The list below considers every player that was on the playoff roster for one or more of Russell’s 11 championship teams (players that appeared in the regular season but not the postseason were ineligible). Editor’s note: The players are ranked based on their careers as a whole, not just their time with Boston.

37) Rick Weitzman (1968)

“I didn’t keep him just to be a bench ornament.” That was the quote from player-coach Bill Russell explaining why Weitzman was surprisingly included on the 1968 Celtics postseason roster. A local prep star at Brookline High School, Weitzman was the eighth player drafted by the Celtics in 1967, at #110 overall, but survived training camp ahead of six of the players taken before him. He played in only 25 regular season games, scoring a grand total of 33 points, but the shooting guard position was shaky for Boston heading into the playoffs. Sam Jones was laboring with a viral infection, leaving his status questionable. Jones turned out to be ok enough to battle through it and Weitzman continued to barely play during the playoffs. But he did make a garbage time appearance in the clinching game six of the NBA Finals against the Lakers, scoring the final two points of the series in a Celtics win. After suffering a knee injury in 1968 training camp, Weitzman retired to become a high school English teacher. He eventually returned to the Celtics franchise in the ’80s, first as a radio broadcaster and later as a scout.

36) Dan Swartz (1963)

It took six years for Swartz to make a Celtics roster after the team drafted him in the fourth round in 1956 out of Morehead State. Cut from the ’56-’57 roster, Swartz spent time in the National Industrial Basketball League (he was league MVP in ’59-’60) and in the ABL, where he was coached by recently retired Celtics legend Bill Sharman. When the ABL folded, Swartz tried again with the Celtics and this time made the roster for the ’62-’63 season. He averaged 4.5 points per game in 39 regular season games but appeared in just one playoff contest, logging four scoreless minutes in a Conference Finals win over Cincinnati. That was enough for Swartz to earn a championship ring in what turned out to be his one and only NBA season. He spent some time in yet another league, the Eastern Professional Basketball League, before returning to his native Kentucky to take up tobacco farming. His son, Chris, was a star quarterback at Morehead State in late ’80s, and both father and son are enshrined in the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame.

35) Johnny Jones (1968)
34) Mal Graham (1968, 1969)

In his second training camp as head coach, Bill Russell staged a dramatic game of two-on-two featuring four of his rookies vying for the final three spots on the ’67-’68 roster. Jones, Graham, and Rick Weitzman made the team, while Neville Shedd, a member of the all-black Texas Western 1966 NCAA champions, was the final cut. Graham, a first round pick out of NYU, got the most playing time of the trio due to the Celtics lacking point guard depth, while Jones was buried at small forward behind John Havlicek, Don Nelson, and Satch Sanders. Both players had even less opportunities during the postseason though they were both on the floor for the end of the clinching game six of the NBA Finals, and Jones even scored a garbage time basket. In the ensuing offseason, Jones was selected by the Bucks in their expansion draft but didn’t make the roster, so he finished his career with the Kentucky Colonels of the ABA. Graham was expected to be Boston’s future at point guard but after struggling through the ’68-’69 title season, he was diagnosed with a rare lung disease and forced to retire.

33) Rich Johnson (1969)

In one of the most improbable injuries in NBA history, Celtics backup center Jim “Bad News” Barnes suffered a concussion late in the ’68-’69 season at O’Hare Airport, when jet exhaust hit and blasted him 50 feet across the tarmac. That opened the door for Johnson, a rookie center who up to that point had barely cracked coach Bill Russell’s rotation. This was a point of contention in the late ’60s between Russell, the aging player-coach making short-sighted decisions, and Red Auerbach, the general manager thinking of the imminent post-Russell future. Due to Barnes’ injury, Russell reluctantly selected Johnson for the postseason roster. But with only the unproven rookie behind him on the depth chart, the 34-year-old Russell played 46.1 minutes per game during the playoffs, his highest mark since 1965. Johnson made only two postseason appearances for a total of four minutes in earning his championship ring. He turned out to have no real future with the Celtics anyway, lasting just one more season before getting waived and moving over to the ABA.

