the greatest Celtic of the 21st century.