1) Dave Cowens

Celtics history can seem so distinctly segmented, with the Bill Russell ’60s giving way to the Dave Cowens ’70s and then the Larry Bird ’80s. Drafted with the fourth overall pick in 1970, Cowens never did team up with Russell but he did get a chance at the end of his career to take the floor with Bird. Years of banging in the paint with larger opponents like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and diving to the floor for loose balls had taken a toll on Cowens’ body by then and he struggled throughout the ’79-’80 season with lingering ankle issues. He was initially slated to return in ’80-’81 for his 11th season but instead abruptly proclaimed his retirement on the team bus before a preseason game, an announcement that Bird would later admit left him shocked and concerned for the upcoming season. But it would turn out to be a blessing in disguise for Boston, freeing up front court playing time for newly acquired big men Robert Parish and Kevin McHale, who helped the Celtics return to glory with an NBA Finals victory over the Rockets. As for Cowens, he made a surprising comeback with the Bucks in ’82-’83 before retiring again for good.

2) Steve Mix

As Magic Johnson stewed in the locker room following the Lakers’ sweep at the hands of the 76ers in the 1983 NBA Finals, one of his teammates was instead down the hall spraying champagne and celebrating with the enemy. That was Mix, a steady combo forward with a bruiser mentality and a reliable lefty jump shot who was a breakout star for the Sixers in the mid ‘70s. He took on a lesser role in the offense once Julius Erving joined the roster but was still a key bench component for Sixers teams that reached the NBA Finals in 1977, 1980, and 1982. The latter two losses came against the Lakers team that Mix signed with late in the ’82-’83 season as a stopgap depth option. He didn’t contribute much, appearing in just one regular season game and then logging only 26 minutes across eight playoff contests. It makes sense then that Mix’s allegiance would stand with the 76ers team that employed him for nine seasons and the teammates he had battled with in three previous Finals trips. He retired that summer at age 35 with four NBA Finals appearances but no titles.

3) Ray Williams

In ’78-’79, Gus Williams was on top of the world as the leading scorer on the championship winning Sonics. Meanwhile, his younger brother Ray was having a breakout season statistically but ultimately putting up big numbers for a dysfunctional, cellar dwelling Knicks team. Such was the pattern for much of his itinerant career, scoring in bunches for bad teams in the Knicks, Nets (for whom he dropped a long-standing record 52 points in one game), and Royals. But for one season, ’84-’85, Williams got to suit up for a contender in Boston. The first guard off the bench for much of the 1985 playoffs, Williams played solid minutes for the Celtics, most notably scoring 16 points in a first round game against Cleveland in which Dennis Johnson and Danny Ainge were struggling with foul trouble. But coach K.C. Jones shortened his rotation for the NBA Finals and Williams appeared only sparingly as the Celtics were defeated in six games by the Lakers. That was the beginning of the end of Williams’ career, the rest of which he spent struggling in brief stints with the Clippers, Hawks, Spurs, and Nets. Unfortunately, it was also only the beginning of his struggles in life. In 2010, the Boston Globe found Williams was living out of a car, news of which triggered Larry Bird and Kevin McHale (who was also Williams’ teammate at Minnesota) to step in and help him out financially.

4) Vlade Divac

It didn’t happen often in the Showtime years but the Lakers entered the 1989 offseason facing an uncertain future. Sure, they still had Magic Johnson, James Worthy, and Byron Scott in their primes, but they had also just been swept in the NBA Finals, Showtime stalwarts Mychal Thompson and Michael Cooper were aging out of relevance, and for the first time in 15 years, someone other than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was going to be their starting center. Enter Divac, whom the Lakers rightfully touted as a steal at the 26th pick. After spending one season coming off the bench behind Thompson adapting to NBA and American culture, Divac took over in the starting lineup in ’90-’91 and was an instant injection of young talent with his rebounding, shooting touch, and preternatural play making. Though the Lakers were defeated again in the 1991 NBA Finals, Divac was seen as a cornerstone of the team’s graceful transition from the Showtime era into the ‘90s. Of course, Johnson’s retirement changed all that and Divac spent the next few seasons putting up solid numbers for decent but non-contending Lakers teams. He did eventually contribute to five Lakers titles, not as a player but as the centerpiece of the 1996 trade to the Hornets for the draft rights to Kobe Bryant.

