What will be the next number retired by the Celtics?
- Thread starter JohnnyTheBone
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Interestingly enough, #44 for the Celtics has been worn by three members of the Basketball Hall of Fame; Dave Bing, Pete Maravich and Paul Westphal.
Celtics players are all going to have to start wearing numbers after 40 soon. #0 and #7 will probably be up there someday, and Ainges #44.
They still use that one, currently worn by Jaden Springer.
I voted Al, on the theory that he will retire long before the Jays.
Horford if they win 2 more, but I wish they would just retire jerseys of players with multiple All NBA appearances at this point.
The Smarts of the world could get some ring of honor placement instead.
The Smarts of the world could get some ring of honor placement instead.
Honestly, call me mad, but I could see 0, 7, 9, & 42. And I'd love it!
If DW agrees an extension, plays for us another 5-6 years, I think he'll eventually get up there, especially if he can win 1-2+ championships with us. I mean, we retired Satch Sanders' #16. Why not Derrick White?
Horford has been a nice player for us a couple times on the back end of his career but I can’t imagine me the Celtics ever retiring his number. The only two on this list imo is Tatum and Ainge….since Tatum’s hopefully isn’t retired for another 12-15 years I’m sure Wyc will get to Ainge much sooner. It could be very very soon assuming we win a Title this year since Ainge’s footprints would be all over that Championship.
Do we retire Anthony Davis' dad too?
But seriously, retiring the number of a player for their work as GM is odd to me. This is Stevens team, not Ainge.
How many rings would it take to get Brown on your list? I think if this core wins 2, there could be at least 4 going up.
Really? With everything everyone is saying about Al - being the guy everyone looks up to, leads by example, etc. - plus playing a pretty integral role in winning a championship, I'd guess his number gets retired with one championship and definitely will be retired if they go back-to-back. He's more like KG than Ray Allen.
The rest of this series could have a significant bearing on the answer to this poll. Hopefully the series ends in a sweep before the scheduled closing time.
Huh? Did you forget he was a key piece of two Championships as a player as well? He turned the franchise around with the Allen/KG deals that brought us another, drafted Jaylen and Jayson after making a sneaky Auerbachian-like deal, and hired the college coach who finished building this team. Ainge is a lock to have his number retired imo.
Ainge has two rings from the 80s and helped revive an almost irrelevant franchise with some brilliant GMing. And if not for some bad luck and curious calls might have seen the 08 team hang two more banners in '09 and '10. Taking nothing from Brad,, Ainge engineered the trades which laid the foundation for the current edition. To celebrate his playing career and distinguished front office work by retiring #44 is entirely appropriate.
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1. No, I don't believe Ainge gets his jersey retired for his GM work.
2. I'm a little confused on why you think Ainge deserves to make it as a player but not Horford if they win. Key player on the 84 title team is a stretch too. It was before my time but he seemed more like a Peyton Pritchard for that team.
I love Ainge, and think his # should be retired, but he had 6 PPG in '84 Finals (5 PPG in RS) as their 7th man.
2008 and THE TRADE are amazing (although they probably win in 2010 if Ainge did a better job building depth on that team).
However, 2024 is Brad Stevens. 14 of the 17 players were brought here by Stevens. He built a team that has brought out the best in Brown and Tatum.
I guess Ainge is the Dan Duquette of this team.
Maybe if Dan Duquette spent 30 years with the Sox, playing CF, winning 2 WS, and then building key parts of the foundation for the 04 team and the '18 team. Ainge left key players and draft capital for Brad to work with. And he did.
IMO recognizing Ainges contribution to the Celts by retiring his # is warranted and if the Celts can close out the Mavs, I think a celebration next year would be welcomed by most Celtic fans.
It’s not ONLY as a GM. It is his total body of work as a Celtic including being the starting guard on arguably a Top-5 All Time NBA team.
He likely has a 3 peat without the Garnett injury in Utah. And we’ll never know what the Hayward era looked like without his injury right out of the starting blocks.
