The Green Team

Lore & Background

The Celtics' rise to dominance began in the late 1950s after the team, led by coach Red Auerbach, acquired Bill Russell in 1956. Led by Russell, Bob Cousy, and Tom Heinsohn, the Celtics won their first NBA championship in 1957. Russell, along with a talented supporting cast including Heinsohn, Don Nelson, K. C. Jones, John Havlicek, Sam Jones, Satch Sanders, and Bill Sharman, ushered the Celtics into the greatest period in franchise history, winning eight consecutive NBA championships from 1959 to 1966.

After Russell became player-coach, they won back-to-back titles in 1968 and 1969. The Celtics entered a period of rebuilding after Russell retired in 1969. In the mid-1970s, they won championships in 1974 and 1976 under head coach Tom Heinsohn with Dave Cowens, Havlicek, and Jo Jo White. In the 1980s, anchored by the 'Big Three' of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish, the team won championships in 1981, 1984, and 1986.

After another rebuilding period, the Celtics assembled a new 'Big Three' around Paul Pierce by acquiring Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett in 2007, winning the 2008 championship under Doc Rivers. Led by Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, the team returned to the NBA Finals in 2022 and defeated the Dallas Mavericks in 2024 to secure their 18th championship.

Reader's Guide

The Celtics have a notable rivalry with the Los Angeles Lakers, who are second in NBA history with 17 championships. The teams have played a record 12 times in the NBA Finals, with the Celtics winning nine times. 41 members of the Basketball Hall of Fame have played for the Celtics. Four Celtics players (Bob Cousy, Bill Russell, Dave Cowens, and Larry Bird) have won the NBA Most Valuable Player award; overall, Celtics players have won an NBA-record 10 MVP awards. 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 the time, though later surpassed by the Los Angeles Lakers.

Did You Know?

• The team name and mascot 'Lucky the Leprechaun' are nods to Boston's historically large Irish population and the Original Celtics.
• Bill Russell was the first African American head coach in any United States sport.