With 17 World Championships, the Boston Celtics are one in every of the NBA’s most legendary groups. Most impressively, Boston has had few dry spells, repeatedly placing collectively high quality groups. One of the greatest causes for the continued excellence is the workforce’s gamers. Below are a few of the most collectible first-year playing cards of famend Celtics.
Bill Russell 1957 Topps
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Bill Russell isn’t solely one in every of the biggest NBA gamers of all time, he can also be the sport’s biggest winner. The heart performed 13 seasons in the NBA and gained the NBA title in 11 of them. Over the course of his legendary profession, Russell was the league MVP 5 occasions and an All-Star 12 occasions. In 1968, whereas nonetheless enjoying, he grew to become a player-coach and gained two titles in that place.
Russell’s first buying and selling card got here in the 1957 Topps set. The set is each previous and uncommon, so the card is kind of costly in higher-end situation. Even a PSA 3 copy of the card goes to price collectors near $5,000.
John Havlicek
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In 1962, the Celtics had Bob Cousy who was nearing the finish of his legendary profession. They additionally had Bill Russell in the center of his prime. During that yr’s draft, they have been capable of choose Ohio State’s John Havlicek, who would turn out to be one other Boston legend. Havlicek would make 13 All-Star video games and win 8 titles with the Celtics.
There weren’t many basketball playing cards made throughout the Nineteen Sixties, so Havlicek didn’t get his first subject till the launch of the iconic 1969 Topps tall boy set. Hondo’s first card, quantity 20, sells for round $1,300 in PSA 8 situation.
Larry Bird/Magic Johnson/Julius Erving 1980 Topps
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Larry Bird, who joined the Celtics in 1979, is broadly thought-about to be one in every of the biggest gamers of All Time. The small ahead appeared in 12 All-Star video games, gained 3 NBA Championships and was the MVP of the League 3 separate occasions. If not for power accidents, his checklist of accomplishments would solely be extra spectacular.
Bird’s chief rival in his profession was Magic Johnson. So it is just becoming that the males share a rookie card. The scoring chief card additionally options the legendary Julis Erving. Collectors can nab a PSA 8 copy of the card for slightly greater than $4,500.
Robert Parish
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The Celtics had Larry Bird in 1980 however wished to construct round him. In one in every of the most lopsided offers of all time, they traded the number one total decide and a future draft option to Golden State for Robert Parish and the quantity 3 total decide which they used on Kevin McHale. The immensely athletic Parish would turn out to be the anchor of what many think about to be the NBA’s best-ever frontcourt (together with Bird and McHale).
Affectionately referred to as Chief, the Hall of Famer would make 9 All-Star groups and win 4 titles (the final got here as a member of the Chicago Bulls). Parish’s 1977 Topps Rookie sells for near $700 in a PSA 9.
Paul Pierce 1998 Topps Chrome
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The Nineteen Nineties have been a little bit of a dry interval for the Celtics. Bird, Parish, and Kevin McHale had all retired or moved on to different groups, and rapidly, the Bulls, Heat, Knicks, and Pacers owned the NBA’s Eastern Conference. In 1998, the Celtics drafted Paul Pierce out of Kansas and he would go on to reverse the workforce’s fortune.
During his profession, Pierce was a 10-time All-Star and can be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. During the 2008 season, Pierce teamed with Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to ship Boston’s first title since 1986. His key card, the 1998 Topps Chrome subject, may be had in a PSA 10 for $300.
*Any perceived funding recommendation is that of the freelance blogger and doesn’t characterize recommendation on behalf of GoCollect.
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