Lakers News: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jerry West React To John Havlicek’s Passing

Matt Borelli
2 Min Read
Manny Rubio-USA TODAY Sports

On April 25, 2019, the NBA lost one of their most accomplished players of all-time as John Havlicek passed away at the age of 79.

Havlicek enjoyed a 16-year career with the Boston Celtics that included 13 All-Star selections and a whopping eight NBA championships.

Tributes have poured in from NBA stars past and present including one from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who recalled his first interaction with Havlicek, via Twitter:

Jerry West, who played against Havlicek in six NBA Finals, recalled his work ethic and progression to stardom, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN:

During his stint with the Celtics, Havlicek averaged 20.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game. He enjoyed what was arguably his best statistical season during the 1970-71 season when he posted a career-high 28.9 points per game.

Havlicek was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1984 and is one of only four players in NBA history to win at least eight championships.

Matt Borelli covers the Los Angeles Lakers as a staff writer for Lakers Nation and holds similar responsibilities for Dodger Blue, a sister site with an emphasis on the Los Angeles Dodgers. He also contributes to RamsNewswire.com and RaidersNewswire.com. Among Matt's all-time favorite Lakers moments include Kobe Bryant's 60-point performance over the Utah Jazz in his final NBA game, and Derek Fisher's game-winning buzzer-beater against the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the 2004 Western Conference Semifinals. Follow Matt on Twitter: @mcborelli.
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