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4 unusual facts about John Havlicek


Havlíček

John Havlicek (born 1940), American former professional basketball player

John Havlicek

He was a three-sport athlete at Bridgeport High School in Bridgeport, Ohio and one of his boyhood friends was Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Phil Niekro.

Nicknamed "Hondo", (a name inspired by the John Wayne movie of the same name), Havlicek revolutionized the "sixth man" role, and has been immortalized for his clutch steal in the closing seconds of the 1965 Eastern Conference championship.

Phil Niekro

Niekro was born in Blaine, Ohio, attended Bridgeport High School in Bridgeport, Ohio, and was a boyhood friend of Basketball Hall-of-Famer John Havlicek.


1959–60 Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball team

The buckeyes steamrolled through the NCAA tournament by an average of 19.5 points a game, dusting off California 75-55 in the final behind two future NBA stars, Jerry Lucas and John Havlicek, two excellent guards in Larry Siegfried and Mel Nowell and a defensive work ethic that limited opponents to .388 shooting over the course of the season.

National Sports Collectors Convention

In addition to approximately 600 dealer booths which buy, sell and trade sports memorabilia, the National is host to over 60 celebrity autograph guests during its week-long run including names such as Cal Ripken, Jr., Bob Gibson, and John Havlicek.


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