Encyclopedia
The
Boston Celtics are a professional
basketball team based in
Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the
National Basketball Association . Their 16 NBA championships are the most of any NBA franchise.
Home arenas
- Boston Arena Site of the first Celtics game. Served as a secondary venue during the franchise's early years. Where parquet floor was originally installed. Now known as Northeastern University's Matthews Arena.
- Boston Garden
- TD Banknorth Garden, formerly the Fleet Center.
Franchise History
The Beginning of a Dynasty
The Celtics were formed in 1946 as a team in the Basketball Association of America, and became part of the
National Basketball Association after the merger of the BAA and the National Basketball League to form the NBA in the fall of 1949. The Celtics had struggled during their early years, but the hiring of Coach Red Auerbach would change their fortunes. One of the first major players to join the Celtics was
Bob Cousy, whom Auerbach initially refused to draft. Cousy eventually became the property of the
Chicago Stags. When that franchise went bankrupt, Cousy was acquired by the Celtics in a dispersal draft. He would become a huge part of the Celtics' success and eventually became good friends with his new coach. Under Auerbach, the Celtics acquired rookie Bill Russell in 1956. Russell was an even more important acquistion than Cousy, as he was the player around whom Auerbach would build the Celtics for more than a decade. Russell had an immediate impact during the 1956 season; the Celtics advanced to the NBA Finals and defeated the
St. Louis Hawks in seven games, giving the Celtics the first of their record 16 NBA Championships. In 1957, the Celtics again advanced to the NBA Finals, this time losing to the Hawks in 6 games. However, with the acquisition of K.C. Jones, the Celtics began a dynasty that would last for over a decade.
In 1959, with Russell and Jones, the Celtics won the NBA Championship after sweeping the
Minneapolis Lakers. Still coached by Auerbach, the Celtics won another seven championships, thus winning eight in a row. During that timespan, the Celtics met the Lakers in the Finals six times, starting an intense and often bitter rivalry. The Celtics would eventually meet the Lakers a total of 10 times in the NBA Finals. After the 1966 championship, Auerbach retired as coach but remained General Manager, a position he would hold well into the 1980s. Russell took over as player-coach. However, that year the Celtics' string of NBA titles was broken as they lost to the
Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference Finals. The aging team managed two more championships in 1968 and 1969, each against the
Lakers in the NBA Finals. Russell retired after the 1969 season, effectively ending a dominant Celtics dynasty that had garnered 11 NBA titles. The streak of 8 consecutive NBA championships is the longest streak of consecutive championships in U.S. sports history. Other important players during this era included Sam Jones, John Havlicek, and
Tommy Heinsohn.
Rebuilding the Dynasty
The next season was one of rebuilding as the Celtics had their first losing record in a long time. However, with
Dave Cowens, Paul Silas, and
Jo Jo White, the Celtics became dominant again. In 1974 the team bested the
Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Finals, and in 1976 the team won yet another championship thanks to defeating the
Phoenix Suns. The 1976 NBA Finals featured one of the greatest games in the history of the NBA. With the series tied at two games apiece, the Suns trailed early in the Boston Garden, but came back to force overtime. In double overtime, a Gar Heard turn-around jumper at the top of the key sent the game to an unprecedented third overtime, at which point the Celtics prevailed.
Tommy Heinsohn coached the team for those two championships. After the 1976 victory, however, Boston went into another phase of rebuilding.
The Bird Years
The rebuilding phase only lasted two years. Auerbach selected
Larry Bird in the 1978 NBA Draft. Bird elected to remain in college for his senior year but the Celtics retained his rights . Bird would debut for the Celtics during the 1979-80 season, a year after his selection, and go on to win Rookie of the Year honors. In the following season, Bird was joined by another Celtics draft pick,
Kevin McHale, and trade acquisition
Robert Parish. With these three future Hall of Famers in place, the Celtics yet again became a dominant team in the NBA. At this time the Celtics also had
Cedric Maxwell, a solid veteran who was part of the first two "Bird Era" championship teams. The Celtics went on to capture the NBA Championship in 1981, just two years after Bird had been drafted, under head coach
Bill Fitch.
