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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Justin Quinn

How many of the NBA’s official 50 greatest in 1996 were Boston Celtics?

In 1996, the NBA decided to assemble a panel of 50 players, media members, and team representatives in total to select the 50 greatest players of the league’s first 50 years on the anniversary of the NBA’s first season of 1946-47.

The league again plans to assemble a similar list to honor the 75th anniversary of its foundation in 2021, but before we begin to recount which alumni of the Boston Celtics were added to the list, let’s take a look at the old one. Dominated by names once populating the championship eras of the team from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, a total of 14 of the NBA’s 50 greatest players once donned the green and white.

Let’s review who made the cut, and when they were Celtics.

Nate Archibald (1977-83)

(AP Photo/Bob Child)

Dave Bing (1977-78)

(AP Photo/Reed Saxon)

Larry Bird (1979-92)

(AP Photo/AB)

Bob Cousy (1950-63)

(AP Photo)

Dave Cowens (1970-80)

Manny Rubio-USA TODAY Sports

John Havlicek (1962-78)

Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Network.

Sam Jones (1957-69)

Darryl Norenberg-USA TODAY Sports Network

Pete Maravich (1980)

Dick Raphael-USA TODAY Sports

Kevin McHale (1980-93)

Dick Raphael/NBAE via Getty Images

Shaquille O'Neal (2010-11)

David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Robert Parish (1980-94)

(Photo by Dick Raphael/NBAE via Getty Images)

Bill Russell (1956-69)

(Charles Hoff/NY Daily News via Getty Images)

Bill Sharman (1951-61)

(NBA Photo Library/NBAE/Getty Images)

Bill Walton (1985-87)

Dick Raphael-USA TODAY Sports

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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