John Havlicek
John Havlicek was born in Martins Ferry, Ohio, United States on April 8th, 1940 and is the Basketball Player. At the age of 79, John Havlicek biography, profession, age, height, weight, eye color, hair color, build, measurements, education, career, dating/affair, family, news updates, and networth are available.
At 79 years old, John Havlicek has this physical status:
HAV-li-chek, born April 8, 1940 – April 25, 2019), was an American professional basketball player who played for 16 seasons with the Boston Celtics, four of whom appeared in his first four seasons with the team. He is one of four players to win eight championships in their playing careers; only teammates Bill Russell and Sam Jones have won more, with 11 and ten championships respectively.
Havlicek is also one of the top NBA players with an unbeaten 8–0 record in NBA Finals series results.
Havlicek is widely believed to have been one of the best players in the game's history, and he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1984.
He was a three-sport athlete at Bridgeport High School in Ohio.
Early life
Havlicek was born in Martins Ferry, Ohio, where his parents owned a general store. He was of Czech and Croatian descent, derived from his father and mother respectively. Havlicek was a three-sport athlete at Bridgeport High School, Ohio, where he was a youth friend of Baseball Hall of Famer Phil Niekro.
Personal life
When Havlicek and his wife, Beth, were attending Ohio State University, they met. In 1967, the couple married. They had two children: a son named Chris and a daughter named Jill. In the early 1990s, Chris Havlicek attended the University of Virginia on a basketball scholarship. Ex Major League Baseball outfielder and mentor Brian Buchanan married Jill Havlicek.
During his time as Havlicek's uncle, Parkinson's Disease was present in his body. He died in Jupiter, Florida, seventeen days after his 79th birthday.
Collegiate career
Future seven-time NBA draft pick Jerry Lucas, his roommate, future coaching legend Bobby Knight, and many others attended college basketball at Ohio State University, among many others. The 1960 Ohio State Buckeyes, coached by head coach Fred Taylor and assistant coaches Jack Graf and Frank Truitt, earned the 1960 NCAA championship. Havlicek was selected as an alternate of the 1960 United States national team that competed in the 1960 Summer Olympics.
Professional career
In 1962, Havlicek was drafted by both the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. After being a wide receiver in the Browns' training camp last year, he put more emphasis on playing for the Celtics, with head coach Red Auerbach later referring to him as the team's "brave guy." He was also known for his stamina, and opponents said it was difficult enough to keep up with him. Havlicek was a swingman who could play in either the guard position or the forward position.
Havlicek, nicknamed "Hondo" (a term based on John Wayne's 1953 film "samean"), revolutionized the "sixth man" role in the NBA during his time as a benchet for the Celtics.
In the closing seconds of the 1965 Eastern Conference championship, Havlicek was immortalized for his clutch robbery. The Celtics led the Philadelphia 76ers 110–109 with five seconds left on April 15, but Bill Russell's pass gave them the win and the chance to win the game and the series; however, the 76ers and Wilt Chamberlain were unable to win the game and the series were pushed back from the ceiling. Hal Greer was supposed to pass out the 76ers' inbounds ticket. Havlicek was spotted on his back to Greer, assisting Chet Walker. But as Greer's pass came in, Havlicek spun, leaped, and tipped the pass to Sam Jones. Havlicek's reaction, according to veteran referee Earl Strom, who wrote this article Calling the Shots, was one of the finest performances he's ever seen in his 32 years as a professional official. Johnny Most's call of "Havlicek stole the ball" from Announcer Johnny Most's "Havlicek stole the ball! The NBA dubbed this call "the most iconic radio call in basketball history" as "the most popular radio call in basketball history."
The Celtics secured their playoffs in Game Five of the 1968 Eastern Division Finals, with 29 points, nine rebounds, and 10 assists. In a 96 road victory over the 76ers, he nearly matched his appearance in Game Seven, scoring 21 points, 12 rebounds, and eight assists. The Celtics became the first NBA team to win a 3–1 playoff series deficit in the series.
The Celtics won the 1974 NBA Championship, and Havlicek was named NBA Finals MVP.
Havlicek made a leaning, running bank shot that seemed to be the game-winner in the second overtime of game five of the 1976 NBA Finals. Despite this, Havlicek's shot was shot with one second left, and Phoenix was allowed one more shot after Jo Jo White converted a technical foul for Phoenix's unlawful timeout. Gar Heard scored for Phoenix, triggering the game's third overtime overtime. The Celtics won the game in triple overtime.
Havlicek completed his career as the Celtics all-time leading scorer when he retired from 1977–78, a distinction he retained at the time of his retirement in 2019. In addition to his prolific scoring, he was also known for his defensive abilities. Havlicek was selected to eight NBA all-defensive teams and was known for his ability to annoy ballhandlers and steals. During his 16-year career, he played for eight NBA championships and was named to 13 all-star teams.