5) Dee Brown

Though the Celtics were actually a dynamic offensive team throughout the Larry Bird years, there was a conception that their best players were all non-athletic and staid offensively. No matter your level of credulity on the topic, it was still a little shocking either way to watch become the first Celtics player to participate in, let alone win, the Slam Dunk Contest, in 1991. It was Brown’s rookie season when his infamous no-look dunk took home the prize in Charlotte. Drafted by the Celtics in the first round to provide back court depth in the wake of Dennis Johnson’s retirement, Brown immediately played major minutes off the bench and became the first Boston player since Kevin McHale to be named 1st-Team All-Rookie. But Brown was one of numerous Celtics to struggle with injuries in ’91-’92, Bird’s final season, which ended with a Conference Semifinals loss to Cleveland. Though he never did fully recover physically from the torn MCL that cost him most of his sophomore campaign, Brown did became one of the steadier contributors for Boston after Bird stepped away.

6) Billy Ray Bates

One of the most powerful dunkers of his era, Bates gained the nickname “Black Superman” for his leaping ability and strength. He was also a troubled person, raised in poverty in rural Mississippi and struggling as a result in adulthood with alcoholism and a learning disability. His NBA career was mostly nondescript, save for back-to-back postseasons in 1980 and 1981 when Bates was an offensive force of nature for the Trail Blazers, averaging 26.7 points per game. Those dominant playoff performances were likely on Lakers general manager Jerry West’s mind when he signed Bates to a 10-day contract late in the ’82-’83 season. But Bates barely saw the floor in four games with Los Angeles and was subsequently left off the postseason roster. The only mark he really made during his time with the Lakers was by supposedly dunking violently on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in a practice session, drawing the ire of the legendary captain. That brief time in L.A. marked the end of Bates’ NBA career though he did move on to a successful stint in the Philippines, eventually winning three championships in the Philippines Basketball Association.

7) Jim Paxson

His career may have been superior statistically to his younger brother, John, and Jim Paxson may have made two All-Star appearances to John’s zero. But while John was a three-time champion with the Bulls, Jim never even made it to the NBA Finals. In fact, he only really came close once, towards the end of his career when he was traded to the Celtics. Prior to that, Paxson spent eight-and-a-half seasons as a high scoring combo guard for mostly mediocre Blazers teams. He was on the wrong side of 30 and losing his effectiveness by the time he finally joined a contender in Boston during the ’87-’88 season (acquired in exchange for Jerry Sichting) but Celtics fans considered Paxson’s back court scoring a potential final piece in returning the team to glory. Instead, Paxson struggled throughout the 1988 postseason, especially in the Conference Finals loss to Detroit. Even worse, he drew the ire of Larry Bird in ’89-’90 by supposedly leaking to the press that he and several teammates thought Bird was hogging the ball too much (Paxson continually denied involvement). Celtics fans didn’t take kindly to the intonation either and Paxson was persona non grata in Boston by the time of his 1990 retirement.

8) Sam Perkins

During a 17-year career in the NBA, Perkins made 15 playoff appearances, reached at the least the Conference Finals six times, and played in the NBA Finals on three occasions. But he never got to raise the Larry O’Brien trophy, not even as a teammate of Magic Johnson. First drafted by the Mavericks with the fourth overall pick in 1984, Perkins was the starting power forward on Mavericks teams that suffered playoff defeats to the Lakers in 1986 and 1988. He joined the other side in ’90-’91 and was the top rebounder and third leading scorer in the playoffs as the Lakers reached the 1991 NBA Finals. But when Johnson retired and took Showtime with him, Perkins was one of numerous Lakers veterans who struggled to fill the offensive gap. He would later make Finals appearance with the SuperSonics in 1996 and with the Pacers in 2000, losing in the latter to the new Lakers dynasty centered around Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant. Though Perkins never won an NBA title with Johnson, he did take home an NCAA championship as Michael Jordan’s teammate on the ’81-’82 North Carolina Tar Heels.

