Former Boston Celtics great White dead at 71

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- Former Boston Celtics All-Star and Basketball Hall of Famer Jo Jo White has died at 71 following a battle with cancer, the team confirmed on Tuesday.

"We are terribly saddened by the passing of the great Jo Jo White," the Celtics said in an official statement. "He was a champion and a gentleman; supremely talented and brilliant on the court, and endlessly gracious off of it. Jo Jo was a key member of two championship teams, an NBA Finals MVP, a gold medal-winning Olympian, and a Hall of Famer."

"His contributions to the team's championship legacy may have only been surpassed by the deep and lasting impact that he had in the community. The thoughts and sympathies of the entire Celtics organization are with the White family."

White was a key figure in the Celtics return to championship heights in the 1970s, starting for their 1973-74 and 1975-76 title teams while making seven straight All-Star teams. The ninth pick in the 1969 draft out of Kansas, White played 10 seasons with the Celtics before finishing his career with the Warriors and the Kansas City Kings. He retired in 1981, and was selected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015.

The Celtics retired his No. 10 in 1982. He averaged 17.2 points, 4.9 assists and 4.0 rebounds in 832 career appearances. Enditem