32) Bennie Swain (1959)
31) John Richter (1960)

Red Auerbach’s first two attempts to draft a long-term backup for Bill Russell both ended in eerily similar circumstances. Both Swain and Richter came to the Celtics as a promising first round pick with a strong collegiate pedigree. Swain had finished second in the NAIA in scoring as a senior for Texas Southern, averaging 27.4 points per game. Richter was an All-American at NC State and eventually had his jersey retired by the program. Both rookies found playing time scarce behind the indefatigable Russell, especially in the postseason. Richter did log some decent minutes in an Eastern Division Finals series against the Warriors, where his sizable presence was useful against fellow rookie Wilt Chamberlain. Swain’s one notable moment came in a blowout win over the Nationals, when he grabbed 10 rebounds in just 15 minutes on the floor. But both players had to step away from the NBA after just one season, Swain due to a major knee injury and Richter due to blood clotting. Swain retired to become a high school coach in Houston while Richter recovered enough to play a few successful seasons in the Eastern Professional Basketball League.

30) John Thompson (1965, 1966)

Long before he coached Georgetown to a 1984 NCAA championship, Thompson won two NBA titles as “The Caddy.” That was the nickname bestowed for his role backing up Bill Russell at center but it belies how talented Thompson was as a player. He was an All-American during his high school career at Archbishop Carroll in D.C. and his college career at Providence, which he left as the program’s all-time leading scorer. Thompson was one of three centers vying to back up Bill Russell in ’64-’65, but he outworked veteran Bevo Nordman and more highly touted fellow rookie Mel Counts for playing time. With Russell averaging almost 47 minutes per game in the 1965 postseason, Thompson made just three brief appearances, all in garbage time of the NBA Finals. He returned for the ’65-’66 season but was surpassed by Counts on the depth chart and played even less during the 1966 playoffs while earning a second championship ring. Thompson was selected by the Bulls that summer in their expansion draft but opted to retire and instead begin his coaching career back in his hometown of D.C.

29) Gene Guarilia (1960, 1962)

As game seven of the 1962 NBA Finals reached overtime, the Celtics were down two starting forwards (Satch Sanders and Tom Heinsohn) and two key bench forwards (Jim Loscutoff and Frank Ramsey) due to fouling out. A desperate Red Auerbach turned to Guarilia, who had not yet played in the series but was now being called upon to guard the unstoppable Elgin Baylor. In a perfect microcosm of the ’60s Celtics as an unremitting machine, Guarilia held Baylor scoreless for the final four minutes as Boston rallied to win. His line in the box score that night shows zero points and just one rebound, but every Celtics player from Russell on down called Guarilia the game’s hero. It was one of four championships earned with the Celtics, though he was only on the playoff roster for two of them. Guarilia played minor minutes in the 1960 title run, then was left off the roster in 1961 and 1963. Waived in the 1963 offseason, Guarilia spent some time in the EPBL before retiring to become a high school coach. He still stands as the only player in NBA history to play three or more seasons and win a title every year.

28) Ron Bonham (1965, 1966)
27) Tom Thacker (1968)

Just before joining the Celtics, John Havlicek was on the losing end of back-to-back NCAA Tournament National Finals. His Ohio State Buckeyes were victimized each year by the University of Cincinnati, led by two of Hondo’s future Celtics teammates in Bonham and Thacker. Bonham was drafted by the Celtics in 1964 and averaged 7.4 points per game as a rookie despite limited playing time. He barely took the floor during his two postseason title runs but did get to fill in once for an injured Satch Sanders in a Conference Finals win over the 76ers. While Bonham was winning titles in Boston, Thacker was disappointing fans in Cincinnati. The Royals drafted the 6’1″ point guard as a territorial pick in 1963, only to bury him on the bench behind Oscar Robertson. Both Thacker and Bonham were expansion draft picks of the Bulls in 1966 but neither made the final roster. Bonham returned to his home state of Indiana to play one season with the Pacers of the newly formed ABA before retiring. Thacker signed with the Celtics for ’67-’68 and continued to ride the pine, but at least now it led to a championship. He then spent three seasons with the Pacers, becoming the only player ever to win an NCAA, NBA, and ABA title.

