RIP JoJo White

CreedBratton

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A Legend.

Please delete. I didn’t see other post.
 

jacklamabe65

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1974 Parade.

Jo Jo was handing out Old Milwaukee beers to people in the crowd (remember, the C's had just defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in seven hard-fought games). I was lucky enough to receive one from him. Johnny Most used to describe Jo Jo's point guard play thusly, "Jo Jo fiddles and diddles - now he daddles." And what a clutch shooter. RIP, #10.
 

E5 Yaz

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Famous people die every year. Cheer up champ and have a bit more of a positive outlook.
For instance, I'm positive more famous people will die this year

edit: never thought JoJo got the credit he deserved
 

Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat

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About 20 years ago, I was playing in a huge 3 on 3 tournament in Michigan. Literally thousands of teams there. In between a couple of our games, we happened to walk by an "old timers" court, and there was Jo Jo, playing with a couple of his buddies. He obviously wasn't moving as quickly as he used to, but damn, that shot looked exactly the same. I didn't even want to play anymore. I just wanted to hang out by his court and watch him.
 

Sprowl

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Jo Jo White had the most mis-imitated jumper ever. He always kept his elbow in, and it appeared as if his release required his wrist to rotate counter-clockwise. Our seventh-grade attempts to copy his style were really quite hopeless.
 

Al Zarilla

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JoJo White passes away from cancer. Great player from a forgotten era of the Celtics, between the Russell and Bird dynasties.
Not as memorable as the Russell or the Bird teams, but the triple overtime win over Phoenix in the 1976 finals that Jojo was a part of was arguably the best NBA game ever. I still remember what kind of wine I went out to the store for after the game. 33 points for Jojo in that one.
 

lexrageorge

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A shame. Definitely one of the more overlooked players, but that's really because there are a lot of numbers and banners deservedly hanging from those rafters.
 

Dogman

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I had the pleasure of playing golf with JoJo White for 2 seasons. Every Sunday morning at 6 AM with 2 friends and Jojo at the Colonial in Lynnfield, MA. He was as nice as could be, an excellent golfer, and very humble. I thoroughly enjoyed my time on the course with him while listening to stories of his Olympic and Celtics exploits. I never asked him any Marine stories as those belonged to him.

This blows.
 

bankshot1

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Not as memorable as the Russell or the Bird teams, but the triple overtime win over Phoenix in the 1976 finals that Jojo was a part of was arguably the best NBA game ever. I still remember what kind of wine I went out to the store for after the game. 33 points for Jojo in that one.
I was at that game. I screamed myself hoarse and couldn't talk for a day and half.

Greatest game I ever saw.
 

Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat

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I had the pleasure of playing golf with JoJo White for 2 seasons. Every Sunday morning at 6 AM with 2 friends and Jojo at the Colonial in Lynnfield, MA. He was as nice as could be, an excellent golfer, and very humble. I thoroughly enjoyed my time on the course with him while listening to stories of his Olympic and Celtics exploits. I never asked him any Marine stories as those belonged to him.

This blows.
Holy shit, that's awesome
 

RoDaddy

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1974 Parade.

Jo Jo was handing out Old Milwaukee beers to people in the crowd (remember, the C's had just defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in seven hard-fought games). I was lucky enough to receive one from him. Johnny Most used to describe Jo Jo's point guard play thusly, "Jo Jo fiddles and diddles - now he daddles." And what a clutch shooter. RIP, #10.
Yeah, and Most would often shorten that even more to just "(Cheeks) fiddles... diddles..." to simplify about 10 seconds of a PG setting things up. One of my favorits memoreis of that upset 1974 win over Milwaukee was Oscar saying that bringing the ball up court agianst Jo Jo and Chaney "was like trying to swim upstream"
 

