NBA: Bill Russell and the 9 Other Greatest Players in Boston Celtics History

Seventeen championships and 21 NBA Finals appearances makes it as grinding a task as any to pick out the 10 greatest players in Boston Celtics history.

Bill Russell, Paul Pierce and Tiny Archibald are just three of many of the greats to ever wear a green-and-white uniform.

The Celtics are a team that have boasted a plethora of talent since the league began. They are a team that continues to have potential Hall of Fame veterans in Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen.

Here are the 10 best Boston Celtics players of all time.

10. Nate Archibald

Nate "Tiny" Archibald is arguably one of the better point guards in Boston Celtics history.

At just 6'1'' and 150 pounds, Archibald was an elusive point guard who was quick as any in the league during his time. With the Celtics, Archibald averaged a consistent six to eight assists and averaged 14.1 points per game in his second season with the team in the 1979-1980 season.

9. Kevin Garnett

Boston Celtics starting forward Kevin Garnett is going into his fifth season with the team this season.

Garnett has been a proven talent in the league since his days with the Minnesota Timberwolves, as his transition to the Celtics proved just the same. In his first year with the team, he was able to help the Celtics raise up their 17th NBA championship banner.

That season, Garnett also won the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year award. Garnett has brought a defensive mentality to a team that hasn't had a defensive identity since the days of Larry Bird and Kevin McHale in the 1980s.

8. Rajon Rondo

Some would argue Rajon Rondo is not ready to make this list, as is a point guard who still has much to improve on and make a statement in the league. Yet, he is a proven winner and already has one NBA championship to his name.

In a bigger perspective, the Celtics are not exactly a team known for their stellar point guard play. There is Nate Archibald (who came to the Celtics at the end of his career), Bob Cousy and others, yet Rondo deserves his spot as a top five point guard in team history and a top 10 spot in Celtics history.

In the 2010-2011 season, Rondo averaged 10.6 points and 11.2 assists per game. Rondo is also a point guard who rebounds as well as any in the league, grabbing at least four rebounds a game since averaging 3.7 his rookie season.

7. Kevin McHale

Boston Celtics top forward Kevin McHale is a player who helped the Boston Celtics win games when the league was as tough as it had, arguably, ever been.

The three-time NBA champion won titles in 1981, 1984 and 1986 with the Celtics. Alongside Celtics greats Larry Bird and Robert Parish, McHale would help this team win three championships in six seasons.

For his career, McHale averaged 17.9 points and 7.3 rebounds and played with the Celtics until the 1993 season. In the 1986 championship season, McHale averaged a whopping 21.3 points and 8.1 rebounds for the season.

6. Tom Heinsohn

The well-known Boston Celtics TV voice was also arguably one of the best Boston Celtics players in team history.

Tommy Heinsohn played with the Celtics for nine seasons and never played with another team. He was a tough, hard-nosed power forward who had a knack for scoring the basketball. For his career, Heinsohn averaged 19.8 points per game and 9.2 rebounds per game.

Heinsohn won eight championships in nine seasons with the Celtics and was chosen to six All-Star games as well. He was known as a solid defensive talent in the league.

5. John Havlicek

John Havlicek was a player for the Boston Celtics and was a part of what most consider the "Bill Russell era."

Alongside Russell, Havlicek was able to help the Celtics win eight championships in his 16 seasons with the team. Havlicek played with the team from 1962 to 1978.

The forward out of Ohio State University averaged an impressive 20.8 points and 6.3 rebounds a game for his career. What makes it all the more impressive is that Havlicek did not have much of a drop-off in his final seasons in the league. In his last year in with the team, he averaged 16.1 points, four assists and four rebounds per game.

4. Bob Cousy

Bob Cousy is a top five player in Boston Celtics history and arguably the best point guard of all time to play in Boston.

Cooz played 13 season with the team and averaged a consistent 7.5 assists per game for his career. He was an All-Star each season in the league, a feat many would find nearly impossible to accomplish. Cousy was a part of six NBA championship teams with the Boston Celtics.

A Hall of Famer and arguably one of the better point guards to ever play the game, Cousy easily gets the fourth spot on this list.

3. Paul Pierce

Boston Celtics current starting forward, Paul Pierce, is easily one of the better scorers in the league today. He is also arguably the best scorer in Celtics history, along with Larry Bird.

Pierce has averaged 22.2 points per game for his career and 21.4 points per game in the playoffs. Pierce is a scorer who can get it done in many ways, whether it's getting to the free throw line, taking a step back jumper or shooting the three-point shot.

An all-around beast offensively, Pierce is also a defensive talent who is known for matching up against some of the best offensive players this league has to offer.

Pierce helped the Celtics to win an NBA championship in the 2007-2008 season.

2. Larry Bird

Talk about one of the all-time NBA greats.

Larry "Legend" is arguably one of the top 30 NBA players of all time, as he easily owns the second spot on the Celtics' all-time greatest players list.

Bird was a scorer who could do it all, much like Pierce—whether it was with his jump shot, free-throw shooting or three-ball. He was able to win three championships and made a lot of his offense work with his stagnant, in-your-face defensive play.

His defense and three NBA championships are what ultimately separate him from Paul Pierce in the rankings. Bird is also a player known for coming up in the clutch and putting his team on top, something Pierce has done—but not to the extent of Bird.

"French Lick's Finest" in some eyes is the best Boston Celtics player in the team's history.

1. Bill Russell

Bill Russell. Need I say more?

The Celtics Hall of Fame center won 11 championships in 13 seasons, including eight consecutive championships. He was arguably the best center in NBA history and now has the NBA Finals MVP trophy named after himself. Talk about a legacy.

Russell averaged 15.1 points and 22.2 rebounds for his career with the team. In 1959-1960, arguably his best season with the team, Russell was putting up 18.2 points and 24 rebounds per game for the team—numbers unthinkable in today's game.

Russell is easily the best player to ever wear a Boston Celtics uniform and could be considered a top 10 player in NBA history.