“I might like to be on the Mount Rushmore of Celtics,” Jayson Tatum advised The Messenger’s Jeff Goodman earlier this month. “[Larry] Fowl, [Bill] Russell, Paul Pierce and people guys. They paved the best way.”
Tatum’s chat with Goodman made its rounds all through the Celtics neighborhood for good cause. He had loads of encouraging ideas to share, together with aspirations to win titles, be named to All-Defensive groups, and naturally, be thought of amongst the storied franchise’s greats.
The Celtics might need the steepest Mt. Rushmore to climb of any NBA group. The Lakers’ could also be simply as steep, in equity to these purple and gold freaks. However, in all seriousness, it’s no easy process to be thought of one of many 4 biggest Celtics to placed on the uniform. It’s not even straightforward to select the 4 greatest, as you’re all going to inform me after I lay out mine in a second.
With all of that being stated, Tatum is somebody who actually has the power to get himself to that time, however he’s nonetheless bought loads of work to do.
Which 4 gamers make up the Boston Celtics present Mt. Rushmore?
Earlier than figuring out what it’ll take for Tatum to hitch three different Celtic greats on the group’s Mt. Rushmore, we first have to put out who’s already there. Boston has had so many legendary gamers who’ve helped them increase the 17 banners that cling above the parquet ground at TD Backyard. It’s robust to select simply 4.
Absolutely the locks:
Effectively, the 2 within the image above are there, definitely. I’m undecided there’s any fan who would argue that Invoice Russell and Larry Fowl don’t belong on the Mt. Rushmore of the best Boston Celtics.
Invoice Russell
Russell was the unique Celtic nice — it’d be not possible to have a Mt. Rushmore with out him. He had one of the best profession of any participant to don the inexperienced and white. Russell is taken into account by many to be the best winner in all of sports activities. He spent 12 seasons taking part in for the Cs and led Boston to 11 of their 17 NBA championships. Russell additionally served because the first-ever player-coach for his last two championship runs.
No. 6 was named to the NBA All-Star group in each single yr that he performed. He additionally took house 5 MVP awards and was named to 11 All-NBA groups, in addition to the NBA’s fiftieth and Seventy fifth-anniversary groups.
Russell averaged 15.1 factors, 22.5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per recreation over the course of his illustrious profession. His defensive numbers — particularly blocks — would’ve been otherworldly, had they stored observe of these stats when he performed.
Larry Fowl
Fowl is one other lock for Boston’s Mt. Rushmore. He joined the Celtics for the 1979-80 season and instantly made an influence. That group received 61 video games after profitable simply 28 the yr prior, with a largely related roster. Fowl’s 13-year tenure in Boston was riddled with success because the group made the playoffs each season.
The Indiana native led the Celtics to championships 14-16, taking house two Finals MVPs within the course of. On high of that, Fowl joined Russell and Wilt Chamberlain as the one gamers to win three consecutive MVP awards. He was additionally named to 12 All-Star groups, 10 All-NBA groups, and the NBA’s fiftieth and Seventy fifth-anniversary groups.
Fowl posted averages of 24.3 factors, 10.0 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per recreation whereas taking pictures 49.6% from the sphere and 37.6% from distance for his profession.
The ‘won’t be there perpetually’ guys:
I used to be going to simply title this class as “the opposite guys” however I didn’t really feel like that was honest to John Havlicek and Paul Pierce. The franchise’s two main scorers fill the ultimate two slots on my Celtics Mt. Rushmore. However, they won’t be on all people’s — and that’s okay. In addition they won’t be there perpetually, whereas Russell and Fowl don’t appear to be transferring.
John Havlicek
Havlicek is third on the Mt. Rushmore energy rankings. He was a key a part of the success of the Russell-led Celtics groups but additionally served as the pinnacle of the snake within the years after Invoice’s retirement. Hondo’s groups received titles within the 1974 and 1976 seasons, serving to to proceed Boston’s profitable custom. In complete, he captured eight NBA championships over the course of 15 seasons.