26) Dick Hemric (1957)

The first ACC superstar, Hemric set the conference records for career scoring and rebounding while at Wake Forest, the latter of which is still standing. His NBA career was decidedly more nondescript, playing just two seasons with the Celtics, averaging 6.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. Why? Well, they didn’t nickname him “Old Oak Legs” just for fun. Hemric lacked the athleticism and size to play center in the NBA and spent his time with Boston mostly as an enforcer. Hemric did have some moments early in the ’56-’57 season, filling in some while the Celtics waited for Bill Russell to return from the Melbourne Olympics. But by the end of that season, his second in the league, Hemric was barely leaving the bench. He made two playoff appearances in 1957, both in garbage time of Division Finals wins. The entire Celtics roster returned for ’57-’58 except for Hemric, who lost his spot to a rookie Sam Jones, spelling the end of his pro career. In 2002, he was one of only two Celtics players named to the ACC 50th Anniversary Team (Charlie Scott was the other).

25) Gary Phillips (1962)

His NBA career lasted just five seasons but Phillips did gain the distinction as one of just two players (along with Mel Counts) to play in the NBA Finals as a teammate of both Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain. Red Auerbach likely saw a potential Bob Cousy replacement when he used a first round pick on Phillips, a 6’3″ play maker with shooting touch and defensive skills. But just one year later he was obsolete, displaced in the lineup and long term plans by the acquisition of John Havlicek. After playing limited minutes in Boston’s 1962 title run, Phillips was sold to the Warriors for an undisclosed cash sum. He was a much bigger part of the strategy in San Francisco, typically the first guard off the bench for four seasons until a torn ankle ligament forced him to retire at age 26. Phillips played against his former Celtics teammates in the 1964 NBA Finals, averaging 10.0 points per game as the Warriors were defeated in five games. After retiring, Phillips moved to Houston, where he was a collegiate legend, to start a career in real estate.

24) Gene Conley (1959, 1960, 1961)

Of the 13 players who have spent time in the NBA and MLB, Conley is the only one to win titles in both leagues. A dual-sport star at Washington State, Conley received contract offers from the NBA’s Minneapolis Lakers and the MLB’s Boston Braves in 1952. He opted for baseball and quickly became a dominant pitcher for Boston’s minor league affiliate in Hartford. But the siren call of basketball was still tempting. He signed a contract with the Celtics, made a few appearances in ’52-’53, then stepped away when the Braves relocated to Milwaukee that summer. Four MLB All-Star appearances and a World Series title (in 1957) later, Conley returned to basketball. Even after six years away from the sport, he proved valuable for the Celtics as a backup power forward, averaging 5.9 points and 6.8 rebounds per game over three seasons, each of which ended with a title. He may not have been an individual legend in either sport, but only Conley can lay claim to being a teammate of both Bill Russell and Hank Aaron.

23) Em Bryant (1969)

In his first season with the Celtics, Bryant averaged 5.7 points per game. At the conclusion of that season, he dropped 38 points in games six and seven of the NBA Finals. Where did that come from? Even Bryant himself couldn’t really explain it. Despite never playing basketball in high school, Bryant was a break out star at DePaul and subsequently drafted by the Knicks. Bryant had a few solid years backing up Walt Frazier, was selected by the Suns in their 1968 expansion draft, then traded to the Celtics for peanuts. Nicknamed “Pest” for his diminutive stature (6’1″) and relentless defense, Bryant filled the void of perimeter shutdown defender left by K.C. Jones’ 1967 retirement. His highest scoring game during the ’68-’69 season was 17 points but he equalled or topped that three times in the NBA Finals, including the decisive games six and seven to help send out Bill Russell as an 11-time champ. Bryant played one more post-Russell season with the Celtics before closing out his career with the Buffalo Braves.

22) Johnny McCarthy (1964)

The first player ever to record a triple-double in their NBA playoffs debut, McCarthy has since been joined on that list only by Magic Johnson and LeBron James (editor’s note: as of this writing in 2018). It was accomplished as a member of the Hawks, with whom McCarthy would lose NBA Finals matchups against the Celtics in 1960 and 1961. Waived by the Hawks after injuring his leg and losing his starting job to Lenny Wilkens, McCarthy had a brief stint in the short-lived ABL, then signed with the Celtics. He arrived in Boston expecting to battle for the starting point guard spot in the wake of Bob Cousy’s retirement, but instead found himself third on the depth chart behind K.C. Jones and rookie Larry Siegfried. The last player off the bench, McCarthy averaged just 1.3 points per game in ’63-’64, then made only one appearance during the playoffs, in garbage time of a game two NBA Finals win over the Warriors. He retired after that to become a coach, with a career that included one season with his hometown Buffalo Braves and a few years with his alma mater, Canisius University.

