History of the Boston Celtics
Encyclopedia
This is a history of the Boston Celtics
. The Boston Celtics are an America
n basketball team currently playing in the Atlantic Division
of the Eastern Conference
in the National Basketball Association
(NBA). Over the years, the Celtics have won 17 NBA Championship
s.
after the merger of the BAA and the National Basketball League to form the NBA in the fall of 1949. In 1950, the Celtics became the first franchise to draft an African American player, signing Chuck Cooper.
The Celtics had struggled during their early years, but the hiring of Coach Red Auerbach
would change their fortunes. One of the first major players to join the Celtics was Bob Cousy
, whom Auerbach initially refused to draft. Cousy eventually became the property of the Chicago Stags
. When that franchise went bankrupt, Cousy was acquired by the Celtics in a dispersal draft. He would become a huge part of the Celtics' success and eventually became good friends with his new coach. Under Auerbach the Celtics improved dramatically, becoming a consistent threat to win in the NBA's Eastern Division in each of his first six seasons, although they fell short each time.
After the 1955–56
season, Auerbach made a stunning trade. He sent perennial All-Star Ed Macauley
to the St. Louis Hawks along with the draft rights to Cliff Hagan
in exchange for the Hawks' first round draft pick, the second overall. After negotiating with the Rochester Royals
, Auerbach used the pick to select University of San Francisco
center
Bill Russell. Auerbach also acquired Holy Cross standout, and 1957 NBA Rookie of the Year, Tommy Heinsohn. Russell and Heinsohn worked extraordinarily well with Cousy, and they were the players around whom Auerbach would build the Celtics for more than a decade. Russell, who delayed joining until the middle of the 1957 season in order to play for the U.S. Olympic Team
, had an immediate impact.
and defeated the St. Louis Hawks
in seven games, giving the Celtics the first of their record 17 NBA Championships. In 1958, the Celtics again advanced to the NBA Finals
, this time losing to the Hawks in 6 games. However, with the acquisition of K.C. Jones that year, the Celtics began a dynasty that would last for more than a decade. In 1959, with Cousy at point guard
, Russell at center
and Heinsohn at forward, the Celtics won the NBA Championship after sweeping the Minneapolis Lakers
. Still coached by Auerbach, the Celtics won seven more consecutive championships, extending their streak to eight in a row. During that timespan, the Celtics met the Lakers in the Finals six times, starting an intense and often bitter rivalry. The Celtics would eventually meet the Lakers a total of 11 times in the NBA Finals. In 1964, Auerbach made the Celtics the first team to have an all African American starting lineup.
After the 1966 championship, Auerbach retired as coach and Russell took over as player-coach. With his appointment, Russell also became the first African American coach in any sport. Auerbach would remain the General Manager, a position he would hold well into the 1980s. However, that year the Celtics' string of NBA titles was broken as they lost to the Philadelphia 76ers
in the Eastern Conference Finals. The aging team managed two more championships in 1968 and 1969, defeating the Lakers
each time in the NBA Finals. Russell retired after the 1969 season, effectively ending a dominant Celtics dynasty that had garnered 11 NBA titles in 13 seasons. The streak of 8 consecutive NBA championships is the longest streak of consecutive championships in U.S. professional sports history. Other important players during this era included Sam Jones
, John Havlicek
, Bill Sharman
, Frank Ramsey, and Satch Sanders.
season, the year prior to Auerbach's arrival. However, with the acquisition of Dave Cowens
, Paul Silas
, and Jo Jo White
, the Celtics soon became dominant again. After losing in the Eastern Conference Finals in 1972, the Celtics regrouped and came out determined in 1973 and posted an excellent 68–14 regular season record. But the season ended in disappointment, as they were upset in 7 games by the New York Knicks
in the Conference Finals and became the team with the best record ever to have failed to make the Finals. The Celtics returned to the playoffs the next year, defeating the Milwaukee Bucks
in the NBA Finals in 1974
for their 12th NBA Championship. The teams split the first four games, and after the Celtics won Game 5 in Milwaukee they headed back to Boston leading three games to two, with a chance to claim the title on their home court. However, the Bucks won Game 6 when Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
nestled in a hook shot with three seconds left in the game's second overtime, and the series returned to Milwaukee. But Cowens was the hero in Game 7, scoring 28 points, as the Celtics brought the title back to Boston for the first time in five years. In 1976, the team won yet another championship, defeating the Phoenix Suns
in 6 games. The Celtics advanced to the 1976 NBA Finals
, which featured one of the greatest games in the history of the NBA. With the series tied at two games apiece, the Suns trailed early in the Boston Garden, but came back to force overtime. In double overtime, a Gar Heard
turn-around jumper at the top of the key sent the game to an unprecedented third overtime, at which point the Celtics prevailed. Tommy Heinsohn coached the team for those two championships. After the 1976 championship and a playoff appearance in 1977
, Boston went into another phase of rebuilding.