K.C. Jones was named head coach after Fitch's reign ended. Under their new coach, the Celtics would fail to achieve postseason glory for a few more years. During this time, the Celtics added players like Danny Ainge, Dennis Johnson, and M.L. Carr. In 1984 the Celtics would come back from a 2-1 deficit to defeat the
Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals, thus winning their 15th championship. Bird renewed his college rivalry with Lakers star
Magic Johnson during this series. In 1985, the Lakers and Celtics would meet again, but this time the Lakers would take home the championship. During the following offseason the Celtics acquired Bill Walton from the
Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for
Cedric Maxwell. Walton was a future Hall of Famer and had been a big star with the Portland Trailblazers, but injuries had kept him from living up to expectations. He was also a lifelong Celtics fan. He would be a big part of the Celtics' success in 1986. That year, the Celtics fielded one of the best teams in NBA history. They would win their 16th and last championship to date, easily defeating the
Houston Rockets in the NBA Finals. Jones had led the Celtics to four consecutive NBA Finals appearances against the Lakers and
Houston Rockets when all was said and done. Unfortunately, Walton would not stay with the team much longer as injuries would force his retirement. The Celtics would remain competitive for the rest of the 80's, but would only return once more to the NBA Finals again after 1986.
The Celtics drafted
Len Bias in the 1986 NBA Draft and had high hopes for the young
University of Maryland star. Fans believed Bias, who had superstar potential, would be the perfect complement to the aging but still strong Celtics, and he ensured the franchise would remain a powerhouse after Bird, McHale and Parish retired. Bias died 48 hours after he was drafted, after experimenting with cocaine at a party and overdosing. It would be the first in a long string of bad luck for the Celtics, and many fans believe the Celtics have never recovered from the loss of Bias.
Tragedy and Decline
The era of the great teams of the 1980's drew to close as
Larry Bird began to experience back trouble and
Kevin McHale and
Robert Parish's skills began to diminish with age. In 1992, the Celtics won the Atlantic Division title, an achievement they would not attain again until the 2004-2005 season. After thirteen seasons with the club, Bird retired due to his back injuries. By this time former player Chris Ford was the coach of the Celtics. 26-year old Reggie Lewis was seen as Bird's successor and became the new franchise player for the Celtics. In 1995, the Celtics moved from the
Boston Garden into the Fleet Center .
Lewis, a forward, fainted during a playoff matchup with the
Charlotte Hornets. It was later revealed that Lewis had heart problems, yet he was able to get doctors to clear him for a comeback. He died of a
heart attack after participating in a pickup basketball game during the offseason. The Celtics honored his memory during the following season by retiring his number.
Former player M.L. Carr soon became the team's General Manager and drafted young players like Eric Montross and
Eric Williams. He later fired Chris Ford and took the coaching reins himself. After a somewhat disappointing season, the Celtics made the playoffs only to be eliminated in the first round by the
Orlando Magic.The Celtics wallowed in mediocrity for the next few years and would fail to make the playoffs.
Carr stepped aside to another job in the organization when the Celtics acquired
Rick Pitino to serve as the team's President, Front Office Manager, and Head Coach. Pitino had led the
University of Kentucky to an NCAA Championship and was a very successful head coach, with a short NBA stint with the
New York Knicks several years prior. Unfortunately for the Celtics, Pitino was not the savior everyone expected him to be, although he did bring several talented young players to the team during his tenure. The Celtics, at 15-67, had the worst record in franchise history and the worst record in the NBA overall during the 1996-97 season, but they failed to win the NBA's Draft Lottery to determine who would receive the first pick in the NBA Draft . Instead, the Celtics received the third and sixth picks. They drafted Chauncey Billups and Ron Mercer and seemed ready to pair them with
Antoine Walker, the second-year player out of Kentucky, who had a solid rookie season. Unfortunately, two of these players would not remain as fixtures on the team in the long term . The following year the Celtics drafted
Paul Pierce, a college star who had been expected to be drafted much higher than the Celtics' number 10 pick overall. Other notable players Pitino acquired were Walter McCarty, Tony Delk,
Eric Williams , and veteran Kenny Anderson.
Pitino failed to coach any successful teams and resigned in 2001, leaving the Celtics in the hands of assistant coach Jim O'Brien, a friend of Pitino's who subsequently took the reins as interim head coach. Chris Wallace became the general manager of the team.
Rebuilding a Contender
The Celtics improved greatly after this coaching change.