21) Jim Loscutoff (1957, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964)

Affectionately known to Boston fans as “Loscy,” Loscutoff was an old school enforcer in the vein of the Celtics’ arena co-inhabitants, the Boston Bruins. That style and attitude granted Loscutoff his other major nickname, “Jungle Jim,” and made him a crucial part of six Celtics title runs. Loscutoff never put up big stats, with career averages of 6.2 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. But he was invaluable to Red Auerbach as Bill Russell’s on-court bodyguard, deterring physical opponents like Bob Pettit and Red Kerr from hammering Boston’s captain. This was a far cry from Loscutoff’s college career, when he led Oregon in scoring with 19.2 points per game in his senior year and was drafted third overall in 1955. But Loscutoff’s enduring success is a testament to his selflessness and to Auerbach’s ability to spot and mold role-based talent and clutch performances. Never was that more evident than in game seven of the 1957 NBA Finals, when Loscutoff scored only three points but that included two clutch free throws at the end of the second overtime that proved the difference in a 125-123 win.

20) Jack Nichols (1957)

Pro basketball, dentistry, or the marine corps? Not your typical career decision, but the one facing Nichols in 1948. He opted for all three, spending nine seasons in the NBA, taking a break in-between to serve as a U.S. Marines officer, and interspersing his time with dental school. Not sure if this says more about Nichols’ talent or the overall dearth of it in that NBA era, but he still managed to average 13.8 points and 7.9 rebounds per game in his first five seasons despite the distractions. Originally drafted by Red Auerbach to the Washington Capitols, the pair reunited in 1953, when Nichols was traded from the Hawks to the Celtics. He was Boston’s starting power forward and leading rebounder in ’55-’56, won a title in a lesser role in ’56-’57 backing up rookie Tom Heinsohn, retired in 1958 after finishing his doctorate, and eventually became a team dentist for the SuperSonics. Nichols did get one notable earlier opportunity to combine his two main careers. When Bob Cousy lost a tooth from an errant elbow during the 1957 Finals, Nichols sprung into action to attend to his teammate on the court.

19) Don Chaney (1969)

The only player to suit up alongside both Bill Russell and Larry Bird, Chaney spent 10 of his 13 NBA seasons with the Celtics to bridge that gap. With Sam Jones set to soon retire, Chaney was drafted in the first round in 1968 as a potential long-term replacement. He didn’t join the team until late January due to mandatory U.S. Army service and got barely any playing time upon his return, appearing in just seven playoff games for a total of 25 minutes. Jones and Russell retired that offseason and Chaney did become a key component of Boston’s rebuild. One of the premier perimeter defenders of his era, Chaney was named All-Defensive in four straight seasons and his heavy pressure on Oscar Robertson was central to Boston’s 1974 title. He made a surprise jump one year later to the Spirits of St. Louis of the ABA, came back to the NBA with the Lakers post-merger, then was part of a rare Lakers-Celtics trade to return to Boston in 1977. Once again playing from the end of the bench but now as a veteran mentor, Chaney retired in 1980 to transition into coaching.

18) Larry Siegfried (1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969)

Siegfried never quite got over losing in the 1961 NCAA Tournament National Final to Cincinnati, which ended his Ohio State Buckeye’s undefeated campaign. His animosity was so strong that he refused to sign with the Cincinnati Royals when they drafted him third overall later that year. Not just due to the team’s locale but also due to the presence of his former University of Cincinnati rival, Oscar Robertson. Unsurprisingly, a player with such fierce competitiveness and capacity for contempt for opponents was a perfect fit on Bill Russell’s Celtics. After two seasons with the Cleveland Pipers of the ABL, Siegfried attended Celtics training camp on the advice of his former Ohio State teammate John Havlicek. With Bob Cousy recently retired, Siegfried became a crucial bench player at both guard positions, especially for his intense defense, which would inspire announcer Johnny Most to exclaim “Ziggy’s in his shirt tonight!” He won five titles with Boston, led the NBA in free throw shooting percentage twice, then extended his career into the early ’70s with the Rockets and Hawks before retiring.

