18 NBA Championships

Lore & Background

The Celtics won their first NBA championship in the 1957 NBA Finals under the coaching of Red Auerbach. Auerbach is the franchise's all-time leader in the number of regular-season and playoff wins as a coach. Auerbach and Bill Fitch were included in the Top 10 Coaches in NBA history. Fitch was the 1979–80 NBA Coach of the Year and also led the Celtics to a championship in 1981. Auerbach led the Celtics to nine championships, in 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, and 1966. He was also the 1965–66 Coach of the Year. K.C. Jones led the Celtics to two championships, in 1984 and 1986. Doc Rivers led the team to one NBA championship.

Reader's Guide

There have been 18 head coaches for the Boston Celtics franchise. The team is owned by Bill Chisolm with Brad Stevens as the general manager. They play their home games in the TD Garden. Joe Mazzulla is the current head coach of the Celtics.

Did You Know?

• Their eight consecutive NBA championships from 1959 to 1966 represent the longest consecutive championship winning streak of any major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada to date.
• Alvin Julian, Red Auerbach, Tom Heinsohn, Bill Fitch and Rick Pitino have earned induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame as coaches.
• Bill Russell, Tom Heinsohn, Tom Sanders, Dave Cowens, K.C. Jones, Chris Ford and M. L. Carr have played and coached for the Celtics.
• John Russell, Alvin Julian, Heinsohn, Sanders, Carr, and John Carroll spent their entire coaching career with the Celtics.