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The Boston Celtics' 18 NBA championships are the most in the league. They are one of the oldest and most prestigious teams in league history, and they've been contenders for nearly all of their existence. The team won 11 championships over a 13-year timespan in the NBA's early days, as Bill Russell turned the team into arguably the greatest dynasty ever. John Havlicek and Dave Cowens carried the winning ways into the '70s, and Larry Bird helped popularize basketball even more in the '80s. While the '90s were a low point, the big four of Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Rajon Rondo helped return the team to greatness with the 2008 title.
Most recently, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum hoisted the Larry O'Brien Trophy in 2024, and although the latter of those players will miss next season with a torn achilles tendon, the Celtics still have the potential to win a couple more championships with their current core. The point is that the Celtics have won a lot of games because they've had a lot of great players, which means they've thrived in the NBA Draft.
Even so, the franchise hasn't been perfect on draft day, so check out the gallery to see the 10 worst NBA Draft day mistakes in Celtics history.
10. Chauncey Billups, 1997
Chauncey Billups had a pretty great career, but not as a member of the Celtics after the team took him third overall in 1997. Before he won a championship with the Detroit Pistons, or became one of the greatest point guards ever, or earned the nickname ‘Mr. Big Shot', Billups was a failed pick for the Celtics.
Billups didn't fit in Boston, nor did he work well with Rick Pitino. Despite his high draft status, the Celtics traded Billups just 51 games into his first season. Billups was a great NBA player, but his selection in 1997 qualifies as a draft day mistake for the Celtics because he didn't work with the team, and Boston gave up on him shortly into his career.
9. Joe Johnson, 2001
Like Billups, Johnson had a great career, but it came after the Celtics drafted him and proceeded to quickly give up on him. Also, like Billups, Johnson had a sweet nickname. Fans called the seven-time All-Star ‘Iso Joe' because of his ability to score on the best of defenders in one-on-one settings. That skill set made Johnson one of the most clutch players ever. However, Johnson's successes mainly came with the Atlanta Hawks and Brooklyn Nets.
The Celtics took him 10th overall in 2001, but they traded him after just 48 games. He was traded in a package for Tony Delk and Rodney Rodgers, neither of whom did much or lasted long in Boston. Also worth mentioning is the fact that the Celtics took Kedrick Brown with the pick directly succeeding Johnson's. Brown turned into a draft bust who scored just 318 points over two-and-a-half seasons with the team.
8. Jerome Moiso, 2000
Sandwiched in between the Billups and Johnson picks was the selection of Jerome Moiso in 2000. The 11th overall pick that year failed overall, not just in Boston. Moiso averaged 2.7 points per game over a five-year career. He only played his rookie season in Boston, where he scored 35 points in total. Moiso was a raw athlete without much collegiate production, and he proved not to be worth the gamble for the Celtics.
7. Len Bias, 1986
It is unfair to call Len Bias a draft-day mistake. Instead, his story is one of the great tragedies in the history of all of sports. Bias was billed as the next Michael Jordan in college at Maryland. He was a freak athlete and a no-brainer draft choice at pick number two in 1986. Unfortunately, Bias has to be mentioned on this list because he never suited up for the Celtics.
Two days after being drafted, Bias died from cardiac arrhythmia due to cocaine usage. He is one of the greatest basketball players ever who didn't make it to the NBA. The Celtics won three championships in the '80s, the final of which was the 1986 NBA Finals that took place not long before the 1986 NBA Draft. Had Bias joined the team with Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, and Dennis Johnson, the Celtics dynasty could have lasted even longer.
6. James Young, 2014
James Young, the 17th overall pick in 2014, spent more time in the D-League than he did in the big leagues. The guard out of Kentucky had 11 stints in the D-League as a rookie and continued to develop in the lower level of basketball in year two. Unfortunately, the attempt to have him learn the game with lower stakes never paid off, as Young didn't develop into an NBA-quality player. He played in just 89 games before Boston gave up on him, and Young has been playing in the G-League or overseas ever since.
5. Bill Stauffer, 1952
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Each of the next five players on this list of the biggest draft mistakes in Celtics history were first-round picks who never played a single game for the team. Bill Stauffer was the sixth overall pick in 1952. Staufer was just a 6-foot-4 center, but he was still one of the best rebounders in college during his time at Missouri. Instead of choosing professional basketball, Staufer instead joined the United States Air Force.
4. Ollie Johnson, 1965
Unlike Staufer, Ollie Johnson did pursue basketball after he was drafted. The 1965 eighth overall pick was drafted by the Celtics but was cut before the start of the season. Johnson wasn't given a chance by any other program, so he played overseas in Belgium.
3. George Hauptfuhrer, 1948
George Hauptfuhrer was made the third overall pick when the Celtics were still playing in the BAA. Hauptfuhrer was a smart guy, evidenced by his success at Harvard. Instead of choosing basketball, he pursued a law degree at the University of Pennsylvania.
2. Bill Green, 1963
Bill Green's reasoning for not becoming an NBA player was perhaps the most bizarre of these players who never played for the Celtics after being drafted. Green was a standout at Colorado State, but he developed a fear of flying during his senior season. This fear became so great that he couldn't travel with the Celtics, which forced him to give up his NBA dream. In addition to being the eighth pick in the NBA, Green was drafted in the NFL and MLB.
1. Chuck Share, 1950
Being that they are usually playoff-bound, the Celtics normally pick near the end of the first round. In fact, they've only had the first overall pick once, way back in 1950, and they wasted it on Chuck Share. The pick was criticized by fans who wanted local star Bob Cousy. Ironically, Cousy ended up playing for the Celtics his rookie season after he refused to play for the Tri-Cities Blackhawks and was traded to the Chicago Stags, who then folded before the season.
Share never played for the Celtics, though. He instead signed with the Waterloo Hawks of the National Professional Basketball League, which lasted just one season. After the NPBL went under, Share's rights were traded to the Fort Wayne Pistons. Share is one of the worst first-overall picks ever. The good news for the Celtics was that by trading Share, they netted Bill Sharman. Sharman won 17 championships split between time as a player, coach, and executive. Share, meanwhile, was just a career 8.3-point-per-game scorer.
