Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics are a professional basketball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, competing in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in Boston in 1946 by Walter Brown, the Celtics were charter members of the Basketball Association of America, a forerunner of the NBA (established in 1949). Founded in 1946, they are recognized as one of the league's most successful franchises, having won a record-setting eighteenth championship in 2024. The Celtics play their home games at TD Garden, a shared arena with the NHL's Boston Bruins. The "Celtics" nickname and the team's mascot "Lucky the Leprechaun" are nods to Boston's historically large Irish population, and also to the Original Celtics, a barnstorming basketball team that played in the early 20th century.

Founding and Early Years

The Boston-based club was called the Celtics in honor of the city's large Irish-American population. The Celtics were initially owned by Walter Brown, who managed the legendary Boston Garden arena. Thanks to this association, the Celtics would call the Boston Garden home for decades to come, sharing the space with the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL). The team set foot on the Boston Garden's famous parquet floor for the first time on November 5, 1946, in what turned out to be a 57–55 loss to the Chicago Stags.

The Celtics played in the BAA for several years before the league absorbed a competing league called the National Basketball League (NBL) and became the NBA in 1949. Throughout these early years, the Celtics struggled to find success on the court, failing to earn even a winning record. In need of a change, the team hired Red Auerbach as its head coach in 1950. His arrival marked the beginning of the Celtics' rise to the top of the NBA. In his first season on the bench, Auerbach guided the Celtics into the playoffs for only the second time in franchise history.

In 1950, the Celtics signed Chuck Cooper, becoming the first NBA franchise to draft a Black player. Auerbach introduced the fast break offense, full-court defense, and the "sixth man" strategy, revolutionizing the game. His focus on teamwork over individual play reshaped the franchise and laid the foundation for the golden era in Celtics history.

The Dynasty Era (1957–1969)

The Celtics' rise to dominance began in the late 1950s, after the team, led by coach Red Auerbach, acquired Bill Russell in 1956, later becoming the cornerstone of the Celtics dynasty. Led by Russell, Bob Cousy, and Tom Heinsohn, the Celtics won their first NBA championship in 1957. In 1959, the Celtics won the NBA championship after sweeping the Minneapolis Lakers, the first of their record eight consecutive championships. The streak of 8 consecutive NBA championships is the longest streak of consecutive championships in U.S. professional sports history.

One of the most successful franchises in sports history, the Celtics won 11 of 13 NBA championships from 1957 to 1969. Other important players during this era included Sam Jones, John Havlicek, Bill Sharman, Frank Ramsey, and Satch Sanders. Among the highlights of the Celtics' unprecedented championship run are Russell twice gathering an NBA Finals-record 40 rebounds in a game (1960, 1962) and Havlicek's series-clinching steal of an inbounds pass in game seven of the 1965 Eastern Division finals, which elicited the famous call of "Havlicek stole the ball!" by announcer Johnny Most.

In 1964, the Celtics became the first NBA team to have an all African-American starting lineup. Russell served as the Celtics' player-coach from 1966 to 1969, and his matchups with Wilt Chamberlain, first as a Philadelphia 76er and then with the Los Angeles Lakers, were at the center of some of the most dramatic games in NBA playoff history. Russell retired after the 1969 season, effectively ending a dominant Celtics dynasty that had garnered 11 NBA titles in 13 seasons.

Rebuilding and the Bird Era (1970s–1980s)

The 1969–70 season was a rebuilding year, as the Celtics had their first losing record since the 1949–50 season. However, with the acquisition of Paul Silas and future Hall of Famers Dave Cowens and Jo Jo White, the Celtics soon became dominant again. The Celtics returned to the playoffs the next year, defeating the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Finals in 1974 for their 12th NBA Championship. In 1976, the team won yet another championship, defeating the Phoenix Suns in six games.

In 1978, Boston acquired one of the greatest players in league history when they selected sharpshooting forward Larry Bird in the NBA draft. The NBA reached new levels of popularity with the excitement generated by the supremacy battle between the Lakers led by Magic Johnson and a Celtics team led by Bird, Robert Parish, Kevin McHale, and Dennis Johnson that advanced to the NBA Finals five times in the 1980s and won championships in 1980–81, 1983–84, and 1985–86.

In 1985–86, the Celtics fielded one of the best teams in NBA history. The 1986 Celtics won 67 games, going 40–1 at their home, the Boston Garden. Bird won his third consecutive MVP award after having arguably his finest season, and Walton won the Sixth Man of the Year Award. They would win their 16th championship, easily defeating the Houston Rockets in the NBA Finals. After the death of their top draft pick Len Bias, just two days after the 1986 NBA Draft, the team fell into a steady decline, only making the playoffs four times from 1996 to 2007.

The Modern Era and the 2008 and 2024 Championships

In the mid-1990s the Celtics experienced the first prolonged playoff drought in the franchise's history—six straight years beginning with the 1995–96 season. The franchise's fortunes began to reverse in 2007, when a bold series of roster moves transformed the team almost overnight. This remarkable showing was due largely to the addition of superstars Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to a team that already included All-Star Paul Pierce. The "Boston Three Party," as Garnett, Allen, and NBA Finals MVP Paul Pierce became known, had finally brought a 17th banner to Boston — the first new banner for the new Garden and the first such win in 22 years.

Allen left the Celtics in free agency in 2012. Boston traded away Garnett and Pierce after the 2012–13 campaign. Among the talented young players the team drafted over the next several years were guard-forward Jaylen Brown in 2016 and forward Jayson Tatum in 2017. Those players helped the Celtics reestablish themselves as one of the league's best teams. In 2021–22, the Celtics won their division and reached the league Finals for the first time in 12 years. The Celtics, however, lost the championship series to the Golden State Warriors in six games.

In 2023–24, Boston returned to the Finals after posting a league-best 64–18 regular-season record. The Celtics won their 18th title by defeating the Dallas Mavericks in a five-game series. In May 2025, the team was sold to private equity investor William Chisholm for $6.1 billion, making it the highest-ever valued transaction for a sports franchise in North America at that time.

Records, Legacy, and Community Impact

The Celtics hold the records for most NBA championships won, with 18, and most recorded wins of any NBA franchise. 41 members of the Basketball Hall of Fame have played for the Celtics at least once in their careers. The team also holds an NBA record total of 10 Most Valuable Player Awards, given to four Celtics: Bob Cousy, Bill Russell, Dave Cowens, and Larry Bird. The Celtics have a notable rivalry with the Los Angeles Lakers, who are second in NBA history with 17 championships. The teams' rivalry was especially pronounced in the 1960s and 1980s. The Celtics have played the Lakers a record 12 times in the NBA Finals and have defeated them nine times.

Their legacy is not only defined by on-court success but also by their contributions to social change, including the integration of Black players in the NBA. Off the court, the franchise has maintained a strong community presence in Boston. Much of this work is performed through the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation, a charitable organization supporting the Boston community through initiatives that benefit underserved children. Some of the Shamrock Foundation's partners have included the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston, Boston Children's Hospital, Horizons for Homeless Children, and the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.