Best Current Boston Celtics Players
The Boston Celtics are one of the most storied franchises in the NBA. Having won a record 17 NBA Finals and championships, the Boston Celtics have solidified themselves and the franchise amongst the upper echelon in the league.
And with their current NBA playoffs run, the Boston Celtics continue to embrace their winning ways and are a favorite to win the 2021-22 NBA Finals.
But just who are the best current Boston Celtics players?
Below, we are going to look at the best players on the Boston Celtics right now and for the 2022-23 NBA season. This post is also being continuously updated with any new additions to the team, so be sure to check back as new players are added to the team.
Quick History of the Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are an American basketball team based out of Boston, Massachusetts. They are a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference, the Boston Celtics play their home games at TD Garden.
Founded in 1946, the Boston Celtics are one of the league’s original eight teams. Playing their home games at TD Garden, the Boston Celtics share the arena with the hometown franchise the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Regarded as one of the best and most successful franchises in NBA history, the Boston Celtics are just one of two teams to win 17 NBA championships, with the other being longtime rival, the Los Angeles Lakers.
In addition, the Boston Celtics hold the current record for most recorded wins of any NBA team.
Best Former Boston Celtics Players
While we are going to review the best current Boston Celtics players and those for the 2022-2023 NBA season, it’s equally important to take a look at some of the former Celtics players who shaped the history of the team.
Below are just a few of the best former Boston Celtics players to play for the team. And while the list of the best former Boston Celtics players is, notably, long, we’ve whittled down the list to our top three.
Bill Russell
Without a doubt, Bill Russell is our top former Boston Celtics player. Having played center for the Celtics, Bill Russell was a force to be reckoned with.
A five-time NBA Most Valuable Player and a 12-time NBA All-Star, he was the centerpiece of the Celtics dynasty that won eleven NBA championships during his 13-year career.
In his college days, Russell led the San Francisco Dons to two consecutive NCAA championships in 1955 and 1956 and he captained the gold-medal winning U.S. national basketball team at the 1956 Summer Olympics.
Although Russell never averaged more than 19.0 points per game in any season, many regard him to be among the greatest basketball players of all time for his dominating defensive play. With superior shot-blocking and man-to-man defense, the Celtics were able to dominate other teams in the league for much of his career.
Larry Bird
Larry Bird was a symbol of Celtics greatness and one of the more recent names to be associated with the team.
Having won three NBA titles, two NBA Finals MVPs, three MVPs, 12-time NBA All-Star, nine-time All-NBA first team, 1980 Rookie of the Year, No. 33 retired by Celtics, Bird was the superstar the Celtics needed to help them through their slump.
In his career, Larry Bird averaged 24.3 points, 10 rebounds, and 6.3 assists. All while shooting 49.6% from the floor and 37.5% from the three-point line.
John Havlicek
John Havlicek spent his entire NBA career with the Boston Celtics, winning eight NBA championships, four of them coming in his first four seasons with the team.
In the NBA, he is just one of four players to have won eight championships in their playing careers, with only teammates Bill Russell and Sam Jones having won more.
Considered to be one of the best basketball players of all time, Havlicek was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball hall of Fame in 1984.
Best Boston Celtics Players Right Now
While the Boston Celtics have one of the most storied histories, the franchise continues to experience an extremely bright future. With several key pieces on their roster, the Boston Celtics are expected to make a significant push to the NBA Finals in the 2022-2023 NBA season.
Below are some of the best players on the Boston Celtics right now.
Jayson Tatum
Jayson Tatum is, without a shred of doubt, the best player on the Boston Celtics right now.
A native of the city of St. Louis, Missouri, Jason Tatum attended Chaminade College Preparatory School in St. Louis County.
He played college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils before entering the 2017 NBA draft and was selected with the third overall pick by the Boston Celtics.
A three-time NBA All-Star, Tatum won the 2019 Skills Challenge during the NBA All-Star Weekend. As part of Team USA, Tatum won a Gold Medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
In the 2021-22 NBA season, Jayson Tatum played 76 games, averaging just a shy away from 27 points per game, adding 8 rebounds and 4.4 assists to his profile.
Jaylen Brown
Jaylen Brown is another current phenomenal Celtics players, having played one year of college basketball for the California Golden Bears, during which time he was named first-team all-conference and Freshman of the Year in the Pac-12 Conference.
Jaylen Brown declared himself eligible for the NBA draft in 2016 and was selected by the Celtics with the third overall pick. In 2021, he was selected to his first NBA All-Star game.
Having played 66 games in the 2021-22 NBA season, Brown averaged 23.6 points per game, 6.1 rebounds, and 3.5 assists.
Al Horford
Rounding out the top three best current Boston Celtics players is Al Horford. A Dominican professional basketball player, Horford is frequently called “Big Al” and is a five-time NBA All-Star.
The highest paid Latin American basketball player, Horford was set to make $27,000,000 in the 2021-22 NBA season.
Having played college basketball for the Florida Gators and being their starting center in their back-to-back national championship teams, Horford was drafted in 2007 by the Atlanta Hawks with the third overall pick.
Al Horford played for the Hawks for nine seasons before signing with the Celtics as a free agent in the 2016 off-season. After playing three seasons with the Celtics, he signed with the 76ers in the 2019 off-season and played a season with the team before being traded in the 2020 off-season to the Thunder.
Prior to the 2021 season, Horford was traded back to the Celtics.
In the 2021-2022 NBA season, Al Horford would play 69 games, averaging just over 10 points per game, 7.7 rebounds, and 3.4 assists.