9) Brian Shaw
10) Rick Fox

No NBA player ever suited up alongside both Magic Johnson and Larry Bird but Shaw and Fox do have the distinction of being two of three players to be teammates with both Bird and another Lakers legend in Kobe Bryant (the third is Joe Kleine, for the record). Shaw was drafted by the Celtics in the first round in 1988 but spent a season playing in Italy instead due to a contract dispute with Red Auerbach. He eventually did return but was traded during the ’91-’92 season, eventually landing in Orlando as one of Shaquille O’Neal’s favorite teammate. After brief stints with the Warriors, 76ers, Blazers, and Rockets, Shaw followed Shaq to the Lakers, signing as a free agent in L.A. and ultimately winning three championships. One of his Lakers teammates was Fox, whose road to the Shaq/Kobe dynasty was decidedly different. Drafted by the Celtics in 1991, Fox was 1st-Team All-Rookie during Bird’s final season, nabbing major minutes at small forward as the Celtics legend struggled with injuries. Fox’s role continued to increase in Boston over the next few seasons until he was waived as part of the quixotic Rick Pitino decision making era. Thus, Fox found an ideal dual role as a do-it-all forward for the Lakers while simultaneously launching his acting career in Hollywood. There was an opportunity to Fox to play again for the Celtics, as the Lakers traded him back to his original team in 2004. But he opted to retire instead, going down as one of two players in NBA history whose entire career was spent with the Celtics and Lakers.

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By the numbers: Magic Johnson and Larry Bird’s teammates

	Magic Johnson	Larry Bird
Total teammates	78	61
Championships	5	3
Championship teammates	30 (38% of total teammates)	21 (34% of total teammates)
Most games as teammate	Michael Cooper (937)	Robert Parish (941)
Most games as teammate w/out title	Vlade Divac (221)	Reggie Lewis (256)
Least games as teammate w/title	Butch Lee (14)	Terry Duerod (63)
Teammates on every title team	2 (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Cooper)	2 (Kevin McHale, Robert Parish)

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11) Petur Gudmundsson

A few years before landing Vlade Divac, the Lakers had another lesser known European trail blazer on the roster. Because not only was Gudmondsson the first (and, to this day, still only) Icelandic player in NBA history, he was also the first European player to be drafted without U.S. high school experience (he did play NCAA ball at Washington). It was the Blazers who bestowed Gudmondsson with that honorific in 1981 but the 7’2” Icelander struggled to adapt to American play and culture and returned to his native country after one season in Portland. He re-surfaced late in the ’85-’86 season as a free agency signing for a Lakers team desperate for depth behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Pat Riley was shockingly impressed with the backup big man and wound up giving him solid minutes in a postseason that ended with the Lakers getting upset by the Rockets in the Conference Finals. Gudmundsson signed a multi-year contract with the Lakers in the ensuing offseason but started suffering from back spasms that summer and never suited up for the team again. While the Lakers were celebrating their 1987 title, Gudmundsson was rehabbing in San Antonio, as the Lakers traded him during the season as part of the deal for Mychal Thompson.

12) Don Chaney

No Celtics player managed to win a championship with both Bill Russell and Larry Bird but Chaney came incredibly close. In fact, Chaney is the only player to even be teammates with both Russell and Bird. A star shooting guard at the University of Houston, Chaney was a first round pick of the Celtics in 1968 but found playing time sparse in his rookie season on the veteran team, as they won the 11th and final title of Russell’s career. By the time the Celtics were back winning a championship in 1974, Chaney was one of their top players and one the league’s leading perimeter defenders. He moved on to brief stints with the Spirits of St. Louis and Lakers before returning to the Celtics in 1977 via a rare trade between the bi-coastal rivals. Now on the wrong side of 30 and struggling with wear-and-tear on his body, Chaney played only minor minutes in his second go-around in Boston. He was left off the playoff roster in 1980 and retired after the Celtics were knocked out in the Conference Finals. 

