Boston Celtics – One of the eight oldest franchises in the league
Based in Boston, Massachusetts, the Boston Celtics play as a professional basketball team of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association (NBA), and one of the most successful teams in the league. The team was established in 1946 as one of the eight-oldest franchises in the league. The Celtics home games have been played at the TD Garden since 1995 which they share with Boston Bruins (NHL team).
The Boston Celtics hold the record for the most 17 NBA championship wins tied with the Los Angeles Lakers since the league’s history as per the NBA’s official records. The Celtics still play in their original city making them one of the two oldest charter BAA franchises with the other being the New York Knicks.
In the 1960s and 1980s, the Boston Celtics rivalry with the Los Angeles Lakers was the most publicized of all rivalries in the NBA. Two players particularly stood out in this rivalry as Larry Bird of the Celtics and Irvin Magic Johnson of the LA Lakers had a personal feud of their own when the teams came up against each other.
The Celtics-Lakers have met a record 12 times in the NBA Finals which the Celtics have won nine titles, the most recent win in 2008, and the LA Lakers won three with the most recent championship victory coming in 2010.
Four Celtics players Bob Cousy, Bill Russell, Larry Bird, and Dave Cowens have shared the record 10 NBA Most Valuable Player Awards amongst themselves which is the most in the NBA. The Celtics’ mascot is nicknamed “Lucky the Leprechaun” due to Boston’s large Irish population. The franchise nickname “Celtics” pays homage to both the Original Celtics team that existed before the establishment of the NBA and the area’s large historic Irish population.
What is everything you need to know about the Boston Celtics?
| Commonly known as | The Celtics |
| Established | 1946 |
| Conference | Eastern |
| Arena/Stadium | TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts |
| Team color | Green, gold, black, brown, white |
| Main Sponsor | Vistaprint |
| Net worth | $4B (Forbes) |
| Owner | Boston Basketball Partners |
| Head coach | Joe Mazzulla |
| Championships | 17 (1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1974, 1976, 1981, 1984, 1986, 2008) |
| Conference titles | 9 (1974, 1976, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 2008, 2010) |
| Division titles | 31 (1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1992, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2017) |
The Franchise began to dominate the league in the late 1950s after their coach Red Auerbach obtained the center of Bill Russell in 1956 by a draft trade, who went on to become one of their most valuable players to date. Star point guard Bob Cousy and center Bill Russell would go on to lead Boston to their first NBA championship win in 1957. This was the start of the Celtic’s most successful era as they would go on to win eight successive NBA championships through the 1960s.
The 1970s were not the most successful years for the franchise as they won only two championships led by Dave Cowens, and JoJo White in 1974 and 1976 but returned to their peak powers in the 1980s that featured the Big Three Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish, the Celtics went on to win 3 more titles in 1981, 1984, and 1986.
The Boston Celtics have struggled to replicate their 20th-century dominance with only one championship in the 21st century coming in a 2008 championship final against the La Lakers. But Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have earned the team in 2018, and 2020 Conference finals, and in 2021 successfully seeded the playoff birth.
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