17) Mel Counts (1965, 1966)

A seven-footer back when that was still rare, Counts was also distinct in his straddling not only the ’60s Celtics-Lakers divide, but also the Bill Russell-Wilt Chamberlain rivalry. With Boston, Counts was Russell’s understudy for two NBA Finals victories over the Lakers, in 1965 and 1966. With the Lakers, he played in brutal NBA Finals losses to the Celtics in 1968 and 1969, the latter backing up Chamberlain. Auerbach drafted Counts in the first round in 1964 (one spot before the Knicks took Willis Reed) to study under Russell and eventually take over when the legend retired. Unfortunately for Counts, the assiduous Russell was not slowing down in the least, averaging 47.4 minutes per game in the 1965 and 1966 playoffs, allowing scant opportunities for his backup. This rendered Counts expendable, and he was exchange for Bailey Howell to the Bullets, who turned around and dealt him a year later to Los Angeles. Late in game seven of the 1969 Finals, Counts was infamously subbed in for Chamberlain and left out on the floor by coach Butch van Breda Kolff despite Chamberlain pleading to return.

16) K.C. Jones (1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966)

He was never much of a stat filler, but one thing about Jones was that he was tough. How tough was he? So tough that while at University of San Francisco, he once played in a game through pain that was later discovered to be from a burst appendix. So tough that he almost made the roster for the Rams in 1959 despite being seven years removed from his last organized football experience. So tough that even on a Celtics squad renowned for its sui generis brand of tenaciousness, Jones stood out. He was reunited in Boston with Bill Russell, his former teammate and alley-oop recipient in college and on the 1956 U.S. Olympic team. Jones’ career highs with Boston were only 9.2 points and 6.3 assists per game but thanks to his defense, he was a constant in the lineup, especially as Bob Cousy’s replacement at point guard. Jones won a title in each of his first eight NBA seasons, an accomplishment unmatched in the major U.S. team sports. He undoubtedly would have earned more if not for his career starting late due to U.S. Army service. Jones retired after nine seasons at age 34 and immediately transitioned into coaching, eventually leading the Celtics to titles in 1984 and 1986.

15) Willie Naulls (1964, 1965, 1966)

One year before Bill Russell was named captain of the Celtics, Naulls became the first Black player to earn that designation in any major U.S. team sport, with the Knicks in 1960. Sold to the Celtics in 1963, Naulls teamed up with Russell to make further history during the ’64-’65 season, as the first all-Black starting lineup (with K.C. Jones, Satch Sanders, and Sam Jones). All of this is not to say that Naulls’ breaking of color barriers is his only notable credentials. A combo forward with two-way skills, Naulls made four All-Star teams with the Knicks, and finished as high as seventh in the NBA in scoring, with 25.0 points per game in ’61-’62. In his first six NBA seasons, Naulls had made only one, brief playoff appearance but that changed significantly upon joining the Celtics. Acquired mainly to provide needed depth at forward, Naulls provided a little bit of everything on the floor in three seasons with Boston before retiring. This included his previously proven scoring prowess, most notably in the 1964 NBA Finals against the Warriors, when he dropped 16 points in game one and 18 in game three.

14) Wayne Embry (1968)

Cast aside in 1966 despite making five All-Star appearances for the Royals, Embry was considering retirement at age 29 to take a job with Pepsi when Red Auerbach phoned him. Nicknamed “The Wall” for his impenetrable screens, Embry had battled Bill Russell to a near draw in three playoff series, earning the respect of the Celtics legend. Auerbach traded a third round pick to the Royals for Embry and then convinced him to play one more season. Turns out, backing up Russell and finally winning a title was more enticing than the role the Royals offered Embry, confined to the bench and mentoring rookie Walt Wesley. When the Celtics were upset in the 1967 Conference Finals by the 76ers, Embry had to be coaxed back one more time. It turned out successful with a 1968 championship ring and then Embry shockingly played another season with the Bucks, a turn-back-the-clock performance after they selected him in the expansion draft. Citing Auerbach as an influence, Embry immediately moved into front office work upon retiring, and in 1972 became the first Black general manager in league history.

