The John Havlicek Interview
By:
Michael D. McClellan
|
Thursday, October 18th,
2007
You were selected by the Celtics in the first round of the 1962 NBA Draft.
Take me back to that moment in your life - what was it like for you to join
a team that had just won its fourth title in five seasons, and one loaded
with great players like Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, Bill Sharman and Sam Jones?
I
think that I was lucky to be drafted by the Celtics. No question about
that. I remember that when I learned that I was drafted by the
Celtics, Bob Knight said that that was the greatest thing that could have
happened to me because the Celtics played my style of basketball. And
like you just mentioned, I wasn't forced to come in and be a savior or
anything like that, because they had a lot of hall of fame players on that
team. You did have a Bill Russell, a Cooz, a Sharman, a Sam Jones.
You also had Heinsohn and KC [Jones]. You had Frank Ramsey.
It made my transition a lot smoother than had I been drafted to play
elsewhere. I was able to ease in. I just sort of became a part
of that process, where they were using me a little bit here and there, and
whatever, and over time it evolved into a bigger and better leadership role
for me.
I think the people that you involve yourself with, and who help you along the way, these people all play a part in some sort of design or pattern in what you're going to become. The same was true with me when I joined the Celtics. Looking back at when I was drafted, in my wildest dreams I didn't think I'd be able to do what I did during my career with the Celtics. I was able to learn from other people on that team, and you learn from winners like Bill Russell and KC and Sam and Cooz and Ramsey.
When I came to Boston, Ramsey could have felt threatened and could have made life hard on me, but he didn't. He was the opposite of that. He said, 'I'm so glad you're here because you're going to add two years to my life, because I can't do it as much as I used to and I'm hoping you'll step in and help me.' That was totally different experience from what I expected as a rookie, because when you go to training camp everyone is working to protect their job. They don't want to see some guy come in and knock them off the team or take away their minutes. It was totally different with the Celtics. It was a secure team, and we embraced each other, and it was a great marriage.
As a rookie, how did you find your niche on team loaded with stars?
Well,
one of the things that I knew about Red Auerbach was that he loved defensive
players. He understood that defense was what meant the difference
between simply reaching the playoffs and winning a championship.
If you look at those early Celtics teams that he coached, they were very
good on the offensive end but weren't the best defensively. All of
that changed with Bill Russell. When I arrived I knew that Tom
Sanders, KC Jones, Russell and Sam Jones were all great defenders. At
Ohio State, that was basically my job - to be the defensive stopper.
So, I felt then and still feel today that the quickest way into the NBA is
to play defense. If you have NBA ability and can play defense you'll
have an opportunity to succeed, because great defenders are never a
liability. Offense is all about instinct, and with the great teams
that I was on I had an opportunity to find my place on offense as well.
I had great hands, which really helped me, and I loved playing with Cousy
that one year that we were together because the ball was going to be right
where you needed it most of the time. As I started out as a rookie I
was playing maybe five minutes a game early in the season. But as I
gained more confidence, and as Auerbach gained more confidence in me, I
ended the year with about twenty minutes per game, which was about fourth
best in the league for rookies. So, that's how I fit in with the
Celtics - I came in, played solid defense, and I worked hard on the
offensive end to earn the trust of my coach and teammates.
Were you surprised to be selected by the Celtics?
No,
not really. It
never hurts to be on a team that is successful, and I knew Red Auerbach often
times would draft a person based on the type of program the person was involved
with. He was well aware of Ohio State's program and the success that we'd
enjoyed, and he knew the caliber of players we had on those teams. He knew
that we had won a national championship, and that we were competing for a
championship every year. So there were a lot of good things about me that
he took into consideration based on the kind of program that I came from.
He knew that if I could contribute at a high level on such a successful team, he
figured that I should be able to make the transition to the pros and be able to
help the Celtics.
Your rookie season with the Celtics was also the final season for the
incomparable Bob Cousy. Even though you only played one season
together, what were you able to learn from one of the greatest players in
NBA history?
As
a rookie, I quickly came to appreciate Cousy's court vision. I think
that was the one thing that I learned from him, and I was able to develop
it because Bob Cousy was such a visionary on the floor. I think that
you pick up a lot from your teammates. I was never a great ball handler or
anything like that, but I tried to never lose sight of the ball at any time
while I was on the basketball floor. The other thing is that I had a lot of
movement to my game, a constant motion that really challenged defenders on a
number of levels. I was never standing around. And that creates a lot
of opportunities. Cousy always had the presence of mind to find me in
situations where I was able to move and free myself for an open shot.
His court vision was unbelievable, and it helped me to see the court better
- the passing lanes, the angles, things like that. Those are the
things that I took away from my rookie season with Bob Cousy.
You were such a great athlete that the Cleveland Browns also drafted you,
intrigued by your potential as a wide receiver. What was it like
experimenting with a career in the NFL?
I
had decent speed, especially for that era, but it wasn't great speed. I
believe I was timed at 4.6 in the 40-yard dash. That's slow by today's
standards. Today you have plenty of defensive linemen who run faster than
that. But I could catch the ball. I had really good hands.
That, and my height, were the things that really caught the Browns' interest.
Please tell
me a little about the Browns' hall of fame head coach, the late Paul Brown.
Interestingly
enough, Paul Brown and I really liked each other. I really appreciated
the
way he ran things as a coach, the way everything was so precise. He was very
meticulous, very detail-oriented, which really matched who I was as a person, so Paul
Brown was definitely my kind of coach. I enjoyed my time in a Browns
uniform, even though it became clear early on that football wasn't my strong
suit athletically - especially when compared to playing basketball. Brown was very
nice about it when he let me go. He knew I had something to go to, that I
had a future playing professional basketball. So it really worked out best for everyone
involved.
Were you really serious about playing football for the Browns?
I
was going to try and play both sports. But the good Lord has a way of
playing a part in those types of decisions. I think He made it pretty
clear that I was cut out for basketball and not football.
You've mentioned the great Bill Russell, and what he meant to turning the
Boston Celtics into world champions. Please
tell me what it was like to play with Russell.
There
was no bigger winner, no better champion in basketball history, than my
friend Bill Russell. Russell was the kind of player who never
concerned himself with personal goals - he put his team above all else, and
in the process he made his teammates better players. If you were a
scorer, you were six-to-eight points better because Russell was around.
If you were a good defensive player you became a great defensive player,
because with Russell hanging around you were able to do things that you
weren't ordinarily able to do. You could take more chances, apply more
pressure, knowing that Russell was back there protecting the basket.
Obviously, playing with Russell for all of those years meant that you were going to be in the mix for a championship, and winning those titles were the most important things in my career. Forget about the points, rebounds and assists or whatever, the championships are things that they can't take away from you, and with Russell being involved, and being involved with him, you always knew that you had a chance. And obviously, eleven championships in thirteen years is quite a remarkable feat, and that's exactly what Russell accomplished during his career with the Celtics. I was happy - and fortunate - to be on eight championships teams, six of them with Russell.