BOSTON — John Havlicek's legacy was built over 16 years with the Boston Celtics, eight of them as NBA champions, making him among the best to ever play the game.
One play immortalized him forever.
"Havlicek stole the ball! "Havlicek stole the ball!" Celtics radio announcer Johnny Most screamed, a moment that remains among the famous plays in NBA history.
The Celtics said Havlicek died Thursday in Jupiter, Florida. He was 79. The cause of death wasn't immediately available. The Boston Globe said he had Parkinson's disease.
Voted one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history, Havlicek's steal of Hal Greer's inbounds pass helped the Celtics hold off Philadelphia in the 1965 Eastern Conference final.