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The Boston Celtics first-round draft picks have played a huge role in the franchise&#39;s tremendous NBA success. The Celetics have won the most titles in league history and have done so with talent acquired in the NBA draft.

Players like Larry Bird, Paul Pierce, and Kevin McHale, some of <a href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-top-nba-players-of-all-time" target="_blank">the best NBA players of all time</a>, all started as Celtics draft picks. The Celtics also hit with NBA All-Star Reggie Lewis and Finals MVP Cedric Maxwell, part of a legacy of successful draft picks by the Celtics.

But which of these players had the greatest impact on the&nbsp;franchise. The stats below reflect only a player&#39;s time spent with the Celtics, and that is what you should base your vote on. Did this player help the Celtics get better?

The Boston Celtics' Best First-Round Draft Picks, Ranked By Fans

The Best Boston Celtics First-Round Picks In The NBA Draft

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Larry Bird

Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, former coach, and former executive who most recently served as President of Basketball Operations for the Indiana Pacers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "The Hick from French Lick," Bird is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time.
Drafted into the NBA by the Boston Celtics with the sixth overall pick in the 1978 NBA draft, Bird started at small forward and power forward for the Celtics for 13 seasons. Bird was a 12-time NBA All-Star and received the NBA Most Valuable Player Award three consecutive times (1984–1986). He played his entire professional career for Boston, winning three NBA championships and two NBA Finals MVP awards. Bird was also a member of the gold-medal-winning 1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team known as "The Dream Team". He was voted to the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team in 1996, was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1998, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame again in 2010 as a member of "The Dream Team".
After retiring as a player, Bird served as head coach of the Indiana Pacers from 1997 to 2000. He was named NBA Coach of the Year for the 1997-1998 season and later led the Pacers to a berth in the 2000 NBA Finals. In 2003, Bird was named President of Basketball Operations for the Pacers, holding the position until retiring in 2012. He was named NBA Executive of the Year for the 2012 season. Bird returned to the Pacers as President of Basketball Operations in 2013 and remained in that role until 2017.
As of 2019, Bird is the only person in NBA history to be named Rookie of the Year, Most Valuable Player, NBA Finals MVP, All-Star MVP, Coach of the Year, and Executive of the Year.

Kevin McHale

Kevin McHale may refer to:

Kevin McHale (footballer) (born 1939), former English professional footballer
Kevin McHale (basketball) (born 1957), retired American basketball player and former basketball executive and coach
Kevin McHale (actor) (born 1988), American actor and singer

Paul Pierce

Paul Anthony Pierce (born October 13, 1977) is an American former professional basketball player who played 19 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is currently an analyst on ESPN's NBA Countdown.
Pierce was a high school McDonald's All-American and earned consensus first-team All-America honors in his junior year at Kansas. After being chosen by the Boston Celtics with the 10th overall pick in the 1998 NBA draft, Pierce spent the first 15 years of his career with Boston. Pierce's nickname, "The Truth", was given to him by Shaquille O'Neal in March 2001. He starred as captain of the Celtics, earning 10 All-Star selections and becoming a four-time All-NBA team member. Pierce combined with Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen in 2007 to form a "Big Three" that led Boston to two NBA Finals and an NBA championship in 2008. Pierce was named NBA Finals Most Valuable Player in 2008. Along with Larry Bird and John Havlicek, Pierce is one of only three players to have scored more than 20,000 career points with the Celtics. 
In July 2013, Pierce was traded to the Brooklyn Nets along with teammates Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry. He signed with the Washington Wizards as a free agent in 2014. After one season with the Wizards, Pierce reunited with former Celtics coach Doc Rivers and signed with the Clippers. He spent two seasons with the Clippers before retiring in 2017. On July 17, 2017, the Celtics signed Pierce to a contract, enabling him to retire as a member of the organization with which he spent his first 15 NBA seasons.

Jayson Tatum

Jayson Christopher Tatum (born March 3, 1998) is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Tatum attended hometown Chaminade College Preparatory School, where he was rated a five-star recruit and regarded as one of the top players in the Class of 2016 by recruiting services. After one season with Duke, he entered the 2017 NBA draft, and was selected with the third overall pick by the Boston Celtics. He won the 2019 Skills Challenge during NBA All-Star Weekend.

Reggie Lewis

Reggie Lewis (November 21, 1965 – July 27, 1993) was an American professional basketball player for the National Basketball Association's Boston Celtics from 1987 to 1993.

Antoine Walker

Antoine Devon Walker (born August 12, 1976) is an American former professional basketball player. He was drafted with the sixth overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft out of the University of Kentucky and played in the NBA from 1996 to 2008. Walker played for the Celtics, Mavericks, Hawks, Heat, Timberwolves, the BSN's Mets and the NBA D-League's Stampede before retiring from basketball in 2012. Walker, a three-time NBA All-Star, won an NCAA championship with Kentucky in 1996 and an NBA championship with the Miami Heat in 2006.

Over 60 basketball fans have voted on the 40+ athletes on Best Boston Celtics First-Round Picks In The NBA Draft. Current Top 3: Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, ...