DHL Dan LXXXIII - The Hondo Column

Shank's latest Picked Up Pieces column contains a lot of mini-stories about recently deceased Celtics legend John Havlicek. Naturally, this doesn't stop him from delivering another cheap shot at you-know-who:

Picked-up pieces while wondering whether freedom fighter Bob Kraft will make another triumphant, crowd-rousing appearance at a Garden playoff game any time soon . . .

Makes you want to stop reading right then and there, doesn't it?

■ The death of John Havlicek inspired some amazing commentary on Twitter.

“It is getting difficult each time I hear about another contemporary that passes,’’ Bill Russell wrote. “He was not just a teammate & a great guy, but he was family.’’

From Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: “I met John Havlicek at the same time & place that I met Red Auerbach and Bill Russell @ my high school gym in Autumn of 1961 — my freshman year. He was still playing when I entered the league and our friendship grew.”

From Jack Nicklaus, who crossed paths with Havlicek at Ohio State from 1959-61, on Facebook: “John loved the outdoors, loved to fish, and frequently when he played golf at Bear Lakes Country Club in West Palm Beach, he carried a fishing pole in his bag. But if there is one thing we should all remember about John Havlicek, it is his heart. John always made himself available to help others. Every time there was a charity event, or any time someone could make a difference in someone else’s life, John Havlicek was there.”

Read on for more Kraft cheap shots, a cameo appearance of 'Theo and his minions' and other assorted trivia. No gratuitous Larry Bird mention, though. Maybe next time...