Who Is The GOAT Of The Boston Celtics: Bill Russell, Larry Bird, Paul Pierce, or John Havlicek? (Complete Breakdown)
The Boston Celtics are one of the most storied franchises in NBA history. With their NBA-record 17 championships, tied with the Los Angeles Lakers, the Celtics are as big a part of basketball history as any entity that has ever existed within the NBA. With this kind of storied past, as we have seen with other teams such as the Lakers and Warriors, a GOAT debate is born for the title of the greatest player to ever play for the team.
With the Celtics, the argument comes down to four players. Bill Russell with his 11 NBA championships in 13 seasons is the frontrunner to the naked eye. Larry Bird is a Boston legend who went toe-to-toe with the Showtime Lakers during the 1980s. John Havlicek and Paul Pierce also put forth long and illustrious careers with the Celtics resulting in championship glory. Using our most accurate formula to break down the Celtics career of these four players, we can finally put this highly-anticipated franchise GOAT debate to rest.
This is the complete breakdown of the Boston Celtics’ GOAT debate between Bill Russell, Larry Bird, Paul Pierce, and John Havlicek.
Best Stats
1. Larry Bird - 24.3 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 6.3 APG, 1.7 SPG, 0.8 BPG (4 Points)
2. Bill Russell - 15.1 PPG, 22.5 RPG, 4.3 APG (3 Points)
3. John Havlicek - 20.8 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 4.8 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.3 BPG (2 Points)
4. Paul Pierce - 21.8 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 3.9 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.6 BPG (1 Point)
The category for best stats, as always, kicks off this debate for the Boston Celtics GOAT with Larry Bird taking home the win. Bird averaged the most points per game of any of these four candidates as well as the most steals, and most assists, and added a double-double with 10.0 rebounds per game. Bird was truly a one-of-a-kind legendary talent in his 13 seasons with Boston and put together the best statistical resume.
Bill Russell is often criticized for his lack of offensive production but many people fail to realize how he changed his game to cater to Boston’s needs as a team. Without defensive stats available, it is hard to fully grasp the entire scope of Russell’s statistical prowess during the 1950s and 1960s for Boston. With the second-most rebounds per game in NBA history while still being a 15.0 points per game scorer, Russell easily takes home the second-place three points.
John Havlicek and Paul Pierce’s statistical careers parallel each other in almost every regard. Havlicek finishes 1.0 points per game behind Pierce in scoring but finishes slightly ahead in rebounds and assists while falling slightly behind again in steals and blocks. Havlicek’s defensive stats also fall victim to not being recorded before 1974 but he gets the one-point advantage over Pierce in this category.
Most NBA Championships
1. Bill Russell - 11 NBA Championships (4 Points)
2. John Havlicek - 8 NBA Championships (3 Points)
3. Larry Bird - 3 NBA Championships (2 Points)
4. Paul Pierce - 1 NBA Championship (1 Point)
Bill Russell is the winningest player in NBA history with 11 championships in 13 seasons for the Celtics. Russell and the Celtics’ dominance of the 1950s and 1960s is highlighted by their eight championships in a row from 1959 through 1966 after falling in the 1958 Finals to the Hawks. Russell would also play the role of player-coach for his final two championships in 1968 and 1969.
John Havlicek was a member of six of those 1960s NBA championship teams with Boston from 1963 through 1969 alongside Russell, Sam Jones, and others. During those championship runs, Havlicek pulled his weight despite being young with 22.0 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game on 42.3% shooting. Havlicek would add his final two NBA championships in 1974 and 1976, giving him a total of eight NBA championships in 16 seasons with Boston.
Larry Bird would take home three NBA championships during the 1980s with the Celtics. Bird delivered championships over the Rockets in 1981 and 1986 as well as in 1984 over the Los Angeles Lakers. Paul Pierce was able to lead the Celtics to one championship in his career. It would come in his 10th season with the team in 2008 over Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Most MVP Awards
1. Bill Russell - 5 MVP Awards (4 Points)
2. Larry Bird 3 MVP Awards (3 Points)
T3. John Havlicek - 0 MVP Awards (0 Points)
T3. Paul Pierce - 0 MVP Awards (0 Points)
Between these four players, a total of eight MVP awards were captured in their careers. Unfortunately. Only two of these four players were ever named MVP over the course of their entire NBA careers. Bill Russell earns the four points for this category once again with his five career MVP awards, one shy of the NBA record held by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Russell was named MVP in 1958, 1961, 1962, 1963, and 1965 giving him five in an eight-year span.
