The Boston Celtics is a major professional basketball team contesting in the Eastern Conference of the Atlantic Division in the National Basketball Association. The team originated from the city of Boston in Massachusetts and was established in 1946.
The Boston Celtics have 17 NBA Championship titles to their name, with 10 Conference Titles and 33 Division Titles. The team was one of the most dominant teams in the NBA and won many consecutive titles between 1957 and 1986.
Team Profile
The Boston Celtics, also known simply as ‘Boston’ or ‘The Celtics’, were established on July 6, 1946. Their current home arena is TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. Their team colors are green, white, black, gold, and brown. Their NBA G League affiliate team is the Main Celtics.
As of 2024, the team’s Head Coach is Joe Mazzulla. They have opted out of naming a Team Captain in 2024.
Team History
The team primarily originated under the Basketball Association of America (BAA) which further merged with the National Basketball Association (NBA).
| Country |
United States
|
| City | Boston, Massachusetts |
| Founded | 1946 |
| Ground | TD Garden |
| Nickname | Celtics |
| Coach | Joe Mazzulla |
| Website | http://nba.com/Celtics |
| Follow This Team | |
The team is owned by the Boston Basketball Partners and the General Manager is Brad Stevens, the CEO is Wyc Grousbeck and the Team President is Rich Gotham.
The first NBA title won by the Celtics was in the year 1957 in which the team defeated the St. Louis Hawks in a series of seven games. The Celtics are the most dominant team in the history of the NBA.
Since then, the Celtics have won the NBA Championship title a total of 17 times, most recently in 2008. They were most dominant in the 1960s, winning in 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, and 1969.
The 1970 season was a year of complete reconstruction of the Celtics. After losing in the first round of the playoffs for the first time the team regrouped themselves and once again became dominant. The Celtics managed to make it to the Eastern Conference Finals but lost to the New York Knicks in the 1973 season.
They have experienced a resurgence in the 2020s, winning the Division Title in 2022 and 2023. They also won the Conference title in 2020 and the NBA title in 2024, led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Notable Players
The Celtics was the first American team to sign an African American player named Chuck Cooper.
The 1979-1992 were the flying years for the Celtics. Larry Bird from Indiana State University was signed by the team. Bird debuted in the 1979-1980 season.
With the likes of Bird, the Celtics made an immediate improvement by winning 32 games. Although the team lost to the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference Finals, Bird was awarded the NBA Rookie of the Year. Bird went on to be instrumental in the Celtics’ dominance in the 1960s.
Other notable players from the team include Robert Lee Parish, Walter Brown, Red Auerbach, Dennis Johnson, Kevin Garnett, Bill Russell, Joseph White, Robert Cousey, Thomas Heisohn, Thomas Sanders, John Havlicek, David Cowens, Donald Nelson, William Sharman, Charles Macauley, Frank Ramsey Jr., Samuel Jones, KC Jones, Cedric Maxwell, Kevin McHale, Paul Anthony Pierce, and Reginald Lewis.
Current players who are making a mark with the Celtics include Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, referred to as ‘The Jays’.
Notable Rivalries
One of the greatest rivals of the team is the Los Angeles Lakers, which is regarded as one of the most historical rivalries in the NBA.
They were also in rivalries with the Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, and the Washington Wizards.
Coaches
Former player Red Auerbach is considered one of the most successful coaches in the history of the Celtics. Bill Russell also took on coaching duties for the team later on. Other notable coaches include Tom Heinsohn, KC Jones, Bill Fitch, and Doc Rivers.
Major Achievements
- NBA Championships: 18
- Conference Titles: 11
- Division Titles: 34