Celtics Legend Jo Jo White Dead At 71

BOSTON, MA — NBA Hall of Fame and Celtics legend Jo Jo White died Tuesday after a battle with cancer, the team confirmed. He was 71.

White is considered by many as one of the great all-time Celtics. A seven-time All-Star and two-time champion with Boston, he was a key part of the 1974 and 1976 NBA championships. White was MVP of the '76 series, playing 60 minutes in the triple-overtime classic Game 5 against Phoenix.

White's No. 10 hangs in the rafters at TD Garden.

"We are terribly saddened by the passing of the great Jo Jo White," the Celtics said in a statement. "He was a champion and a gentleman; supremely talented and brilliant on the court, and endlessly gracious off of it."

White was the Celtics' iron man. His streak of 488 consecutive games played remains a franchise record. He scored 18.3 points per game for his career and a healthy 21.5 points per game in the playoffs.

White was traded from the Celtics to Golden State after 10 years with Boston. He rejoined the franchise in a front office role in 2000.

Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Jo Jo White (left) pauses to acknowledge applause during the enshrinement ceremony for the Class of 2015 of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., Friday, Sept. 11, 2015. At right is White's Boston Celtics teammate, Hall of Famer Dave Cowens. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)