Larry Bird is a three-time MVP winner with the Celtics, winning three straight from 1984 through 1986. Bird was the absolute best player in the world during this time, averaging 26.2 points, 10.1 rebounds, 6.7 assists, 1.8 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game in that three-year window while missing just five games total. Bird led the Celtics to two of their three championships during the 1980s at this time too.
Havlicek and Pierce were never named MVP in their careers but that has no bearing on how they are revered in both Celtics and NBA history.
Most Finals MVP Awards
1. Larry Bird - 2 Finals MVP Awards (4 Points
T2. Paul Pierce - 1 Finals MVP Award (3 Points)
T2. John Havlicek - 1 Finals MVP Award (3 Points)
4. Bill Russell - 0 Finals MVP Awards (0 Points)
I always find it disingenuous to have a conversation about the Finals MVP award when it comes to Bill Russell. He would undoubtedly have his fair share from his 11 championship-winning performances but the award did not exist until his final season in 1969. Russell did get the last laugh though. The award has been named after him in honor of his accomplishments since 2009.
Of the players who actually won the award in Celtics history, Bird leads all players with two in the 1980s. His first Finals MVP came in the 1984 win over the Lakers when Bird averaged 27.4 points, 14.0 rebounds, and 2.1 steals per game. In 1986, he would add his second Finals MVP in a win over the Rockets when he averaged 24.0 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 9.5 assists per game.
Havlicek and Pierce each won a singular Finals MVP award in their careers as well. Havlicek won his in 1974 in a win over the Bucks with 26.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.7 steals per game on 42.9% shooting. Pierce captured his Finals MVP in a 2008 win over the Lakers with 21.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 1.2 steals per game.
Most Defensive Player Of The Year Awards
T1. Bill Russell - 0 Defensive Player Of The Year Awards (0 Points)
T1. Larry Bird- 0 Defensive Player Of The Year Awards (0 Points)
T1. John Havlicek - 0 Defensive Player Of The Year Awards (0 Points)
T1. Paul Pierce - 0 Defensive Player Of The Year Awards (0 Points)
Just as has been the case with previous franchise GOAT debates, none of these four players were ever named Defensive Player of the Year in their careers. Russell has the best reason for that considering the award did not exist at any point in his career just like his Finals MVP dilemma, and just like that dilemma, there is no doubt there would be a few of these awards sitting on his shelf if they were around during his prime.
Larry Bird and John Havlicek were also accomplished defenders at their peaks, members of numerous All-Defensive Teams but never the best in the NBA for a particular season. As for Pierce, his defensive record isn’t the greatest but he was known to show up when it mattered most on that side of the ball.
Most All-NBA Team Selections
T1. Bill Russell - 11 All-NBA Team Selections (4 Points)
T1. John Havlicek - 11 All-NBA Team Selections (4 Points
3. Larry Bird - 10 All-NBA Team Selections (2 Points)
4. Paul Pierce - 4 All-NBA Team Selections (1 Point)
The category for most All-NBA Team selections will be split between Bill Russell and John Havlicek for their 11 All-NBA Team selections. Russell earned his 11 selections in 13 seasons with the Celtics with only three of those selections going to the First Team and eight to the Second Team. For Havlicek, his 11 selections came in 16 seasons with Boston and four selections to the First Team while seven were to the Second Team.
Larry Bird unfortunately misses out on first-place points by just one selection with 10 in his career from 1980-1992. Bird’s 10 selections came with nine First Team selections, the most in franchise history, and one Second Team selection. Pierce finishes the category with one point thanks to only four selections in his career, one to the Second Team and three to the Third Team.
Most All-Defensive Team Selections
1. John Havlicek - 8 All-Defensive Team Selections (4 Points)
2. Larry Bird - 3 All-Defensive Team Selections (3 Points)
3. Bill Russell - 1 All-Defensive Team Selection (2 Points)
4. Paul Pierce - 0 All-Defensive Team Selections (0 Points)
This is most likely another category that would have been won by Russell but did not exist during his days as the best defensive player in the NBA during the 50s and 60s. Russell would earn one selection in the final season of his career in 1969. Of the players eligible for All-Defensive Team selections, John Havlicek wins this category with eight selections in his career, five of which were to the All-Defensive First Team.
The only other player in this conversation to make an All-Defensive Team in their career was Larry Bird. He was named to three All-Defensive Teams in three consecutive seasons from 1982 through 1984, and all three selections were to the Second Team. Some of Bird’s most iconic players in the NBA were his defensive plays like the steals against the Pistons in Game 5 of the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals.
