Larry Bird, Bob Cousy and more: The best starting 5 in the history of the Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics are one of the most successful NBA franchises of all time. They are tied for first place for the most championships in NBA history with 17.

The Celtics had a chance to take the sole spot at the top of the list this year. Unfortunately, they lost to the Golden State Warriors in the 2022 NBA finals.

In this article, we will pick the best all-time starting five for the Boston Celtics. Considering how many NBA legends have played for this franchise, choosing the best of them is quite a challenge.

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Center - Bill Russell

Bill Russell is one of the most dominant players in NBA history. His place on the list is well-deserved. While the 6-foot-10 center wasn't the best scorer of his era, his defense and rebounding made him very valuable to the franchise.

He won 11 NBA championships, including eight straight from 1959 to 1966. Russell won the championship in 11 out of 13 seasons, which sounds completely unbelievable!

Career stats with the Celtics: 15.1 PPG, 22.5 RPG, 4.3 APG

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Power Forward: Kevin McHale

Kevin McHale is a Boston Celtics legend and one of the best power forwards in the history of the game. His footwork was amazing. He was also a fantastic defender who was capable of guarding multiple positions.

The Hall of Famer won three championships with the Celtics. He was named an All-Star seven times. The power forward was also named the best bench player twice. He's received MVP votes in a few seasons as well.

Career stats with the Celtics: 17.9 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 1.7 APG, 0.4 SPG, 1.7 BPG

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Small Forward - Larry Bird

Larry Bird was a fantastic basketball player during his prime (Image via Getty Images)

The Boston Celtics have had a lot of incredible small forwards throughout their history, from John Havlicek to Paul Pierce. However, no one was as fantastic as Larry Bird.

Bird won three MVP awards, three NBA championships, and was a 12-time All-Star. His shooting touch was incredible, but he was also a great defender and a ball distributor.

Aside from his incredible skills on the court, Larry Bird gets a lot of credit for reviving the NBA during its bad times.

Career stats with the Celtics: 24.3 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 6.3 APG, 1.7 SPG, 0.8 BPG

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Shooting Guard - Sam Jones

Sam Jones won 10 NBA championships in 12 years with the Boston Celtics. He was one of the greatest scorers this franchise has ever had. He was named an All-Star five times during his impressive career.

Jones played during the golden age of the Boston Celtics, yet he managed to make himself stand out and lead the team in scoring in five different seasons.

Career stats with the Celtics: 17.7 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 2.5 APG

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Point Guard - Bob Cousy

Bob Cousy is another player from the golden age of the Boston Celtics who won six championships during his amazing career. Cousy was one of the pioneers of playmaking. He led the league in assists in eight different seasons.

In addition to these impressive accolades, the 6-foot-1 point guard made 13 All-Star teams and 12 All-NBA teams.

Career stats with the Celtics: 18.5 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 7.5 APG