The person accolades had been there as properly. Havlicek earned 13 All-Star choices, and 11 All-NBA choices, received Finals MVP in 1974, and was named to each the NBA’s fiftieth and Seventy fifth-anniversary groups.
For his profession, Havlicek averaged 20.8 factors, 6.3 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per recreation. His sustained scoring output has him trying down in any respect different Celtics because the franchise’s main scorer.
Paul Pierce
Pierce is the participant that will most certainly have his spot taken by Tatum. In a franchise the place success is closely measured by championships, the Inglewood native has only one. In 2008, he took house the Finals MVP as Boston captured its seventeenth NBA title.
Although Pierce wasn’t in a position to convey the Celtics to the promised land once more, he did function a significant determine within the group’s more moderen historical past. For starters, he helped them return to prominence after the darkish ages of the mid-to-late Nineteen Nineties. The Fact spearheaded a complete new period of Celtics basketball, changing into a hero to lots of the youthful followers — together with myself. He spent 15 seasons in Boston, then performed one other 4 elsewhere earlier than retiring.
No. 34 earned 10 All-Star choices, All-NBA choices, and a range to the NBA’s Seventy fifth anniversary group. Pierce averaged 19.7 factors, 5.6 rebounds, and three.5 assists per recreation whereas taking pictures 44.5% from the sphere and 36.8% from deep. He sits simply behind Havlicek as Boston’s second-all-time main scorer. On high of all of that, the commerce that ended his Celtics tenure is the rationale that Tatum is even part of the group.
Honorable Mentions:
Tommy Heinsohn and Crimson Auerbach would most likely be on my Mt. Rushmore if it wasn’t purely primarily based on taking part in careers — to not say that Tommy’s wasn’t spectacular.
Auerbach is the patriarch of Celtics basketball and performed a key function within the group’s sustained success all through its historical past. He coached the Russell-led juggernauts and helped to assemble the Nineteen Eighties Large 3.
As for Tommy, he simply merely dominated. He was inducted into the Basketball Corridor of Fame as a participant and as a coach — and can probably be honored as a broadcaster down the road. He’s most likely the best Celtic ever by way of embodying what anybody who places on the jersey ought to attempt to be for the franchise.
What’s it going to take for Jayson Tatum to earn a spot on Boston’s Mt. Rushmore?
Effectively for starters, he’s going to need to win a title. Tatum stated it himself throughout his sit-down with Goodman.
“The one factor all these guys have is chips,” he stated. “I’ve to get to the highest of the mountain to even be thought of as a type of guys. I need to be an all-time nice. I need to be often called a winner.”
Proper now, Tatum is in a bizarre spot the place he’s undoubtedly probably the most gifted gamers the franchise has ever seen — most likely essentially the most gifted since Fowl — however he hasn’t received a championship. There’s no Celtic who has had Tatum’s expertise who hasn’t received a title with the group — at the least me and my 24-year-old mind can’t consider any.
So far as resume constructing goes, he’s carried out a superb job in his early profession. The previous Duke star has been to the playoffs in every of his six seasons and has solely didn’t make the Japanese Convention Finals twice. In 2022, he spearheaded the Celtics make their first Finals look in 12 seasons.
Personally, I believe he’d be capable to handle to edge Pierce off of the Mt. Rushmore with only one title if he performs his total profession in Boston. However, with the quantity of expertise he possesses plus the supporting casts he’s had the fortune of taking part in with, one championship looks like it’d be a little bit of an underachievement.
Tatum will actually start to carve out a spot with two or three championships in Boston. If he’s in a position to win these, then he may very properly be part of Russell and Fowl as a Mt. Rushmore lock. After all, you’d need to think about that if No. 0 has that quantity of success and performs out his NBA profession with the Celtics then he’d finally overtake Havlicek because the franchise’s main scorer as properly.
What do you suppose? What’s it going to take for Tatum to be part of Boston’s Mt. Rushmore? Who do you might have in yours? Do you suppose I’m an fool?
Let me know within the feedback, thanks for studying!
