When we consider the all-time greats who were Boston Celtics players, two names immediately come to mind: Bill Russell and Larry Bird. Both are deeply ingrained in NBA history and have significant roles in Celtics tradition.

In their illustrious history, the Celtics have undoubtedly had their fair share of superstars. With 36 players and 4 coaches, Boston has more inductees into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame than any other team. Who is the greatest player in Celtics history, in terms of ranking the greatest of the best?

Sorry, Russell, but Bird is the greatest Celtics player of all time. Russell, a five-time MVP who possesses what may be the best NBA resume ever, is

not being disparaged here. Russell, a 6-foot-10 center, led the league in rebounds four times, won eleven championships, and was selected to 12 All-Star teams.

Russell’s defense-first philosophy altered the way the game was played. He was a formidable shot-blocker and rebounder who tricked his opponents.

Early in the 1963 season, Russell remarked, “Basketball is a game that involves a great deal of psychology,” as reported by Sports Illustrated. “Securing the ball, stopping a shot, or stealing a pass are not the psychology of defense. The goal of the psychology is to cause the attacking team to break from their routine. The best player in this game of habits is the one who possesses the most consistent set of habits. When playing defense, my goal is to force the offensive player to do what I want rather than what he wants.

Russell was superior in rebounding and shot blocking, but Bird excelled in all other areas. He improved people around him as well.

When Bird entered the NBA in 1979–80, he took a 29–game winning Celtics team and turned it into the league’s top team with 61 wins. On his way to winning Rookie of the Year, he averaged 21.3 points and 10.4 rebounds.

The Celtics pulled off a lopsided trade with the Golden State Warriors in his second season, bringing back veteran center Robert Parish in exchange for the third pick in the draft—which they used to choose Kevin McHale. In his four years with the Warriors, Parish had been a decent center, but in his first season under Bird, he was named an All-Star for the first time in his career.