Celtics great Jo Jo White dies after cancer battle at 71

— -- BOSTON -- Celtics legend Jo Jo White, a two-time NBA champion and Finals MVP, passed away Tuesday at the age of 71.

White, a seven-time All-Star, averaged 17.2 points, 4.9 assists and 4.0 rebounds over 12 NBA seasons. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015.

"We are terribly saddened by the passing of the great Jo Jo White," the Celtics said in a statement announcing White's passing. "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 won a gold medal with the USA Olympic basketball team at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. The Celtics drafted him with the ninth overall pick in the 1969 draft.

White, a 6-foot-3 point guard, won NBA titles with the Celtics in 1974 and 1976, earning Finals MVP honors in the latter. His No. 10 jersey was retired by Boston on April 9, 1982.

White underwent life-threatening surgery to remove a brain tumor in 2010. With many vocal supporters, he earned induction into the Hall of Fame after a long wait in 2015 and gave a moving speech as part of the induction week where he reveled in the honor.

White was also drafted by the NFL's Dallas Cowboys and MLB's Cincinnati Reds. He finished his 12-season NBA career playing for Golden State and Kansas City.