[Buckskin86]

Hondo grew into legendary Havlicek
Celts great recognized
By Rich Thompson / The Tradition
Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Ohio State guard Mel Nowell wasn?t very good with pronunciations, but he pegged a nickname that spawned a legend.

Nowell was a Buckeyes teammate of Celtics [team stats] Hall of Famer John Havlicek and legendary college coach Bobby Knight, both of whom were part of the seventh annual The Tradition festivities last night at TD Banknorth Garden.

Nowell had a difficult time saying Havlicek, but Nowell saw a likeness in Havlicek that resembled a swaggering Hollywood actor.

?Nowell just couldn?t pronounce my name properly when I was a freshman so he started calling me Hondo,? Havlicek said. ?I asked him why and he said I looked like John Wayne from the side and the movie Hondo was very popular at the time. It started there and it just sort of stuck with me. I sort of liked the name. It was fine.?

Knight, who presented Havlicek with The Tradition?s Lifetime Achievement Award, was quick to point out that nicknames don?t create legendary basketball players. Havlicek, Knight, Nowell and Jerry Lucas led Ohio State to the NCAA championship in 1960.

Knight knew Havlicek had the skills and competitive instincts that would guide him through two distinct Celtics dynasties and land him in the Basketball Hall of Fame.

?He created a legend because of the kind of player he was,? Knight said. ?I?m not a big John Wayne fan. I would have preferred if he (Nowell) called him Clark Gable, but it was his ability and his competitiveness. That was John Havlicek, not this guy Hondo. The first time I saw him play I knew he was going to be a really good player because he was a great athlete and he had a great mind on how to play. He was the best I ever saw at going from one level to another.?

Hondo grew into legendary Havlicek - BostonHerald.com

John Havlicek?s a star for many sports, eras
By Rich Thompson
Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Former Celtics [team stats] guard/forward John Havlicek transitioned two Boston dynasties.

Havlicek extended the Bill Russell era to the end of the 1960s and created a second run of championships with Dave Cowens in the 70s.

For his contributions on the parquet and charitable endeavors in retirement, Havlicek will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at the seventh Tradition ceremony tonight (5:30) at TD Banknorth Garden.

?He sort of had a foot in both eras,? said The Sports Museum curator Dick Johnson. ?You could make a pretty good argument that John was the best pure athlete to ever play for the Celtics and maybe the best

John Havlicek’s a star for many sports, eras - BostonHerald.com