Boston Celtics: 10 Best Trios in Franchise History

Since the NBA lockout began, the topic of debate surrounding the Boston Celtics has been whether or not Paul Pierce and the "Big Three" have what it takes to contend for a title this season. Consequently, it's only fitting to recognize the many superstar trios to ever play for the Celtics.

The concept of the "Big Three," for the average NBA fan of this generation, may have first come into play in 2008 with the acquisitions of Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett by the Celtics, to play alongside Paul Pierce.

Yet, in reality, having three greats take the court has been a common occurrence in C's history, and is a significant reason there are 17 championship banners and over 30 Hall of Fame inductees.

Whether its Allen, Garnett and Pierce or Larry Bird, Robert Parish and Kevin McHale of the '80s, there has been a plethora of Big Threes in Celtics history.

Where does the current superstar trio rank with the best in team history? Is there no trio better than the one of the '80s, that featured the great "Larry Legend?"

These are the 10 best "Big Three"s in Boston Celtics history.

No. 10: Paul Pierce, Antoine Walker, Kenny Anderson

With countless disappointing seasons in the '90s, many forget that the Boston Celtics had several opportunities to make the Eastern Conference Finals, and lost 4-2 to Jason Kidd and the New Jersey Nets in the 2001 Eastern Conference Finals.

A young Paul Pierce, alongside top-knotch players at the time in Antoine Walker and Kenny Anderson, the Celtics were just two games away from playing in the 2001 NBA Finals.

That season in particular, both Pierce and Walker averaged over 22 points per game, with Walker putting in 22.1 and Pierce 26.1 a contest. The two also combined for over 16 rebounds a game.

Anderson was the third piece on the team that was crucial in making the deep playoff runs. Anderson averaged 9.6 points, 5.3 assists and 1.9 steals in the 2001 regular season.

No. 9: Larry Bird, Reggie Lewis, Kevin McHale

Reggie Lewis was arguably one of the more underrated players in Boston Celtics history, as he was a big-time contributor in his short-lived NBA career. Playing alongside veterans Larry Bird and Kevin McHale, the Celtics were a playoff contender for several seasons.

In the 1990-91 and 1991-92 seasons, the Celtics were playoff contenders but lost each year in the second round of the playoffs. Although not with the championship level of play as in the 1980s, these Boston Celtics were a winning team and had plenty going for them.

Given that Bird and McHale were getting older, and Lewis was the better overall player at the time of the three, the Celtics were essentially doing as well as they could, getting through the first round each of those two seasons.

No. 8: Larry Bird, Cedric Maxwell, Dave Cowens

Larry Bird was in his rookie season in 1979 when he was playing alongside Cedric Maxwell and Dave Cowens.

Cowens was a big-time contributor for the Celtics teams years before, but he was at the later stage of his career, while Maxwell and Bird were the younger talents.

The three played just one season together, as it was during the 1979-80 season where the Celtics lost 4-1 in the Eastern Conference Finals to the Philadelphia 76ers.

In that season, the team had an impressive 61-21 record, with Bird leading the way with over 21 points per game.

Maxwell was also a scoring threat, while also managing to clean the glass efficiently and play solid defense. Cowens put up an impressive 14.2 points and 8.1 rebounds per game that season, at age 31.

No. 7: Bill Russell, Sam Jones, John Havlicek

When you have a team that boasts the talents of Bill Russell, Sam Jones, John Havlicek, Tommy Heinsohn and Bob Cousy, it is of utmost difficulty to select just one threesome. Russell, Jones and Havlicek is just one of the several trios that can be made from this group of Hall of Famers.

These three were especially effective together in the 1962-63 season, where they won the 1963 NBA Championship over the L.A. Lakers.

That season, Sam Jones led the team with 19.7 points per game, while Russell chipped in 16.8 points a contest. Havlicek was just 22 years old, just beginning his memorable career with the team.

No. 6: Bill Sharman, Bob Cousy and Ed McCauley

Bob Cousy, Bill Sharman and Ed McCauley are easily three of the top 25 Celtics players to ever put on a uniform. Together, the three were as sound a trio as there was in team history, as they were also one of the first trios to be formed.

Starting in the 1950-51 season, these three were the centerpiece of the Boston Celtics team, before the great Bill Russell even came into the picture.

The three played together until 1956, while Sharman and Cousy continued to play together until 1961, winning four championships together from 1957-61.

