8 Consecutive Championships Record (1959-66)

Lore & Background

Led by Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, Tom Heinsohn, and a supporting cast of future Hall of Famers including Don Nelson, K. C. Jones, John Havlicek, Sam Jones, Satch Sanders, and Bill Sharman, the Celtics dominated the NBA during this era. Their primary rivals were the St. Louis Hawks and the Los Angeles Lakers, whom they met in the Finals five times during the streak.

In Their Own Story

The air inside the Boston Garden was thick with tension and the smell of floor wax. It was Game 7, 1966 against the Lakers, and the score barely mattered to the fans; they knew the rhythm by now. Bill Russell stood at the free-throw line, his jersey soaked in sweat, eyes locked on the rim. He didn't just block shots; he erased hope from opponents. As the final buzzer sounded, Red Auerbach lit a cigar on the court, not out of arrogance, but as a ritual of a job done perfectly for the eighth time in a row. The crowd roared, not for a single player, but for an era that refused to end.

Reader's Guide

The streak began in 1959 with a sweep of the Minneapolis Lakers and ended after the 1965–66 season when Red Auerbach retired as coach and Bill Russell became player-coach. The Celtics' run of eight consecutive titles is the longest in NBA history.

Did You Know?

• The Celtics' eight consecutive championships from 1959 to 1966 is the longest championship streak in U.S. professional sports history.
• Bill Russell won 11 NBA titles in 13 seasons, the most by any NBA player.
• In 1964, the Celtics became the first NBA team to field an all African-American starting lineup.