13) Maurice Lucas

One of the most feared defenders, rebounders, and enforcers of the late ‘70s, Lucas had his heyday with the Trail Blazers, especially on their ’76-’77 championship team, when he averaged a career high 11.4 rebounds per game and made his first of four NBA All-Star Game appearances. But Lucas’ career lasted well into the ‘80s, when the well-conditioned power forward aged gracefully into a journeyman. That included stints with the Nets, Suns, SuperSonics, and Lakers, who traded for Lucas ahead of the ’85-’86 season. Coming off the bench behind Kurt Rambis, Lucas was solid for Los Angeles, averaging 10.2 points and 7.4 rebounds per game, though his playing time and production did fall off some during the playoffs. After the Lakers were upset by the Rockets in the 1986 Conference Finals, Lucas was waived and eventually closed out his career back in Portland. One more Lakers connection for Lucas: Bill Walton was so found of Lucas during their time together on the Blazers that he named his son and future Laker Luke after him.

14) Reggie Lewis

One silver lining of the disappointing ’88-’89 Celtics season, which started with Larry Bird tearing his Achilles’ and ended with the team getting swept in the postseason first round, was the breakout of Lewis. A first round pick one year prior, Lewis showed only brief flashes of his incredible talent in a rookie season spent mostly on the bench but was resplendent in ’88-’89, especially in that playoff series loss to the Pistons where he averaged 20.3 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. Celtics fans dreamed big of the endless potential in this young talent, who was drafted one year after Len Bias’ untimely death. But Lewis was ultimately a tragedy as well, passing away at age 27 in 1993 from a rare heart defect. Prior to that, he put in three solid seasons playing alongside Bird, averaging 18.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per game, and appearing in the 1992 All-Star Game (which also would have been Bird’s 11th and final appearance but he had to withdraw due to injury). Though Lewis was individually brilliant, he did little to stem the tide of the waning Celtics dynasty, never managing to advance past the Conference Semifinals.

15) Orlando Woolridge

When the Lakers signed Woolridge in 1988, the franchise envisioned a performance similar to early Showtime staple Bob McAdoo. Like McAdoo, Woolridge was a previously elite scorer who struggled in his prime due to injuries and off-court issues and was therefore available as a low-risk, high-potential flyer. In fact, Woolridge’s suspension for a drug infraction while playing for the Nets is what led him to the Lakers’ door step, as he received treatment at a rehab clinic in the Los Angeles area. But unlike McAdoo, who revived his career in L.A. by gracefully accepting a role as a versatile sixth man and won two championships, Woolridge struggled to adjust to his new role and found playing inconsistent as a result. He also failed to earn a championship with the Lakers, who were swept in the 1989 NBA Finals by the Pistons. Though Woolridge improved in ’89-’90, the Lakers considered the bench forward expendable and traded him away to the Nuggets for a pair of second round picks. Woolridge actually did enjoy a brief career revival in Denver, averaging 25.1 points per game in ’90-’91 in Paul Westhead’s up-tempo offense.

16) Stojko Vrankovic

In the waning seconds of the championship game of the ’95-’96 EuroLeague season, Vrankovic made one of the most celebrated plays in international basketball history, an incredible block, akin to LeBron James’ in the 2016 NBA Finals, to seal the title for Panathinaikos. It was a career peak for Vrankovic and a far cry from his time with the Celtics. Part of the same Yugoslavian generation that produced Vlade Divac, Drazen Petrovic, and Toni Kukoc, the 7’2”, Croatian-born Vrankovic honed his reputation as an intimidating rim protector playing for his national team (including at the 1988 Olympics, when they earned silver) and for the club Zadar. But that failed to translate when the Celtics signed him as a free agent in 1990. Struggling with the pace and speed of NBA games, Vrankovic barely saw the floor as the Celtics suffered early playoff defeats in 1991 and 1992. He returned to Europe after that and built his legend in Greece, where he teamed up with Dominique Wilkins to lead Panathinaikos too three Greek League titles in addition to that 1996 EuroLeague championship.

