Celtics, NBA remember Jo Jo White's kindness, work ethic

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There was no such thing as a minutes restriction when it came to Jo Jo White.

“I remember Jo Jo in the triple-overtime [NBA Finals game against the Phoenix Suns], when he carried the team and played all of those minutes,” Celtics legend and fellow Hall of Famer Tommy Heinsohn told the Boston Herald. Heinsohn was White's coach in that game as the C's guard scored 33 points and played 60 of the 63 minutes in Boston's 128-126 victory. “After it was over, he just sat on the floor and couldn’t get up.”

Another ex-Celtic Hall of Famer, and White's teammate Dave Cowens, told the Herald: "What Jo Jo was for us was really like an iron man. He played a lot of minutes. He was always in shape. Always.”

Former teammates and current Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge remembered White, the Hall of Famer who died Tuesday of cancer at 71, as more than just a great, hard-working player.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver called White "a legend of our game" in a statement:

The Celtics' statement remembered White as "a champion and a gentleman."  

Here's a look back at White's career, via @NBAHistory: 

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