Paul Pierce matured into an NBA star and was complemented by
Antoine Walker, along with the other young veteran players acquired over the years. O'Brien was later made the permanent head coach. The Celtics had three picks in the draft that year, but Wallace used them on players who did not work out in the long run . The Celtics made the playoffs for the first time since 1995 the following season. The team made it as far as the Eastern Conference Finals, losing to the
New Jersey Nets. In 2003, the Celtics were sold by owner Paul Gaston to Boston Basketball Partners LLC, led by H. Irving Grousbeck, Wycliffe Grousbeck, Steve Pagliuca, Robert Epstein, David Epstein, and John Svenson. The team made it back to the playoffs but were eliminated in the second round this time, again by the Nets.
Before their elimination, the team hired Danny Ainge to take over the front office, pushing Chris Wallace to another job in the organization. Ainge believed the team had reached its peak and promptly traded many of its stars throughout the next season.
Antoine Walker was the most notable player to go, being traded to the Mavericks during training camp. Eric Williams and Tony Battie also left during that year. They were replaced by
Ricky Davis,
Jiri Welsch, Raef LaFrentz and others. The team struggled a bit as they tried to find their new identity.
Jim O'Brien stepped down during the 2004 season to be replaced by interim coach John Carroll. The Celtics made the playoffs only to be swept in the first round by the
Indiana Pacers. Ainge received a lot of criticism for breaking up the previous team, but he was able to have a few successful drafts, including picks like Marcus Banks, Al Jefferson, Kendrick Perkins, Delonte West and others. During his second off-season, Ainge was able to unload some payroll when he acquired veterans
Gary Payton and
Rick Fox from the Los Angeles Lakers. Fox retired before playing with the team, and Payton threatened not to show up at training camp, but eventually ended up playing for the team during the 2004-05 season.
The Celtics were a young team under new coach Doc Rivers, yet they seemed to have a core of good young players, led by rookie Al Jefferson, with a selection of able veterans . Before the trading deadline in the winter of 2005 the Celtics re-acquired Antoine Walker when they dealt Gary Payton to the
Atlanta Hawks . With Walker back in the fold, the Celtics improved enormously. They won their first Atlantic Division title since 1993. The Pacers, however, defeated them in the first round yet again.
Payton and Walker both became free agents. Walker was traded to the
Miami Heat in a multi-team sign-and-trade deal that brought the Celtics two players who would later be released and money. Payton later chose to sign with the Heat as well. Ainge brought in a few more young players during the draft, including Gerald Green, Ryan Gomes, and Orien Greene.
During the 2006 season, Ainge traded Davis, Blount, Banks, Justin Reed, and two conditional second-round draft picks to the
Minnesota Timberwolves for forward
Wally Szczerbiak, centers Michael Olowokandi and Dwayne Jones, and a first-round pick. The team's direction is still skeptical. However, Ainge has stated more than once that he is committed to continuing the rebuilding process under team captain
Paul Pierce, who played some of the best basketball of his career in 2006. The Celtics missed the 2006 playoffs with a 33-49 record.
The Boston Celtics contined to rebuild on the night of the
2006 NBA Draft. Danny Ainge traded the rights to the seventh overall pick Randy Foye,
Dan Dickau and Raef LaFrentz to the Portland Trail Blazers in for
Sebastian Telfair, Theo Ratliff, and a future second round pick. A subsequent trade with the
Philadelphia 76ers for
Allen Iverson was reported as a potential move beneficial to each team, although such a trade never eventuated.
As of 2006 the Celtics have never lost the seventh game of the NBA Finals. They are a perfect 7-0 in these games, winning in 1957, 1960, 1962, 1966, 1969, 1974, and 1984.
Historical Rivalries
The Boston Celtics have had a longstanding rivalry, especially throughout the 80s, with the
Los Angeles Lakers. At the height of the rivalry, the Lakers and Celtics would win 8 NBA Championships in the decade , and would play each other in the
NBA Finals 3 different times. The rivalry was cooled off as the Celtics slipped into mediocrity in the 90s, but Lakers-Celtics is considered by many NBA fans to be the league's greatest rivalry. The Celtics also have historical ties with the
Philadelphia 76ers, who played with the Celtics in tense playoff series in the 60s and 80s.
