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RetroSeasons
RetroSeasons recaps past sports seasons through stories, photos, videos, and stats from every team, league, and stadium in history. Coverage includes the NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL, as well as vintage media from defunct teams and leagues.
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Boston Celtics logo

Boston Celtics
Franchise Overview 1947-2021 (75 seasons)

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Teams Boston/New England Boston Celtics Larry-bird-drafted-by-red-auerbach Franchise Overview

Recap

Founded in 1946 as one of the league's original eight teams, the Celtics play their home games at TD Garden, which they share with the National Hockey League's Boston Bruins. The Celtics are regarded as one of the most successful basketball teams in NBA history; the franchise is tied with the Los Angeles Lakers for most NBA Championships won with 17 (accounting for 23.6 percent of all NBA championships since the league's founding) and currently holds the record for the most recorded wins of any NBA team. The Celtics are one of the two charter BAA franchises (the other is the New York Knicks) still playing in their original city.

The Celtics have a notable rivalry with the Los Angeles Lakers, which was heavily highlighted throughout the 1960s and 1980s. During the two teams' many match-ups in the 1980s, the Celtics' star, Larry Bird, and the Lakers' star, Magic Johnson, had an ongoing feud. The franchise has played the Lakers a record 12 times in the NBA Finals (including their most recent appearances in 2008 and 2010), of which the Celtics have won nine. Four Celtics players (Bob Cousy, Bill Russell, Dave Cowens and Larry Bird) have won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award for an NBA record total of 10 MVP awards. Both the nickname "Celtics" and their mascot "Lucky the Leprechaun" are a nod to Boston's historically large Irish population, and also to the Original Celtics, a marquee team prior to the NBA.

The Celtics' rise to dominance began in the late 1950s, after coach Red Auerbach acquired center Bill Russell, who would become the cornerstone of the Celtics dynasty, in a draft-day trade in 1956. Led by Russell and superstar point guard Bob Cousy, the Celtics won their first NBA championship in 1957. Russell, along with a talented supporting cast of future Hall of Famers including John Havlicek, Tom Heinsohn, K. C. Jones, Sam Jones, Satch Sanders, and Bill Sharman, would usher the Celtics into the greatest period in franchise history, winning eight consecutive NBA championships throughout the 1960s. After the retirement of Russell in 1969, the Celtics entered a period of rebuilding. Led by center Dave Cowens and point guard JoJo White, the Celtics returned to championship caliber, winning two NBA titles in 1974 and 1976. The Celtics again returned to dominance in the 1980s. Led by the "Big Three" that featured Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish, the Celtics won the 1981, 1984, and 1986 championships. After winning 16 championships throughout the 20th century, the Celtics, after struggling through the 1990s, rose again to win a championship in 2008 with the help of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen in what was known as the new "Big Three" era. The Celtics returned to the NBA Finals in 2010, only to lose to the Lakers in a seven-game series.

By the start of the 2013-14 season, none of the "Big Three" were still with the team, which ushered in a new era for the team. With the help of newly hired head coach Brad Stevens, the team began rebuilding. In his second season, Stevens led the Celtics to a return to the playoffs in 2015. During the 2016-17 season, the Celtics clinched the top seed in the Eastern Conference, but were eliminated in the Conference Finals. Led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the team returned to the Conference Finals in 2018 and 2020, losing both times.

Close
1947-2021 (75 seasons)

Boston Celtics Team History

Franchise History

1950-2021
Boston Celtics (NBA)
1947-1949
Boston Celtics (BAA)

Top Seasons

Year Record Result
2010 50-32 Lost NBA Finals
2008 66-16 Won NBA Finals
1987 59-23 Lost NBA Finals
1986 67-15 Won NBA Finals
1985 63-19 Lost NBA Finals
View More Celtics Seasons

Last 5 Seasons

Year Record Result
2021 36-36 Lost First Round
2020 48-24 Lost Conference Finals
2019 49-33 Lost Conference Semifinals
2018 55-27 Lost Conference Finals
2017 53-29 Lost Conference Finals
View All Celtics Seasons

1st Round Draft Picks

Year Rd/Pick Player
2020 1 / 14 Aaron Nesmith SF
2020 1 / 26 Payton Pritchard PG
2020 1 / 30 Desmond Bane SG
2019 1 / 14 Romeo Langford SG
2019 1 / 20 Matisse Thybulle SF
View All Celtics Draft Picks

Longest Serving GM's

Tenure Years General Manager
1951-84 34 Red Auerbach
2004-21 18 Danny Ainge
1985-90 6 Jan Volk
1991-94 4 Dave Gavitt
1947-50 4 Walter Brown
View All Celtics General Managers

Team Owners

Tenure Years Owner
2003-21 19 Boston Basketball Partners LLC
1994-02 9 Paul Gaston
1984-93 10 Don Gaston
1984-93 10 Alan Cohen
1984-93 10 Paul Dupee
1979-83 5 Harry T. Mangurian, Jr.
1979 1 John Y. Brown, Jr.
1975-78 4 Harold Lipton
1975-78 4 Irv Levin
1973-75 3 Robert Schmertz
1969-72 2 Ballantine Brewery
1970-71 2 Trans-National Communications
1966-68 3 Marvin Kratter
1951-65 15 Lou Pieri
1965 1 Marjorie Brown
1951-64 14 Walter A. Brown
1947-50 4 Boston Garden Arena Corp.
View All Celtics Owners

