Special Editor
MANIA, Hustle Player

In any field, someone who has dedicated a long time to their craft is called a 'master.' After 20 years as an NBA fan, I bring you the hidden stories in NBA history through the eyes of a seasoned NBA master.

※ This content is part of a special collaboration with MANIA and features unique items from the Eland Museum.

In basketball, the term "Sixth Man" refers to a player who, despite not being a starter, plays a crucial role off the bench. While the game typically begins with the five best players, the Sixth Man is the player who is just as important as those on the court.

The Sixth Man usually emerges naturally from the bench, but sometimes coaches deliberately deploy this strategy by placing a starter-caliber player on the bench. The first coach to effectively utilize this tactic in the NBA was Red Auerbach, the mastermind behind the Boston Celtics dynasty.

The first Sixth Man that Auerbach chose for Boston was Frank Ramsey, a swingman with exceptional scoring ability. Despite his talents, the team already had All-Star shooting guard Bill Sharman, so it made sense to start Ramsey as the small forward. However, Auerbach had a different plan. He placed Ramsey on the bench and started Jim Loscutoff, a player known for his defense and hustle. Auerbach’s thinking was simple: while the game is played with five players, only one ball is in play, so using Loscutoff for defense and hustle allowed Ramsey to dominate the scoring from the bench. This Sixth Man strategy was one of the keys to Boston’s dominance in the 1950s and 60s, leading to 11 championships.

As Ramsey's career was winding down (back then, players over 30 were considered near retirement), Auerbach looked for a new Sixth Man. He found him in a recent Ohio State graduate—John Havlicek, the player who would help lead Boston to eight championships.

Havlicek wasn’t a top-tier prospect when he was drafted. Although he was part of Ohio State’s 1960 championship team, the spotlight was on his teammate, the college star Jerry Lucas. All eight teams before Boston passed on Havlicek, and it was only when Boston had the last pick of the first round that they selected him. Though his talents were underrated, Auerbach’s sharp eye for talent didn’t miss him.

Like with Ramsey, Auerbach deployed Havlicek as a Sixth Man, with defensive specialist Tom Sanders starting at small forward. Havlicek’s relentless defense allowed Boston to rotate him and Sanders against the opposing team’s best swingman, harassing them for the full 48 minutes. But Havlicek was more than just a defender; he was also a potent scorer, taking on the second scoring option role behind Sam Jones. He handled the ball as well as any point guard and had great passing instincts, making him a versatile threat on the court.

Joining the league’s top team from the start, Havlicek enjoyed four straight championships (1963-66) from the moment he entered the NBA. Despite being a Sixth Man, he was recognized as a key contributor to those titles. In the 1965 Eastern Division Finals Game 7, he made a dramatic steal to secure the victory for Boston, leading to the legendary call by announcer Johnny Most: “Havlicek stole the ball!” In the 1966 Finals against the L.A. Lakers, Havlicek held Elgin Baylor in check while averaging 23.3 points and 10 rebounds, helping Boston win a grueling seven-game series.

The following year, Boston was upset in the Eastern Division Finals by their rivals, the Philadelphia 76ers, led by Wilt Chamberlain, ending their streak of eight consecutive championships. Determined to rebound, Boston avenged the loss in the 1968 playoffs, defeating Philadelphia and then facing the L.A. Lakers in the Finals.

By now, Havlicek had evolved beyond a Sixth Man, firmly establishing himself as Boston’s top option. He started in the Finals, playing every game and averaging 27.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 6.7 assists, leading Boston to another title.

*Although Havlicek delivered a Finals MVP-worthy performance, the award did not yet exist.

In the 1968-69 season, Boston was written off as past its prime, finishing fourth in the East as Bill Russell and Sam Jones aged. But while his teammates may have been slowing down, Havlicek was just entering his prime. The Celtics faced the Lakers again in the Finals, with Havlicek and Russell playing every minute of the series. Havlicek averaged 28.3 points and 11 rebounds, leading Boston to its 11th championship.

*This was the first Finals in which the MVP award was given, and although Havlicek was deserving, the award went to Jerry West of the Lakers, who became the only player from a losing team to win it.

This victory marked the end of an era for Boston, as Russell and Jones retired, and the Celtics dynasty appeared to be over. But for Havlicek, it was the beginning of a new chapter. After the 1969-70 season, he transitioned from Sixth Man to full-time starter, taking on the role of team leader.

With the departure of his veteran teammates, Boston struggled and missed the playoffs for two consecutive years. However, as young stars like Dave Cowens and Jo Jo White emerged, the Celtics began their climb back to prominence in the 1970s.

In the 1972-73 season, Boston won an astounding 68 games, the best in franchise history, but injuries to Havlicek in the Eastern Conference Finals led to a disappointing loss to the New York Knicks. Despite his shoulder injury, Havlicek volunteered to come off the bench, displaying his signature toughness, but it wasn’t enough.

Determined to bounce back, Boston reached the Finals in the 1973-74 season for the first time in five years, facing the Milwaukee Bucks, led by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. As the team’s elder statesman, Havlicek carried the Celtics, averaging 26.4 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 4.7 assists in a seven-game battle, earning the Finals MVP and cementing his legacy.

이로 인해 카림은 NBA 역사에서 유일무이한, 플레이오프 탈락 팀 출신의 시즌 MVP가 되었다. 아울러 70년대 명실상부한 ‘패왕’으로서 그 명예를 회복한 순간이기도 했다.

As Havlicek entered his mid-30s, he began to pass the torch to younger stars like Cowens. When Boston won the championship again in 1976, Havlicek earned his eighth ring. Although no longer the central figure, he remained the team’s emotional leader, guiding the next generation to glory.

Havlicek retired after the 1977-78 season, ending a 16-year career with 1,270 games played—an NBA record at the time. Half of his career was spent as the league’s best Sixth Man, and the other half as the team’s undisputed leader, making him an icon of perseverance and passion.

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