Season-by-season records
|-
|1946-47 || 22 || 38 || .367 || Lost Quarterfinals ||
Chicago Stags 2, Boston 1
|-
|1947-48 || 20 || 28 || .417
|-
|1948-49 || 25 || 35 || .417
|-
|1949-50 || 22 || 46 || .324
|-
|1950-51 || 39 || 30 || .565 || Lost Division Semifinals ||
New York 2, Boston 0
|-
|1951-52 || 39 || 27 || .591 || Lost Division Semifinals ||
New York 2, Boston 1
|-
|1952-53 || 46 || 25 || .648 || Won Division Semifinals
Lost Division Finals || Boston 2,
Syracuse 0
New York 3, Boston 1
|-
|1953-54 || 42 || 30 || .583 || Round-Robin
Round-Robin
Lost Division Finals ||
Syracuse 2, Boston 0
Boston 2,
New York 0
Syracuse 2, Boston 0
|-
|1954-55 || 36 || 36 || .500 || Won Division Semifinals
Lost Division Finals || Boston 2,
New York 1
Syracuse 3, Boston 1
|-
|1955-56 || 39 || 33 || .542 || Lost Division Semifinals ||
Syracuse 2, Boston 1
|-
|1956-57 || 44 || 28 || .611 || Won Division Finals
Won NBA Finals || Boston 3,
Syracuse 0
Boston 4, St. Louis 3|-
|1957-58 || 49 || 23 || .681 || Won Division Finals
Lost
NBA Finals || Boston 4,
Philadelphia 1
St. Louis 4, Boston 2
|-
|1958-59 || 52 || 20 || .722 || Won Division Finals
Won NBA Finals || Boston 4,
Syracuse 3
Boston 4, Minneapolis 0|-
|1959-60 || 59 || 16 || .787 || Won Division Finals
Won NBA Finals || Boston 4,
Philadelphia 2
Boston 4, St. Louis 3|-
|1960-61 || 57 || 22 || .722 || Won Division Finals
Won NBA Finals || Boston 4,
Syracuse 1
Boston 4, St. Louis 1|-
|1961-62 || 60 || 20 || .750 || Won Division Finals
Won NBA Finals || Boston 4,
Philadelphia 3
Boston 4, Los Angeles 3|-
|1962-63 || 58 || 22 || .725 || Won Division Finals
Won NBA Finals || Boston 4,
Cincinnati 3
Boston 4, Los Angeles 2|-
|1963-64 || 59 || 21 || .738 || Won Division Finals
Won NBA Finals || Boston 4,
Cincinnati 1
Boston 4, San Francisco 1|-
|1964-65 || 62 || 18 || .755 || Won Division Finals
Won NBA Finals || Boston 4,
Philadelphia 3
Boston 4, Los Angeles 1|-
|1965-66 || 54 || 26 || .675 || Won Division Semifinals
Won Division Finals
Won NBA Finals || Boston 3,
Cincinnati 2
Boston 4,
Philadelphia 1
Boston 4, Los Angeles 3|-
|1966-67 || 60 || 21 || .741 || Won Division Semifinals
Lost Division Finals || Boston 3,
New York 1
Philadelphia 4, Boston 1
|-
|1967-68 || 54 || 28 || .659 || Won Division Semifinals
Won Division Finals
Won NBA Finals || Boston 4,
Detroit 2
Boston 4,
Philadelphia 3
Boston 4, Los Angeles 2
|-
|1968-69 || 48 || 34 || .585 || Won Division Semifinals
Won Division Finals
Won NBA Finals || Boston 4, Philadelphia 1
Boston 4, New York 2
Boston 4, Los Angeles 3
|-
|1969-70 || 34 || 48 || .415
|-
|1970-71 || 44 || 38 || .537
|-
|1971-72 || 56 || 26 || .683 || Won Conference Semifinals
Lost Conference Finals || Boston 4, Atlanta 2
New York 4, Boston 1
|-
|1972-73 || 68 || 14 || .829 || Won Conference Semifinals
Lost Conference Finals || Boston 4, Atlanta 2
New York 4, Boston 3
|-
|1973-74 || 56 || 26 || .683 || Won Conference Semifinals
Won Conference Finals
Won NBA Finals || Boston 4, Buffalo 2
Boston 4, New York 1
Boston 4, Milwaukee 3
|-
|1974-75 || 60 || 22 || .732 || Won Conference Semifinals
Lost Conference Finals || Boston 4, Houston 1
Washington 4, Boston 2
|-
|1975-76 || 54 || 28 || .659 || Won Conference Semifinals