13) Carl Braun (1962)

In the decade before the Celtics made history with eight consecutive titles, the Knicks had their own heartbreaking accomplishment with three straight NBA Finals losses. First signed by the Knicks in 1947, Braun was on the roster for all three of those seasons but only active for one of them due to military service. Just as his individual career subsequently peaked, making five consecutive All-Star Games, the Knicks floundered in the standings and Braun seemed cursed. Though he was a certified franchise legend and still the team’s leading scorer, the Knicks waived Braun in 1961 as part of a rebuild. The then 34-year-old signed with the defending champion Celtics, willing to take on a lesser role if it meant finally winning a title. Essentially a third string point guard, Braun appeared in just six postseason games in 1962, averaging 4.2 points per game. But it was mission accomplished, as the Celtics defeated the Lakers in a thrilling NBA Finals for a fourth consecutive title. Braun retired as a champion and returned to New York to start a career as a stock broker.

12) Don Nelson (1966, 1968, 1969)

Dumped unceremoniously by the Lakers in 1965, after playing minor minutes in an NBA Finals loss to the Celtics, Nelson signed with the cross-country rivals and got his revenge. Despite being an All-American at Iowa, Nelson was unable to crack the rotation in two seasons with the Lakers, or prior to that with the Chicago Zephyrs, who drafted him in 1962. Red Auerbach and the Celtics unleashed Nelson’s potential, prioritizing him as an accurate and efficient bench scoring forward whose defensive deficiencies could be hedged by Bill Russell behind him. After averaging 5.1 points per game with the Zephyrs and Lakers, Nelson put up 10+ per game in eight of his first nine seasons in Boston. Nelson was a crucial part of Russell’s final three titles, all of which came against his ex-employer Lakers. This was especially true in 1969, when Nelson scored by the final basket of the Russell era, a series clinching jumper in game seven of the NBA Finals. Alongside fellow ’60s holdovers John Havlicek and Don Chaney, Nelson remained with the franchise through its 1974 and 1976 titles, then retired to move into coaching.

11) Andy Phillip (1957)

When the Chicago Stags folded in 1950, Red Auerbach targeted their star guard Phillip in the ensuing dispersal draft. When the Warriors nabbed him instead, Auerbach had to settle for some other guy named Bob Cousy. Six years, five All-Star Games, two Finals appearances (1955 and 1956), and three assist titles later, Phillip finally landed on the Celtics when the Pistons waived him. Of course, by then Cousy had developed into the league’s premier floor general, with six All-Star appearances and five assist titles of his own. Now 34 years old and well past his prime, Phillip accepted a backup role behind Cousy. This certainly limited opportunities, as Cousy led the NBA in playoff minutes played in 1957 while Phillip averaged 2.2 points and 1.7 assists per game. But Phillip did take the floor in all 10 postseason games and finally won his long-awaited championship. He hung around for one more season which ended in a Finals loss to the Hawks. Though his contributions to the dynasty were limited, Phillip was technically the first Celtics champion to be inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame, in 1961.

“As the certified team leader when the Celtics drafted Russell in 1956, [Bob] Cousy has recently lamented that he didn’t do more to help Russell feel more welcome amidst the racism of Boston fans, going so far as to publicly apologize for not speaking out at the time.”

10) Satch Sanders (1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969)

Born Thomas Sanders, the “Satch” moniker came from his resemblance to baseball legend Satchel Paige, while his other nickname, “The Quiet Man,” was bestowed by teammates because Sanders let his game do the talking. As part of a tri-force of defensive ferocity with Bill Russell inside and K.C. Jones on the perimeter, Sanders manned the middle. His versatility was a large component of his defensive value, able to effectively cover small forwards like Elgin Baylor, power forwards like Jerry Lucas, and centers like Willis Reed. In his first nine seasons in the league, Sanders earned eight championships, the most of any player in NBA history aside from Russell himself and Sam Jones. He was also a terrific rebounder and exceedingly consistent, averaging 11.2 points and 7.3 rebounds per game in the final eight seasons of the Russell dynasty. Just as the Celtics had built a new title contender a few years after Russell’s retirement, Sanders was forced to step away due to complications from knee surgery. He later became a coach, including a brief stint with Boston in the late ’70s.

9) Arnie Risen (1957)

Before the ’60s NBA centered around the Bill Russell-Wilt Chamberlain rivalry, the prior decade was defined by big man showdowns between Risen and George Mikan. Despite being listed at only 6’9″, Risen was a force to be reckoned with in the paint and the first superstar in Kings (then the Rochester Royals) franchise history. He was named to the first four NBA All-Star Games, averaged a double-double in each of the first five seasons the league tracked rebounds, and led the Royals to a 1951 title run which included an upset of Mikan’s Lakers. Already 30 years old when the Celtics traded for him, which was essentially ancient back then, Risen took on a more secondary role in Boston. He did get some major playing time early in the ’56-’57 season, keeping the seat warm at center while Russell was earning an Olympic gold medal in Melbourne, but also missed half the regular season due to a fractured wrist. After winning the title in 1957, Risen returned for one last season and proved vital again, filling in valiantly at center in the 1958 NBA Finals when Russell was waylaid by a sprained ankle.

