2007 Big Three Trade Deadline

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. They won eight consecutive NBA championships from 1959 to 1966. After Russell became player-coach, they won back-to-back titles in 1968 and 1969.

In the mid-1970s, the Celtics won championships in 1974 and 1976 under head coach Tom Heinsohn. In the 1980s, anchored by the 'Big Three' of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish, they won championships in 1981, 1984, and 1986. After a period of rebuilding, the Celtics assembled a new 'Big Three' around Paul Pierce by acquiring Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett in the 2007 off-season. Under head coach Doc Rivers, they won their 17th championship in 2008.

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' 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. 41 members of the Basketball Hall of Fame have played for the Celtics at least once in their careers. 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.

Did You Know?

• The Celtics were founded in 1946 as one of the NBA's original eight teams.
• The team name and mascot 'Lucky the Leprechaun' are nods to Boston's historically large Irish population and the Original Celtics.
• Bill Russell became the first African American head coach in any United States sport when he became player-coach of the Celtics.
• The Celtics' 8 consecutive championships from 1959 to 1966 is the longest championship streak in U.S. professional sports history.
• 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.