Most All-Star Selections
1. John Havlicek - 13 All-Star Selections (4 Points)
T2. Larry Bird - 12 All-Star Selections (3 Points)
T2. Bill Russell - 12 All-Star Selections (3 Points)
4. Paul Pierce - 10 All-Star Selections (1 Point)
John Havlicek takes home another category in surprising fashion as a 13-time All-Star for the Celtics in 16 seasons. Havlicek made every All-Star Game from 1966 through 1978 averaging 21.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. He was never named the game’s MVP but as far as Celtics go, he was the most decorated at the All-Star Game.
Larry Bird and Bill Russell were each named All-Stars 12 times in their 13 respective seasons with the franchise. Russell earned his selections in every season except for his rookie year in 1957. Bird was an All-Star every season except for 1989 when he played just six games due to injury. They each took home one All-Star MVP award in their careers with Russell’s coming in 1963 and Bird’s coming in 1982. Paul Pierce just missed out on gaining some real points with 10 All-Star selections in his career with Boston and no All-Star MVP awards.
Total Win Shares
1. Bill Russell - 163.5 Win Shares (4 Points)
2. Larry Bird - 145.8 Win Shares (3 Points)
3. Paul Pierce - 138.4 Win Shares (2 Points)
4. John Havlicek - 131.7 Win Shares (1 Point)
Bill Russell takes home yet another category with his win shares topping out at 163.5. Russell achieved this in just 13 seasons without ever leading the NBA. Russell’s 16.5 total win shares rank 18th in NBA history and first among Celtics players. Larry Bird gains second-place points here for his 145.8 total win shares in his career, also achieved in 13 seasons. Bird led the NBA twice in win shares in his 1985 and 1986 MVP seasons and had four seasons topping 15.0 on the year.
Paul Pierce and John Havlicek were close in their chances at third place. Pierce edges out Havlicek with 6.7 more win shares in his Celtics career in one less season with the team. Pierce and Havlicek never led the NBA with their win shares contributions but they did record multiple seasons in which they eclipsed the 10.0 mark.
PER
1. Larry Bird - 23.5 PER (4 Points)
2. Paul Pierce (20.6 PER (3 Points)
3. Bill Russell - 18.9 PER (2 Points)
4. John Havlicek - 17.5 PER (1 Point)
The final category that we have in front of us today to settle this Celtics GOAT debate is player efficiency rating. Larry Bird takes this one for four points with his 23.5 career PER with Boston. Bird’s 23.5 PER ranks 22nd in NBA history and first overall in Celtics history. He led the NBA in PER in 1985 and 1986 while also having four seasons above 25.0. Paul Pierce comes in as the only other Boston layer above a 20.0 PER. While he never led the league, Pierce did have six seasons in Boston with a PER over 20.0
Bill Russell and John Havlicek’s career PER both failed to reach 20.0 in their time on the court. Russell’s first four seasons in the NBA had him on the right path with 20.0 or better years but would never record one again after 1960. Havlicek also recorded multiple seasons above 20.0 in the middle of his career, doing so consecutively from 1970 through 1972.
Who Is The Greatest Player In Boston Celtics History?
1. Larry Bird - 28 Points (3 Categories Won)
2. Bill Russell - 26 Points (4 Categories Won)
3. John Havlicek - 22 Points (3 Categories Won)
4. Paul Pierce 12 Points (0 Categories Won)
I think we all knew in the back of our minds that this conversation was going to come down to Larry Bird and Bill Russell in the end. However, there are some surprising revelations to arise from our most accurate formula here today. First, our formula has Larry Bird as the Celtics’ GOAT thanks to his consistency keeping him in the conversation throughout the conversation. What does this mean for Bill Russell? Well, finishing two points shy of Bird means that if you account for the number of championships and the fact that most of these accolades did not exist when he was in his prime, then you can argue his GOAT case pretty clearly.
As for the rest of the debate, two things come to mind. One, you may not have realized how in the conversation John Havlicek really is. Thanks to his accomplishments and consistency, he finishes just four points behind Russell according to our formula. The either takeaway is not realizing how far out of the conversation Paul Pierce is. Despite 15 seasons and leading the franchise in scoring, he isn't nearly as accomplished as the other three players at the top of the franchise.
To recap, our formula has crowned Larry Bird as the GOAT of the Boston Celtics with Bill Russell and John Havlicek following closely behind. Paul Pierce had a great career in green but it does not belong at the table with the other three Celtics greats.
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