Kliq

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In the waning moments of the second overtime in Game 5 of the 1976 NBA Finals, John Havlicek made a running shot to give the Celtics a one point lead. The crowd assumed the game was over and rushed the court, but there was still a second left on the clock. It took several minutes to clear the crowd off the court and Phoenix came up with the brilliant idea to call a timeout they didn't have, which resulted in a technical foul, but allowed them to advance the ball to midcourt. JoJo White, who would play a staggering 60 minutes in this game and by the third OT was so gassed he was actually sitting down while free throws were shot, came back onto the court after cooling down for ten minutes, and nailed the technical free throw to put Boston up two. Had he missed, the Celtics would have lost on Gar Heard's miracle turn-around a second later instead of going to a third OT.

The guy was an ace.
 

rlsb

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What I typed about Keith Jackson in his thread applies here as well. Godspeed to a fine guard.
 

Mugsy's Jock

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JoJo had such a distinctive looking jump shot. I’d always thought it was because of how perfectly perpendicular-to-the-ground he positioned his right forearm...but read somewhere today what seems like the real reason. He released his jumper just after reaching the acme of his jump, while ever so slightly on the descent. Doesn’t make sense, but boy did it work.

Appears to have been a great teammate. RIP.
 

Sam Ray Not

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RIP JoJo — possibly my first favorite player as a wee tyke. No one in my family cared about hoops, but my dad's first post-divorce girlfriend in the mid-'70s was a big Cs fan with a big poster of Havlicek in her hippie, fern-filled Cambridge apartment; and she turned me onto Hondo, JoJo, Nelson, Silas, Cowens, Charlie Scott, Kevin Stacom, et al. But I think JoJo was my fave, cos of the great name, and cos shooting and scoring are always the first and easiest things in hoops you appreciate.

Anyway, I feel old. So great to read everyone's memories (had totally forgot about Most's "he fiddles and diddles, now he daddles"). Here's some highlights from his 2015 HoF induction...

 
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reggiecleveland

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Really underrated guy, and are many of the 70s starts that fell between the Wilt, Russell, and Magic,Bird eras.

Hard to place anybody, even Cousy definitely above him as a Celtic point guard.
 

21st Century Sox

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Oh man....just seeing this. I LOVED Jo Jo White, and used to pull my heels up to my ass on jumpers to be like him. THAT got corrected. in 1976, I was 11. I used to have to come home from school, do homework, chores, then my mother would wake me up so I could watch the west coast games. We had a budget refiished basement, and the waste pipe hung under ceiling level. I have two older brothers who were semi-hippies then. They would watch a little, go upstairs, play the guitar, whatnot. Jo Jo hit a critical bucket in one of the overtimes. Sideline head fake, dribbled around a guy and swish. I want to say it forced an OT, but I can't remeber. (This was game 5, the triple OT game, he played the most minutes by far. Had 33 points)

Anyhow, post game I was going nuts and one of my brothers came down to see what the fuss was about. I re-enacted the play, and when I jumped, knocked myself out on the waste pipe. I remember coming too with my parents peering down at me, and when going to bed, my Dad telling my mother "No more late nights for this kid, he can watch the home games." Luckily that did not stick, and my childhood went on unimpeded.

RIP JoJo.
 

Norm Siebern

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Sad news. A joy to watch and an assassin in the clutch. oddest jump shot I ever saw, but boy it worked. From what I've read, also a dandy dresser. RIP Jo Jo and thank you for all the joy you brought.
 

Dotrat

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Loved his game. This really sucks.

I remember my mother really digging him because she said he looked like an Egyptian prince.
 

snowmanny

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I was at that game. I screamed myself hoarse and couldn't talk for a day and half.

Greatest game I ever saw.
Yeah me too. I had SAT or Achievement Tests or some such the next morning.and promised my father I'd be home by 10 or so.

JoJo White was the best player on the floor that night, and a lot of nights.
 

RetractableRoof

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It's been a real treat to read the recollections of you guys and watch some of the video of him. Thanks for sharing...