Related Content

Stories, Photos, Videos, Podcasts, and Publications featuring Boston Celtics Franchise Overview
F i l t e r   &   S o r t  Filter & Sort
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Boston Celtics Media Guidepublication
Boston Celtics Media Guide
79 issues 1947-2025
This media guide is a comprehensive resource created by the team to provide detailed information about its players, coaches, history,...
/ This media guide is a comprehensive resource created by the team to provide detailed information about its players, coaches, history, and season schedule. Released annually, it serves journalists, broadcasters, and fans by offering accurate profiles, statistics, and historical records. The guide enhances media coverage, fan engagement, and promotional efforts.
1956-57 Boston Celtics Team Statistics and Player Highlightspublication
1956-57 Boston Celtics Team Statistics and Player Highlights
Page from publication 1969
The Sporting News released a large annual guide every year that covered all team, league, and player stats, as...
/ The Sporting News released a large annual guide every year that covered all team, league, and player stats, as well as a detailed breakdown of each team. This was considered the official NBA guide for many decades.
1958-59 Boston Celtics Team Statistics and Highlights Vintage Photopublication
1958-59 Boston Celtics Team Statistics and Highlights Vintage Photo
Page from publication 1969
The Sporting News released a large annual guide every year that covered all team, league, and player stats, as...
/ The Sporting News released a large annual guide every year that covered all team, league, and player stats, as well as a detailed breakdown of each team. This was considered the official NBA guide for many decades.
1959-60 Boston Celtics Team Photo and Season Statistics Overviewpublication
1959-60 Boston Celtics Team Photo and Season Statistics Overview
Page from publication 1969
The Sporting News released a large annual guide every year that covered all team, league, and player stats, as...
/ The Sporting News released a large annual guide every year that covered all team, league, and player stats, as well as a detailed breakdown of each team. This was considered the official NBA guide for many decades.
1960-61 Boston Celtics Statistics and Team Photo Showcasepublication
1960-61 Boston Celtics Statistics and Team Photo Showcase
Page from publication 1969
The Sporting News released a large annual guide every year that covered all team, league, and player stats, as...
/ The Sporting News released a large annual guide every year that covered all team, league, and player stats, as well as a detailed breakdown of each team. This was considered the official NBA guide for many decades.
1961-62 Boston Celtics Team Photo and Season Statistics Overviewpublication
1961-62 Boston Celtics Team Photo and Season Statistics Overview
Page from publication 1969
The Sporting News released a large annual guide every year that covered all team, league, and player stats, as...
/ The Sporting News released a large annual guide every year that covered all team, league, and player stats, as well as a detailed breakdown of each team. This was considered the official NBA guide for many decades.
1962-63 Boston Celtics Team Photo and Season Statistics Overviewpublication
1962-63 Boston Celtics Team Photo and Season Statistics Overview
Page from publication 1969
The Sporting News released a large annual guide every year that covered all team, league, and player stats, as...
/ The Sporting News released a large annual guide every year that covered all team, league, and player stats, as well as a detailed breakdown of each team. This was considered the official NBA guide for many decades.
Bill Russell's Dominance: Vintage 1963 Celtics Action Momentpublication
Bill Russell's Dominance: Vintage 1963 Celtics Action Moment
Page from publication Feb 1, 1963
...
/
1963-64 Boston Celtics Team Statistics and Championship Overviewpublication
1963-64 Boston Celtics Team Statistics and Championship Overview
Page from publication 1969
The Sporting News released a large annual guide every year that covered all team, league, and player stats, as...
/ The Sporting News released a large annual guide every year that covered all team, league, and player stats, as well as a detailed breakdown of each team. This was considered the official NBA guide for many decades.
1964-65 Boston Celtics Team Photo and Season Statistics Overviewpublication
1964-65 Boston Celtics Team Photo and Season Statistics Overview
Page from publication 1969
The Sporting News released a large annual guide every year that covered all team, league, and player stats, as...
/ The Sporting News released a large annual guide every year that covered all team, league, and player stats, as well as a detailed breakdown of each team. This was considered the official NBA guide for many decades.
1965-66 Boston Celtics Team Photo and Season Statistics Overviewpublication
1965-66 Boston Celtics Team Photo and Season Statistics Overview
Page from publication 1969
The Sporting News released a large annual guide every year that covered all team, league, and player stats, as...
/ The Sporting News released a large annual guide every year that covered all team, league, and player stats, as well as a detailed breakdown of each team. This was considered the official NBA guide for many decades.
1967-68 Boston Celtics Team Portrait and Boston Garden Overviewpublication
1967-68 Boston Celtics Team Portrait and Boston Garden Overview
Page from publication 1969
The Sporting News released a large annual guide every year that covered all team, league, and player stats, as...
/ The Sporting News released a large annual guide every year that covered all team, league, and player stats, as well as a detailed breakdown of each team. This was considered the official NBA guide for many decades.
1967-68 Boston Celtics Team Stats and Highlights Featuring Red Auerbachpublication
1967-68 Boston Celtics Team Stats and Highlights Featuring Red Auerbach
Page from publication 1969
The Sporting News released a large annual guide every year that covered all team, league, and player stats, as...
/ The Sporting News released a large annual guide every year that covered all team, league, and player stats, as well as a detailed breakdown of each team. This was considered the official NBA guide for many decades.
Larry Bird drafted by Red Auerbach
Larry Bird drafted by Red Auerbach
1978 · Draft Picks · Executives
,Basketball  /  NBA (1950-),Boston Celtics (NBA)

Celtics History

  • Franchise Overview
  • Seasons
  • Team Stats
  • Franchise Leaders
  • Season Records
  • Draft Picks
  • Head Coaches
  • General Managers
  • Owners
  • Arena History
  • Logo History
  • Audio & Video Clips
  • Articles & Photos
  • Links Website
    Wikipedia
    Twitter
    Facebook
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    YouTube
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