John Havlicek, whose energy, endurance and longevity made him one of the most beloved Celtics of all time, died Thursday at the age of 79 after a long bout with Parkinson’s Disease.

Havlicek has suffered from an aggressive strain of Parkinson’s Disease for approximately three years, and recently took a turn for the worse, according to friends and former teammates Tom Heinsohn and Bob Cousy.

According to Cousy, Havlicek caught pneumonia after a bad fall three weeks ago, when doctors decided to put him in an induced coma. The family Thursday put Havlicek into hospice, and he died shortly thereafter.

John Havlicek waves to the crowd as the Celtics saluted him last night to commemorate the 50th anniversary of his epic steal.

John Havlicek speaks during an event at the Liberty Hotel in April 2016 while celebrating the anniversaries of the Celtics’ 1966, ’76 and ’86 championship teams.

BOSTON MA. - APRIL 25: Bruins fans walk by a photo of Celtic great John Havlicek as the Bruins take on the Blue Jackets in Round 2, Game 1 of the NHL Playoffs on April 25, 2019 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)



BOSTON MA. - APRIL 25: Bruins fans walk by the jersey of Celtic great John Havlicek as the Bruins take on the Blue Jackets in Round 2, Game 1 of the NHL Playoffs on April 25, 2019 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)

BOSTON MA. - APRIL 25: The Celtics banner with John Havlicek's #17, as the Bruins take on the Blue Jackets in Round 2, Game 1 of the NHL Playoffs on April 25, 2019 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)

Captain John Havlicek is mobbed by young autograph hunters. Boston Herald file photo 05/07/1969



One of the few New York miscues in Thursday's 116-94 defeat of the Celtics in the second period when John Havlicek left, and Dave Cowens forced Bill Bradley to give up the ball. The second game of the series is Sunday in New York. Boston Herald file photo 04/15/1972

09/29/1968: Boston Celtics Sam Jones, John Havlicek, Tom Sanders and Mal Graham all Celtics first draft choices from various years. Boston Herald file photo

9/30/1995 - Boston Garden Closing Larry Bird, Bob Lobel, Red Auerbach, ML Carr, Bob Cousy, Tommy Heinsohn and John Havlicek. Staff file photo by Kuni Takahashi



Coach Tom Heinsohn, Don Nelson, John Havlicek, Tom Satch Sanders Current team members who played on the Celtics championship team. Boston Herald file photo

John Havlicek (17) of the Boston Celtics drives against the Los Angeles Lakers. Boston Herald file photo

Havlicek’s numbers are among the most enduring in franchise history. He remains the Celtics’ career leader in points (26,395), minutes (46,471) and games played (1,270). He also won eight NBA titles, starting with his rookie season in 1962-63, and ending with the Celtics’ 1975-76 title.

“A great athlete,” said Heinsohn. “The sad part is what he endured the last couple of years.”

Havlicek was part of a Thursday night dinner group that always convened at Cousy’s country club in Florida. When Havlicek and his wife Beth failed to show up three weeks ago, Cousy knew something was wrong.

“John was a good guy, a gentleman, a good human being, a good person that I got to know,” said Cousy, who only played with Havlicek for one season before retiring. “I didn’t know him that well at first, but he became a close friend.

“It was sad what happened,” he said. “In three years John went from looking like an Olympic athlete to a tired old guy. Physically he was receding, but mentally he was still part of the group.”

The Celtics released the following statement:

“John Havlicek is one of the most accomplished players in Boston Celtics history, and the face of many of the franchise’s signature moments. He was a great champion both on the court and in the community, winning 8 NBA championships and an NBA Finals MVP, while holding Celtics career records for points scored and games played. Named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, he is enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame and his retired #17 hangs in the Garden rafters. His defining traits as a player were his relentless hustle and wholehearted commitment to team over self. He was extraordinarily thoughtful and generous, both on a personal level and for those in need, as illustrated by his commitment to raising money for The Genesis Foundation for Children for over three decades through his fishing tournament. John was kind and considerate, humble and gracious. He was a champion in every sense, and as we join his family, friends, and fans in mourning his loss, we are thankful for all the joy and inspiration he brought to us.”

The Celtics drafted Havlicek with the seventh pick in the 1962 draft. He had helped Ohio State win the 1960 national championship, with his college roommate Jerry Lucas the team’s most celebrated star. One of Havlicek’s most grating memories was being the last player cut from the 1960 U.S. Olympic team.

He was drafted and cut again, this time by the Cleveland Browns, who had drafted him as a wide receiver in 1962. But his calling was elsewhere.

He started as a sixth man, replacing the just-retired Frank Ramsay, and made an early mark as one of the Celtics’ most relentless finishers off the fast break.

“When he showed up with the Celtics, his only shot was a 10-foot bank shot that he would hit going full speed ahead,” said Heinsohn. “Red (Auerbach) didn’t say a word to him his rookie year.”

Auerbach had something very different in store for Havlicek his second year.

“It was the first game of the season, and at halftime Auerbach just got all over him,” said Heinsohn. “(Havlicek) was dejected when it was time to go out for the second half. I told him, John, relax, all Red is saying is that you’re not a rookie anymore.”

Havlicek went on to re-define the NBA’s sixth man role. For all of his great moments, he remains best known for his steal in the closing seconds of Game 7 of the 1965 Eastern Conference championship against the Philadelphia 76ers. He deflected a Hal Greer inbounds pass to Sam Jones, ending the game as radio announcer Johnny Most coined his famous “Havlicek steals the ball” proclamation.

Havlicek and impending MVP Dave Cowens led the Celtics to a franchise record 68 wins, but he tore the right trapezius muscle in his shoulder during a collision with New York’s Dave DeBusschere in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

Though he missed Game 4, which the Knicks won for a 3-1 series edge, Havlicek promised a return.

“I had my shoulder X-rayed, and there are no breaks, just torn muscles,” Havlicek told reporters. “I have to be optimistic.”

He returned for Game 5 – the last won by the Celtics in the series – and scored 18 points off the bench.

Heinsohn, now his coach, especially remembers a shot hit by Havlicek three years later, and sure enough, it was a running banker – an apparent game-winning shot in Game 5 of the NBA Finals against Phoenix, until the Suns’ Gar Heard hit a shot with a second left to send the game into triple overtime.

Heinsohn could go on forever recalling Havlicek’s great plays.

“They had to induce that coma a couple of weeks ago, and he lasted until today,” said Heinsohn. “That’s an indication, right there, of what a great athlete he was.”