I;m all in favor of retiring Danny's number. He had both rings as a player and a GM and a lifetime of service. Not that different from Max.
You could make an argument for Allen too, but other than JT and JB, if they win a ring, no one should be up there.
You could make an argument for Allen too, but other than JT and JB, if they win a ring, no one should be up there.
Ya. Horford was a Hawk for 9 years. This is his 6th celtic year. Most of his awards, eg all star, occurred in ATL.
Maybe a few more years and multiple titles gets his ‘shirt in ceiling.’
Ainge maybe due to good will. Maybe gets the ‘Loscy’ treatment would be cool.
So i voted Tatum. Some chance Brown moves or tails a bit when his athleticism dips. I think Tatum will be a first ballot HOF after playing another 15 years… and 10 titles
Maybe I'm an old man yelling at a cloud, but I think that teams retire too many numbers. A retired number should be reserved for cases where a player and a number are so legendary that it would be instantly preposterous for any other player to wear it. Bird's 33. Russell's 6. Auerbach's 2. Like, if whatever kid the Celtics draft in the first round next year started wearing #3, or #16, or #22, how long would it take until anybody remembered those are actually retired numbers? We all love Al Horford. If he gets his ring this year, I couldn't be happier for him. But let's be real, he's not such an all-time Celtics legend that no one else should wear 42 ever in memory of him.
But since the poll is about "will" not "should" I guess he's the correct answer. But I honestly don't see why his number would be retired but not Rondo's.
But since the poll is about "will" not "should" I guess he's the correct answer. But I honestly don't see why his number would be retired but not Rondo's.
Red and Walter Browns 'numbers' are kind of silly. Celtics have 24 retired numbers, far too many, but precedent has been set. I can see 44 going up. Al and Ray Allen are less likely, but who knows.
I would only have 11 retired numbers
00- Chief
6- Bill
10- Jojo
14- Cousy
15- Heinsohn
17- Havlicek
18- Cowens
24- Sam Jones
32- McHale
33- Bird
34- Pierce
I would only have 11 retired numbers
00- Chief
6- Bill
10- Jojo
14- Cousy
15- Heinsohn
17- Havlicek
18- Cowens
24- Sam Jones
32- McHale
33- Bird
34- Pierce
Auerbach Auerbach Auerbach. His genius, or almost unfair, almost pilfering moves procured Russell, Bird, McHale, Parish, and he merely drafted Sharman, Ramsey, Loscutoff, Sanders, Sam Jones, KC Jones, Heinsohn, Havlicek, White, Cowens, who did I miss. He even paid the bills and got rid of the rats in the old Garden. The first 16 titles had his stamp all over them as coach, GM, chief cook and bottle washer.
Bumping as the poll closes tomorrow. Now that 18 is officially in the books, some votes may change.
Alfred Joel Horford, I think, really changed perceptions of Boston by signing as a max free agent.
People used to scream that talent of that caliber would never signed in Boston.
People used to scream that talent of that caliber would never signed in Boston.
Brown and Tatum will definitely get their numbers in the rafter now, I think Al will as well. If they win more titles White will have a chance as well.
I love Al, and am maybe happiest of any player on this team that he is taking some hardware with him at the end of his career.
He now has 6 of his 17 seasons with Boston and 1 championship. He was a key player with them for this year but not a Top 3 player. For all of these reasons, I don't see him up in the rafters unless he comes back and they win another with him as a strong contributor.
He now has 6 of his 17 seasons with Boston and 1 championship. He was a key player with them for this year but not a Top 3 player. For all of these reasons, I don't see him up in the rafters unless he comes back and they win another with him as a strong contributor.
Al's #42 is definitely going up, but I'm not sure it will be the next one.
He plays 2+ years, then add 1-2 years...
There's no reason to make Ainge wait to recognize his contributions to 3 championship teams and decades of his Celticdom.
44 could go up next year.
He plays 2+ years, then add 1-2 years...
There's no reason to make Ainge wait to recognize his contributions to 3 championship teams and decades of his Celticdom.
44 could go up next year.