RIP Mr White
 

Bernie Carbohydrate

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White was acquired in a smart drafting move of Belichickian (aka Auerbachian) savvy. White was highly rated out of college but he had a two year military commitment (this was in 1969). The clear #1 pick that year was Kareem, and then seven teams passed on Jo Jo.

The Suns took Neal Walk at #2 (good defensive center, famous for being the consolation prize when Phoenix lost the coin flip for Kareem)
The Sonics took Lucius Allen at #3 (serviceable point guard, nothing special)
The Pistons took BC product Terry Driscoll at #4 (draft bust, journeyman who ended his career in Italy)
The Bulls took Larry Cannon at #5 (one year in the NBA, four years in the ABA, career cut short by injuries, another draft bust)
The Rockets (then in San Diego) took Bingo Smith at #6 (a very good wing player for the Cavs, 10 year NBA career and one of the all-time great afros)
The Warriors took Bob Portman at #7 (a disappointment--four years as a bench player, out of the NBA by age 25)
The Royals (now the Kings) took Herm Gilliam at #8 (a combo guard that the Royals exposed in the 1970 expansion draft, seven year career averaging 11 ppg.)

Then Red took Jo Jo at #9, knowing that he'd get a better player if he was willing to wait for two years. Outside of Kareem, White has the best career of anyone in that draft class. And then, Red pulled strings and got White into the reserves, so he suited up for the Celtics a year earlier than expected.
 

Minneapolis Millers

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Not as memorable as the Russell or the Bird teams, but the triple overtime win over Phoenix in the 1976 finals that Jojo was a part of was arguably the best NBA game ever. I still remember what kind of wine I went out to the store for after the game. 33 points for Jojo in that one.
First Boston championship I remember. Jo Jo delivered. Great player, and a great nickname, too.
 

runnels3

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I'll never forget the game where JoJo truly came of age on a Friday night in January 1972 against the Knicks. In those days that was the only opponent who really mattered and the Garden was hot, I mean really hot with about 4000 cocky college Knick fans ready for blood. Except Jo Jo snuffed them out. With 14 seconds in regulation he tied the score with a baseline jumper, this after an off shooting night of around 5 for 20. Then he stuffed Earl Monroe at the buzzer and caught fire in OT hitting all 3 shots and a free throw to send the frenzied Garden folks home happy. It ranks among the top 5 Cs games I've gone to over the years...easily.

RIP #10. You and those 70s teams are ALWAYS in our hearts!
 

jaytftwofive

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Not as memorable as the Russell or the Bird teams, but the triple overtime win over Phoenix in the 1976 finals that Jojo was a part of was arguably the best NBA game ever. I still remember what kind of wine I went out to the store for after the game. 33 points for Jojo in that one.
I think attendance was actually better during the White, Cowens, Havlicek years, then the Russell years. The 1973 team that finished 68-14 but lost to the Knicks in 7 when Hondo went down is the best Celtic team never to win a title. Still their best all time record.
 

snowmanny

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1962-63 30 262,581 8,753
1963-64 30 223,347 7,445
1964-65 30 246,529 8,318
1965-66 31 246,189 7,941
1966-67 31 322,690 10,409
1967-68 37 320,788 8,670
1968-69 36 322,130 8,948
1969-70 37 277,632 7,504
1970-71 39 313,768 8,045
1971-72 41 346,701 8,456
1972-73 39 423,234 10,852
1973-74 32 355,261 11,102
1974-75 41 486,270 11,860
1975-76 41 539,589 13,161
1976-77 41 517,391 12,619
1977-78 41
1978-79 41 417,926 10,193
1979-80 41 596,349 14,545
1980-81 41 595,444 14,523
1981-82 41 622,711 15,188
1982-83 41 621,829 15,167
1983-84 41 606,857 14,801
1984-85 41 610,727 14,896
1985-86 41 610,581 14,892


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