17) Swen Nater

It was a homecoming of sorts for Nater when he joined the Lakers in 1983. Though born in the Netherlands, Nater moved to Los Angeles as a child, eventually playing his high school ball in Long Beach and then matriculating under John Wooden at UCLA. He never started a game for the Bruins (in fact, he averaged just 4.9 points and 4.0 rebounds per game backing up Bill Walton) but Nater was an intriguing enough prospect to be drafted in the first round by the Bucks. He joined the ABA instead, kicking off an eclectic pro career that carried Nater from the Virginia Squires to the Spurs to the New York Nets to the Bucks to the Buffalo Braves to the San Diego Clippers (where he was briefly once again backing up Walton) to finally the Lakers, as part of the return in the Norm Nixon trade. Essentially a third-string center behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bob McAdoo, Nater didn’t see much of the court in ’83-’84 but did make history as the first Dutch player to play in the NBA Finals (Rik Smits would eventually become the second).

18) Artis Gilmore

The 1988 Eastern Conference Finals between the Celtics and Pistons was a star-studded affair, featuring nine future Naismith Hall of Fame inductees. When Detroit closed out the series in six games, it was not only the retrospective closing of the Larry Bird Celtics dynasty, it was also the end of the career of one of those enshrined legends, Gilmore. One of the greatest rebounders and most efficient shooters in basketball history, Gilmore made six NBA All-Star and five ABA All-Star appearances, is fifth in ABA/NBA history in total rebounds, and won a championship with the Kentucky Colonels in 1975. But he was 38 years old upon signing with the Celtics in January of 1988 as a veteran insurance policy in the front court depth chart. Gilmore actually put up some decent numbers early on for the Celtics, even starting in four games, but by the playoffs he was almost completely out of the rotation and averaged just 1.0 points and 1.2 rebounds per game in that Conference Finals loss to the Pistons.

19) Elden Campbell

His (contentious) relationship with a different Lakers teammate, Shaquille O’Neal, was Campbell’s more well known L.A. association but his career started at the end stages of Showtime. An elite rebounder and defender out of Clemson, Campbell was the Lakers’ first round pick (#27 overall) in 1990. He projected as a long-term complementary front court player alongside Vlade Divac (which made perfect sense but his skills were superfluous next to O’Neal’s, hence the future tension) and didn’t play much as a rookie behind Mychal Thompson, A.C. Green, and Sam Perkins. But following Magic Johnson’s retirement and the team’s slow rebuild, Campbell became a mainstay in the starting lineup. In fact, he eventually went down as the Lakers’ leading scorer of the ‘90s, even though he seemed to be at the center of near constant trade rumors. Though Campbell never won a title in Los Angeles, he did earn a ring in 2004 with the Pistons, upsetting his former teammates in the NBA Finals.

20) Pete Maravich

Though he was raised in Pennsylvania and played high school ball in North Carolina, a young Maravich reportedly always dreamed of suiting up for the Celtics. It almost happened immediately, as the Celtics held the fourth pick in the 1970 NBA Draft but Maravich went one selection earlier to the Hawks. A decade later, he finally get to fulfill his fantasy of donning Celtics green but the circumstances were sadly unfortunate. By then, “Pistol Pete” was a shell of his former self due to major knee injuries and was only available to sign with Boston because the Jazz had unceremoniously waived him halfway through the ’79-’80 season. His contributions off the bench were heavily inconsistent but occasionally sublime, most notably a 31-point outburst late in a late season win over the Pacers. Most importantly, Maravich finally got to play for a contender, reaching the Conference Finals for the first and only time in his career, where the Celtics fell to the 76ers. Though he likely could have hung around another season as a long range specialist (the three-point line had just been instituted), Maravich decided that enough was enough with his achy knees and retired.

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