BOSTON — The Boston Celtics came out for pregame warmups wearing T-shirts bearing the No. 17 to honor Hall of Famer John Havlicek.
The crowd also observed a moment of silence Friday night before Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Milwaukee Bucks.
It was the Celtics’ first home game since the eight-time NBA champion died at the age of 79.
Havlicek, nicknamed “Hondo,” played 16 years with the Celtics and is the team’s all-time leading scorer. But he is best remembered for his steal to clinch the 1965 East finals and the call from longtime Celtics radio play-by-play man Johnny Most, who shouted, “Havlicek stole the ball!”
He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1984 and voted one of the 50 greatest players of the league’s first 50 years.