Top 10 Best Boston Celtics Players of All Time

The Boston Celtics aren't just a basketball team. They're a legacy built on grit, banners, and a whole lot of hardwood glory. From the early days of total domination to the clutch performances of the modern era, this franchise has been home to some of the greatest players the game has ever seen. Some were born leaders. Some were flat-out legends in the making. And others just knew how to win, plain and simple.

You've probably heard the arguments. Maybe you've even had a few of your own. Who's the greatest Celtic of all time? Is it the big man who stacked up titles like trophies on a shelf? The trash-talking forward who could shoot the lights out and back it up every time? Or the iron-willed guard who never seemed to take a night off? Fans love a good debate, and no team gives you more fuel for the fire than the Celtics.

Now it's your shot to weigh in. Scroll through the choices and vote for the players you believe belong at the top.

The Top Ten

  1. Larry Bird

    Larry Joe Bird is a retired American professional basketball player who played for the Boston Celtics in the NBA from 1979 to 1992. He won three NBA championships, was named Rookie of the Year, and earned a Finals MVP award. Bird also won the Three-Point Contest three times and is widely regarded as... read more

    Larry Bird was probably the best big man ever to shoot a 3-pointer. Bird was always clutch, and he never let his team down, proving over and over that the Celtics won so many championships because they were good enough to earn a win in the NBA Finals.

    One of the best basketball players EVER! My dad played with him when he was in high school. He got the most out of his ability by working harder than everyone else. He wasn't as gifted athletically as other players in the league, but still amazing!

    Larry Bird is just simply great. Give the ball to him, don't worry about it. He can make any shot. His height allowed him to shoot over players and get rebounds, and his ability to make 3s was amazing. Obviously, this guy deserves to be #1 on the Celtics list.

  2. Bill Russell

    William Felton "Bill" Russell was an American professional basketball player. He played center for the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association from 1956 to 1969. Russell was an 11-time NBA champion and a five-time MVP, widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the... read more

    This guy was amazing. He was so good the NBA Finals MVP trophy was named after him! Still not convinced of this guy's skill level? Try having 12 MVP awards under your belt. He had 12, counting both Finals MVP awards he earned and season MVP awards he earned prior to the beginning of the playoffs.

    It should not really be Larry. Bill was better but not by that much. Larry had a great career, but he did not have anything near 11 championships like Bill. Larry was a great offensive player, and Bill was better at defense. But overall, Bill over any other Celtics player.

  3. Paul Pierce

    Paul Anthony Pierce is a retired American professional basketball player. He played 19 seasons in the NBA, spending most of his career with the Boston Celtics. Pierce also had brief stints with the Brooklyn Nets, Washington Wizards, and Los Angeles Clippers before retiring after the 2016-17 season.

    He isn't going to be the greatest of all time, but he deserves his spot in the top 3. Here's my list:

    1. Bill Russell - Unstoppable defensive monster

    2. Larry Bird - All-around greatness, one of the greatest clutch-time performers ever, played with hustle, heart, and intensity.

    3. Paul Pierce - Dominant mid-range shooter, inspiring team leader, and amazing in clutch time.

    4. Kevin Garnett - Dominant in the post, inspiring defensive leader.

    5. John Havlicek - Invented hustle, great clutch-time performer.

    6. Bob Cousy - One of the best passers ever, amazing fast break with him and Russell.

    7. Kevin McHale - Dominant in the post but wasn't as consistent and dedicated as he should've been.

    8. Robert Parish - Awesome on defense and dominant in the post.

    9. Dennis Johnson - Great point guard and genius one-on-one defender.

    10. Rajon Rondo - Great talent but ugly attitude. Remains to be seen if he can manage now without my man Pierce and Garnett.

  4. John Havlicek

    He could play at the guard and forward positions - basically, he could do it all. He became a great scorer even though he was more defensive-minded in college alongside Jerry Lucas. He is the leading Celtics scorer of all time.

    I saw him play in San Antonio when he was 36 years old, and he still had it. Great passer and all-around awesome. Easily my favorite Celtic. I even went to the Hall of Fame ceremonies when he was inducted and met the whole family.

    Right now, I would rank him higher than Garnett, Rondo, and maybe even Pierce. Wish I had the entire tape of his last game as a Celtic. CBS cut away from the game in the last two minutes. Love Hondo!

  5. Kevin McHale

    Kevin Edward McHale (born December 19, 1957) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and analyst who played his entire professional career for the Boston Celtics.

    Nicknamed "The Torture Chamber" for his exceptional footwork and post skills that consistently overwhelmed opponents... read more

    The best Celtics forward ever.

  6. Bob Cousy

    Robert Joseph Cousy (born August 9, 1928) is an American former professional basketball player. He played point guard for the Boston Celtics from 1950 to 1963 and briefly with the Cincinnati Royals during the 1969-70 season.... read more

    Cousy was a great point guard, but he was not the point guard for all of Russell's titles. He was the coach on the floor and a much underrated scorer. In his time, he was a magician with the ball. Sam Jones said everyone had to be in position to shoot the ball or Cousy wouldn't give it to you.

    Bob Cousy was a smaller guy with a really big game. Cousy was listed as 6'1 and a mere 175 pounds. Cousy played point guard for the Celtics for a good amount of time. Cousy won the Finals MVP award during his years playing in the NBA.

  7. Kevin Garnett

    Kevin Maurice Garnett is a former professional basketball player who spent 21 seasons in the National Basketball Association. He played for the Minnesota Timberwolves, Boston Celtics, and Brooklyn Nets. Garnett is widely regarded as one of the greatest power forwards in NBA history.