Won Conference Finals
Won NBA Finals || Boston 4, Buffalo 2
Boston 4, Cleveland 2
Boston 4, Phoenix 2
|-
|1976-77 || 44 || 38 || .537 || Won First Round
Lost Conference Semifinals || Boston 2, San Antonio 0
Philadelphia 4, Boston 3
|-
|1977-78 || 32 || 50 || .390
|-
|1978-79 || 29 || 53 || .354
|-
|1979-80 || 61 || 21 || .744 || Won Conference Semifinals
Lost Conference Finals || Boston 4, Houston 0
Philadelphia 4, Boston 1
|-
|1980-81 || 62 || 20 || .756 || Won Conference Semifinals
Won Conference Finals
Won NBA Finals || Boston 4, Chicago 0
Boston 4, Philadelphia 1
Boston 4, Houston 2
|-
|1981-82 || 63 || 19 || .768 || Won Conference Semifinals
Lost Conference Finals || Boston 4, Washington 1
Philadelphia 4, Boston 3
|-
|1982-83 || 56 || 26 || .683 || Lost Conference Semifinals || Milwaukee 4, Boston 0
|-
|1983-84 || 62 || 20 || .756 || Won First Round
Won Conference Semifinals
Won Conference Finals
Won NBA Finals || Boston 3, Washington 1
Boston 4, New York 3
Boston 4, Milwaukee 1
Boston 4, Los Angeles 3
|-
|1984-85 || 63 || 19 || .768 || Won First Round
Won Conference Semifinals
Won Conference Finals
Lost NBA Finals || Boston 3, Cleveland 1
Boston 4, Detroit 2
Boston 4, Philadelphia 1
Los Angeles 4, Boston 2
|-
|1985-86 || 67 || 15 || .817 || Won First Round
Won Conference Semifinals
Won Conference Finals
Won NBA Finals || Boston 3, Chicago 0
Boston 4, Atlanta 1
Boston 4, Milwaukee 0
Boston 4, Houston 2
|-
|1986-87 || 59 || 23 || .720 || Won First Round
Won Conference Semifinals
Won Conference Finals
Lost NBA Finals || Boston 3, Chicago 0
Boston 4, Milwaukee 3
Boston 4, Detroit 3
Los Angeles 4, Boston 2
|-
|1987-88 || 57 || 25 || .695 || Won First Round
Won Conference Semifinals
Lost Conference Finals || Boston 3, New York 1
Boston 4, Atlanta 3
Detroit 4, Boston 2
|-
|1988-89 || 42 || 40 || .512 || Lost First Round || Detroit 3, Boston 0
|-
|1989-90 || 52 || 30 || .634 || Lost First Round || New York 3, Boston 2
|-
|1990-91 || 56 || 26 || .683 || Won First Round
Lost Conference Seminfinals || Boston 3, Indiana 2
Detroit 4, Boston 2
|-
|1991-92 || 51 || 31 || .622 || Won First Round
Lost Conference Seminfinals || Boston 3, Indiana 0
Cleveland 4, Boston 3
|-
|1992-93 || 48 || 34 || .585 || Lost First Round || Charlotte 3, Boston 1
|-
|1993-94 || 32 || 50 || .390
|-
|1994-95 || 35 || 47 || .427 || Lost First Round || Orlando 3, Boston 1
|-
|1995-96 || 33 || 49 || .402
|-
|1996-97 || 15 || 67 || .183
|-
|1997-98 || 36 || 46 || .439
|-
|1998-99 || 19 || 31 || .380
|-
|1999-2000 || 35 || 47 || .427
|-
|2000-01 || 36 || 46 || .439
|-
|2001-02 || 49 || 33 || .598 || Won First Round
Won Conference Semifinals
Lost Conference Finals || Boston 3, Philadelphia 2
Boston 4, Detroit 1
New Jersey 4, Boston 2
|-
|2002-03 || 44 || 38 || .537 || Won First Round
Lost Conference Semifinals || Boston 4, Indiana 2
New Jersey 4, Boston 0
|-
|2003-04 || 36 || 46 || .439 || Lost First Round || Indiana 4, Boston 0
|-
|2004-05 || 45 || 37 || .549 || Lost First Round || Indiana 4, Boston 3
|-
|2005-06 || 33 || 49 || .402
|-
!Totals || 2770 || 1905 || .593
|-
!Playoffs || 288 || 210 || .578 || 16 Championships
Players of note
Basketball Hall of Famers:
