10 Greatest role players in NBA history

#5 Danny Ainge - Boston Celtics

Danny Ainge as a member of the Boston Celtics in the early 1980's. (Image courtesy: celticsblog.com)

After the trio of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish, it's easy to forget the rest of the Celtics that helped the franchise dominate the early part of the 1980's decade. In his eight seasons with the team from 1981-89, he averaged 11.3 points, 4.4 assists, 2.8 rebounds on 48.7% shooting while playing about 28.1 minutes.

Not only was he a huge value for the production he provided for how long he was on the court but he could play on both ends of the court. He was traded from the Celtics in 1989 to the Sacramento Kings. From then till he retired in 1995, Ainge also played for two other teams - the Portland Trailblazers and the Phoenix Suns.

He was a crucial member of the Suns team that went to the NBA Finals in 1993. Alas, they came up short to the Michael Jordan and the Bulls, which kept Ainge's championship tally at two (1984, 86).