    He is always good, even with the Timberwolves. He is a massive accomplishment and has had a big impact on the NBA and basketball!

    He's an elite defender and still a very solid player in his older years.

  8. Robert Parish

    Robert Parish was known for his strong defense and his jump shot and was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003. In 1996, Parish was also named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History.

    His nickname was "The Chief," after the fictitious Chief Bromden, a silent, giant Native American character in the film One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. According to Parish, former Celtics forward Cedric Maxwell gave Parish this nickname because of his stoic nature. He was also part of the Celtics Big Three with Larry Bird and Kevin McHale.

    The fact that Parish is below Ray Allen is disgusting.

  9. Rajon Rondo

    Rajon Pierre Rondo is an American former professional basketball player who last played in the NBA during the 2021-22 season. He won two NBA championships, one with the Boston Celtics in 2008 and another with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020. Rondo announced his retirement on April 2, 2024, after a career... read more

    I love Rondo. He's the one who led the Celtics. He is a really good player, but he has to do more than pass. He has to score more points for the Celtics now because Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce are old, and Ray Allen is on the Heat, leaving Rondo all by himself.

    If the Celtics want to win a championship title, Rondo has to score more points. And when I mean more points, I mean he has to get better with his free throws and his jump shots. If he can do all that, I bet that Rondo can win the MVP and the Finals MVP.

    I think in the 2010 season Rajon Rondo was clearly the best player. He not only led the team through the postseason, but was also crucial to the morale of the team.

  10. Ray Allen

    Walter Ray Allen Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player. He played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association from 1996 to 2014. Allen was a 10-time NBA All-Star and won championships with the Boston Celtics in 2008 and the Miami Heat in 2013.

    Yeah, but I think he was a better team player when he was with the Heat in '13-'14, you know, with LeBron, Wade, Chalmers, Battier, all those dudes.

    He's the greatest of all shooters. He ranks higher than Reggie Miller.

    Best 3-point shooter in NBA history and holds the 3-point record.

    11. The Newcomers
  11. ?

    Dominique Wilkins

    Jacques Dominique Wilkins is an American retired professional basketball player who primarily played for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association. Known for his scoring ability and powerful dunks, he was a nine-time NBA All-Star. Wilkins was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball... read more

  12. ?

    Cedric Maxwell

    13. The Contenders

  13. Sam Jones

    This guy won so many championships with his last-second shots. None other than Bill Russell said that if it wasn't for Sam Jones, they would not have won so many championships. He was as good a guard as West or Robertson, but because there were so many stars on that team, he is often not recognized.

    This guy won 10 rings and got inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. He was one of the first to really take advantage of the glass in the NBA and won the NBA Finals for the Celtics with an off-the-glass buzzer-beater in 1969.

  14. Dave Cowens

    Dave Cowens, towering over some players, was listed as 6'9 and had an average NBA weight of 230 pounds. Cowens was the Celtics' 1st-round pick, being the 4th pick overall. The Celtics drafted him from Florida State, even though he was born in Newport, Kentucky.

    Good scorer, excellent rebounder, and overall defensive player for his size.

  15. Jo Jo White

    Without a doubt, better than Rondo. What is this, some kind of joke?

  16. Dennis Johnson

    It was DJ's innate radar that made that play against the Pistons possible. He was a great defender, a great passer, and made very few mistakes. DJ loved the game, and it showed.

  17. Tommy Heinsohn

  18. Jaylen Brown

    Jaylen Brown is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association. He played one year of college basketball at the University of California, Berkeley before being drafted third overall in 2016. Brown is known for his athleticism, scoring ability... read more

  19. Isaiah Thomas

    Isaiah Jamar Thomas (born February 7, 1991) is an American professional basketball player. He played for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA during the 2017-2018 season. As of 2025, he has played for multiple teams and continues to pursue opportunities in professional basketball.

    Isaiah improves the stats of short NBA players and shows that size does not matter.

    I'm voting for Isaiah. He's not the best, but he deserves to be higher than Shaquille and Rajon Rondo.

    I think Isaiah is a good basketball player.

  20. Jayson Tatum

    Jayson Christopher Tatum Sr. (born March 3, 1998) is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

    He was a McDonald's All-American in high school in Missouri and played college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils. Tatum was selected... read more

    Not the best, but deserves to be higher.

  21. Shaquille O'Neal

    Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal, known widely as Shaq, is a retired American professional basketball player. He currently works as a sports analyst on the television program Inside the NBA. Renowned for his dominant presence on the court and his charismatic, approachable personality, O'Neal remains one of the... read more

  22. Reggie Lewis

    The kid passed right before hitting his peak and was still better than a few names on that list.

  23. Brian Scalabrine

    Brian David Scalabrine is an American former professional basketball player who is currently a television analyst for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association. He played 11 seasons in the NBA for the New Jersey Nets, Boston Celtics, and Chicago Bulls. Scalabrine won an NBA championship... read more

    He's the White Mamba, and that's enough to name him the best.

  24. Danny Ainge

  25. Glen Davis

    Ronald Glen Davis, nicknamed Big Baby, is an American former professional basketball player. He played in the NBA for the Boston Celtics, Orlando Magic, and Los Angeles Clippers. Davis was part of the Celtics team that won the NBA Championship in 2008.

    I met him last month and he's just the best. He was so sweet!

  26. K.C. Jones

  27. Kyrie Irving

    Kyrie Andrew Irving is an American professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets in the NBA. He previously played for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics. He was the 2016 NBA Finals MVP after helping the Cavaliers win their first championship.

    The hidden key to the championship.

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