8) Frank Ramsey (1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964)

If it wasn’t for Ramsey, the Celtics dynasty may have ended before it even got started. In double overtime of game seven of the 1957 NBA Finals against the favored Hawks, Ramsey played the hero with a buzzer beater winner. Maybe it’s presumptuous to call that a historically pivotal play, as the Celtics likely would have still won multiple titles in the ’60s even if they fell short that time. But it was certainly monumental and the start of Ramsey’s centrality to seven Celtics championships. As was the norm for his career, Ramsey didn’t start in that game seven but he did finish it. With his deft scoring touch and ability to stay focused, Ramsey was tabbed by Red Auerbach to revolutionize the then unheard of but now ubiquitous sixth man function. Despite his bench role, Ramsey averaged 15+ points per game for five straight seasons in his prime. He also saved some of his best performances for the biggest NBA Finals moments, like a 29-point explosion in game one in 1959 and his 23 points and clutch free throw shooting in game seven in 1962.

7) Clyde Lovellette (1963, 1964)

In ’51-’52 with Kansas University, Lovellette became the first and still only player to win an NCAA title and lead the nation in scoring in the same season. At the NBA level, he bookended his career with championships but in a vastly different role. In his rookie year, Lovellette was George Mikan’s backup for the fifth and final title of the Minneapolis dynasty. Mikan retired that summer and Lovellette spent his prime as the offensive focal point of teams with lesser ambitions. Over the next four seasons, he averaged 21.1 points and 12.8 rebounds per game and made two All-Star teams, but came nowhere near an NBA Finals return. Traded to the Hawks in 1958, Lovellette did battle with Bill Russell in the 1960 and 1961 Finals, both Celtics victories. As part of a 1962 rebuilding project, the Hawks traded Lovellette to the Celtics. Now 33 years old and laboring with a broken foot, Lovellette didn’t have much to offer but he did give the Celtics what Red Auerbach wanted, veteran leadership and a warm body to occasionally spell Russell. After two title seasons, Lovellette retired to go into coaching.

6) Bailey Howell (1968, 1969)

No longer coach and now full-time general manager, Red Auerbach recognized that a roster refresh was in order in 1966. Bob Cousy was retired, Sam Jones was aging, and Bill Russell was taking on a player-coach burden. Additionally, other teams were catching up to Boston’s roster building ethos, threatening to end the dynasty. Auerbach found his veteran infusion in Howell, a five-time All-Star with the Pistons and Bullets. In ’66-’67, Howell became the first player since Tom Heinsohn in 1957 to make an All-Star team in his debut Celtics season. Boston fell short of the Finals that year but Howell was crucial to the subsequent 1968 title run. He was the Celtics’ third leading playoffs scorer, with 18.1 points per game, and had a massive performance in the clinching game six of the NBA Finals, with 30 points and 11 rebounds. In the 1969 postseason Howell was crucial again, especially in a grueling Conference Finals victory over the Knicks. When his scoring was lagging or not needed, Howell would continue to thrive with his offensive rebounding, a skill that earned him the nickname “Garbage Man.”

5) Bill Sharman (1957, 1959, 1960, 1961)

Baseball was Sharman’s first love and his NBA debut was delayed by several years spent in the Dodgers farm system. But basketball was his true calling, first in becoming the prototypical shooting guard and later in capping his career with four titles. Sharman and Bob Cousy were the first elite back court in the NBA, which was otherwise dominated by centers in its first two decades. Acquired by the Celtics in 1951 in a dispersal draft, Sharman had more combined points, rebounds, and assists during the ’50s than any player besides Cousy and Dolph Schayes. He was 1st-Team All-NBA four times, 2nd-Team All-NBA three times, played in eight All-Star games, and led the league in free throw percentage seven times. But Boston’s postseason success was limited until ’56-’57, when Sharman and Cousy were joined by rookies Bill Russell and Tom Heinsohn and a dynasty was born. Already 30 years old at that point, Sharman still managed to stay effective for five more seasons, winning four titles. He then became a coach, eventually leading the rival Lakers to a 1972 title.