No. 5: Bill Russell, Sam Jones, Bob Cousy

It's as if Bill Russell owns a spot on every slide in this article.

Unlike what John Havlicek brought to the table in the previously mentioned trio, Cousy was able to bring point-guard play unmatched by most to ever play the game. His ability to complement the team with his creative offensive was a skill that helped win games, as well as change the point guard position for good.

Together, the three won five NBA championships, as Cousy finished his career as a Celtic following the 1963 NBA championship.

No. 4: Dave Cowens, John Havlicek, JoJo White

The Big Three of Dave Cowens, John Havlicek and JoJo White was as solid a unit as any in Boston Celtics history, as they make a case as one of the better trios in NBA history. The three played an integral role in the team winning two championships in the 1970s.

The Celtics were NBA champions in both 1974 and 1976, and Cowens, Havlicek and White were the main reasons why this team continued to put up banners. Cowens led the team in rebounding during each of the championship seasons—grabbing 15.7 points per game in 1974 and 16 points per game in 1976.

Havlicek and White were known more for their consistent scoring. Havlicek was entering the late stage of his career at the time, while Cowens and White were the younger talents on the Celtics during the mid-1970s.

What makes this "Big Three" all the more special, is that they are the least talked about in Celtics history.

When people think of the Boston Celtics and championships, the Bill Russell team of the 1950s and 1960s first comes to mind, followed by the three championships of the Larry Bird era. Yet seldom do people recognize the accomplishments of this Big Three in the 1970s.

They won the two championships under head coach Tom Heinsohn.

No. 3: Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen

Since the mid-1980s when the original Big Three of Bird, McHale and Parish won three NBA championships, the newest installment of the Big Three has been Pierce, Garnett and Allen.

Brought together in 2007 by president of basketball operations Danny Ainge, this trio had the goal of bringing home an NBA championship, as all three were and still are in the later stages of their careers.

They would do just that.

In 2008, the Boston Celtics ended a 22-year drought and defeated Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals. Pierce was named the 2008 NBA Finals MVP, while Kevin Garnett's step-up defense throughout the playoffs and regular season were vital to the team's success.

This season Allen, Pierce and the Big Ticket hope to bring home another NBA title to Boston and defeat LeBron James and the Miami Heat in the playoffs, something they failed to do last season.

No. 2: Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish

Arguably the best trio in Boston Celtics history, Parish, Bird and McHale were three of the greatest players to hit the hardwood.

The three were unstoppable in the 1980s, bringing in three NBA championships in 1981, 1984 and 1986. Although McHale played less of a role in winning the 1981 NBA championship, he would eventually blossom into one of the better power forwards to play the game, proving to be a key factor in both the 1984 and 1986 titles.

As stated in a previous piece of mine, what made the championships all the more impressive, was the time that these championship came in. The 1980s was arguably the most competitive decade in NBA history.

It was during the days of Michael Jordan, Isiah Thomas and the Bad Boys in Detroit, as well as the dominant force in the Los Angeles Lakers, that these Celtics were winning championships.

Talk about some steep competition.

It's difficult to have this Big Three come in at the No. 2 spot, but when going up against the 1960s Celtics and considering the plethora of championships that team put together, it is significantly more reasonable.

If one is to consider the level of competition these Celtics faced in the 1980s, there is a strong case for them to be the best trio in Celtics history.

No. 1: Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, Tommy Heinsohn

This Big Three is not only the best trio to ever sport the green and white, but they easily make the case for being the best trio in league history. The three would win six NBA championships as a unit, helping to start what is arguably one of the most successful franchises in all of sports.

Bill Russell brought a solid offensive game as well as an aggressive, special rebounding ability to the table. He was also known for lock-down defense with his long, athletic build. After both Cousy and Heinsohn left his side, Russell would go on to win a whopping 11 championships in 13 seasons.

Cousy was a playmaker who had the ability to score as well as any player on the team at the time. His scoring mentality and ability to create offense out of nothing, was a skill that would change the point guard position for good.

Heinsohn also had a knack for scoring, and was a solid contributor in the rebounding department. His nine to 10 rebounds a game were second to Russell's whopping 20-plus rebounds a contest.

Talk about some numbers.

Russell, Cousy and Heinsohn were easily the most dominant, talented "Big Three" in team history.

Luis Batlle is a Featured Columnist for the Boston Celtics with Bleacher Report

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