4) Tom Heinsohn (1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965)

A territorial pick of the Celtics after playing college ball at Holy Cross in nearby Worcester, on the same day they acquired Bill Russell, Heinsohn hit the ground running in the NBA. In his rookie season alone, he was an All-Star, Rookie of the Year, and leading playoff scorer on a championship team. In fact, Heinsohn was the team’s leading scorer quite often, in a prime that ended prematurely due to his almost perverse aversion to health and wellness. Just as players like Russell were modernizing the basketball player ideal with diet and exercise, Heinsohn stuck with his fast food and chain smoking. But despite his apathetic approach to fitness, Heinsohn stayed effective on the court and was additionally Boston’s leading scorer in the 1960, 1961, and 1963 playoffs that all ended in titles. One year after his 1965 retirement Heinsohn was offered the head coaching job by Red Auerbach, but turned it down in deference to Russell. Heinsohn wouldn’t stay away for long though, taking over the clipboard in 1969 after Russell retired and guiding the Celtics into their next great era, winning titles in 1974 and 1976.

3) Sam Jones (1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969)

Only Bill Russell himself has won more NBA championships than Jones, his ultimate teammate and one of the all-time great clutch shooters. Russell himself put it best when he recalled that Jones took six shots during his career in which the season was at stake, and never missed. Picking up the shooting guard mantle from Bill Sharman, Jones made five All-Star teams, was 2nd-Team All-NBA three times, and averaged 19+ points per game six times. But his real value came in the playoffs, like his series clinching jumper in game seven of the 1962 Conference Finals, or his NBA record 47 points in game seven of the 1963 Conference Finals, or his crucial buzzer beater in game four of the 1969 NBA Finals to tie the series 2-2. In nine do-or-die playoff game sevens in his career, Jones averaged 27.1 points and finished with a 9-0 record. When he retired alongside Russell in 1969, Jones went down as the leading scorer of the Celtics dynasty, both in the regular season (15,411 points) and postseason (2,909).

2) John Havlicek (1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969)

Bill Russell may have labelled Sam Jones as the best athlete he ever played with but he left even higher praise for Havlicek, calling him the best all-around player he ever called a teammate. It was a fitting accolade for a player who could do essentially anything on the floor, like a Russell in miniature. Havlicek was in turns a play maker, scorer, rebounder, defensive stopper, or glue guy depending on what the Celtics needed at any given moment. Despite coming off the bench for much of his early career, taking over Frank Ramsey’s sixth man role, Havlicek was often Boston’s leading scorer both in the regular season and in playoff series. But his most renowned moment was a defensive play, a series clinching steal in game six of the 1965 Conference Finals against the 76ers that announcer Johnny Most immortalized with the call “Havlicek stole the ball!” Havlicek’s scoring was most crucial in the 1969 NBA Finals, when he kept the sometimes otherwise anemic Celtics offense afloat with 28.3 points per game. 29 years old when Russell retired, Havlicek’s career was not even halfway over, winning two more titles with Boston in the ’70s, a Finals MVP award, and setting the NBA record for games played.

1) Bob Cousy (1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963)

An NBA All-Star in all 13 seasons he played, Cousy carried the Celtics in the years before Bill Russell arrived, then rode his star teammate’s wave to seven titles. Boston reached the Conference Finals three straight years with Cousy as their best player, but never further. Russell’s rookie year was not only Cousy’s first championship, but also his MVP award season. His accomplishments beyond that are legion. Cousy led the league in assists eight straight seasons, was 1st-Team All-NBA 10 straight seasons, and was an elite defender to boot. With a flashy, dynamic style that would seemingly run anathema to the Russell ethos, Cousy’s incredible decision making and intense perfectionism were his real contribution to the Celtics “machine” in six title seasons. They called it the “Boston Tear Party” when Cousy returned to the Garden in 1964 for his retirement ceremony, as his emotions ran heavy while his #14 was lifted to the rafters. As the certified team leader when the Celtics drafted Russell in 1956, Cousy has recently lamented that he didn’t do more to help Russell feel more welcome amidst the racism of Boston fans, going so far as to publicly apologize for not speaking out at the time.