In the 1977 NBA Draft
, the Celtics drafted a young forward from the UNC Charlotte
named Cedric Maxwell
. Maxwell did not contribute much in his rookie season, but he showed promise. Auerbach's job became even tougher following a horrible 1977–78
in which they went 32–50 as John Havlicek
, the Celtics All-Time leading scorer, retired after 16 seasons.
, the Celtics owned two of the top eight picks in the 1978 NBA Draft
. Since the Celtics had two draft choices, Auerbach took a risk and selected junior Larry Bird
of Indiana State with the 6th pick, knowing that Bird would elect to remain in college for his senior year. The Celtics would retain his rights for one year, a rule that was later changed, and Auerbach believed that Bird's potential would make him worth the wait. Auerbach also felt that when the college season ended the Celtics would have a great chance to sign Bird. Auerbach was right and Bird signed soon after leading Indiana State to the NCAA Championship game, where they fell to a Michigan State University
team that was led by Magic Johnson.
The other important story of the Celtics' 1978–79
season was the ongoing dispute between Auerbach and new owner John Y. Brown
. The dispute nearly led Auerbach to resign as General Manager for a position with the New York Knicks
. With public support strongly behind Auerbach, Brown elected to sell the team rather than face the wrath of the city for being the man who drove Red to a hated rival. During his short ownership, Brown orchestrated a trade for Bob McAdoo that Auerbach despised, and the team unraveled. The Celtics would struggle through the season, going 29–53 without Bird. Newcomers Chris Ford
, Rick Robey
, Cedric Maxwell
and Tiny Archibald failed to reverse the team's momentum.
Bird would debut for the Celtics during the 1979–80
season, a year after his selection. With a new owner in place, Auerbach made a number of moves that would create a whole new dynasty. Auerbach traded the unhappy McAdoo, a former NBA scoring champion, to the Detroit Pistons
in exchange for guard M.L. Carr, a defensive specialist, and two first-round picks in the 1980 NBA Draft
. He also picked up point guard
Gerald Henderson
from the CBA
. Carr, Archibald, Henderson and Ford would form a highly competent backcourt, with their unique skills blending in perfectly with the talented frontcourt of Cowens, Maxwell and Bird, who would go on to win NBA Rookie of the Year honors. The Celtics improved by 32 games, at the time the best single-season turnaround in NBA
history, going 61–21 and losing to the Philadelphia 76ers
in the Eastern Conference Finals.
After the season, Auerbach completed what may be the most lopsided trade in NBA history. Auerbach had been known for stockpiling draft picks, so even after the success of 1979–80 the Celtics had both the 1st and 13th picks in the 1980 NBA Draft
leftover from the M.L. Carr trade. Auerbach saw an opportunity to improve the team immediately, sending the two picks to the Golden State Warriors
in exchange for center
Robert Parish
and the Warriors first round pick, the 3rd overall. With the draft pick, Auerbach selected University of Minnesota
power forward
Kevin McHale
. With these three future Hall of Famers on the team the Celtics had a core in place to become a dominant team in the NBA
.
The Celtics went 62–20 under coach Bill Fitch in 1980–81
, despite losing center
Dave Cowens
to retirement late in training camp. Once again the Celtics matched up with the 76ers in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Celtics fell behind 3 games to 1 before coming back to win a classic 7th game, 91–90. The Celtics went on to capture the 1981 NBA Championship over the Houston Rockets
, just two years after Bird had been drafted. Maxwell was named NBA Finals MVP.
The Celtics only reached the Eastern Conference finals in 1982, losing to Philadelphia in 7 games. The following season culminated in an embarrassing second round playoff loss in the 1983 NBA Playoffs
to the Milwaukee Bucks
, 4 games to 0. Ford had retired after 1982 and Archibald's age, declining skills and injury problems led to his release after the 1982–83
. Fitch was fired, and K.C. Jones was named head coach. Archibald was replaced when popular reserve forward Rick Robey
, a close friend of Bird, was traded to the Phoenix Suns
in exchange for point guard
Dennis Johnson
, a former Finals MVP himself. With Johnson starting alongside ex-CBA
player Gerald Henderson
, and former Toronto Blue Jays
third baseman
Danny Ainge
, veterans Quinn Buckner
and M.L. Carr coming off the bench, the Celtics once again had the backcourt depth to complement their talented frontline.
In 1983–84
the Celtics would go 62–20 and finally get back to the NBA Finals
after a three year hiatus. In the final, the Celtics came back from a 2–1 deficit to defeat the Los Angeles Lakers
, winning their 15th championship. Bird renewed his college rivalry with Lakers star Magic Johnson
during this series. After the series the Celtics traded Henderson, whose dramatic steal in game 2 altered the course of the series and gave the Celtics a chance, to the Seattle SuperSonics
in exchange for their first round pick in the 1986 NBA Draft
.
In 1985, the Lakers and Celtics would meet again, but this time the Lakers would take the championship. During the following offseason the Celtics acquired Bill Walton
from the Los Angeles Clippers
in exchange for Cedric Maxwell
. Walton was a star with the Portland Trail Blazers
, but injuries had kept him from living up to expectations. He was also a lifelong Celtics fan and willing to come off the bench, deferring to the three big men already with the team. Walton would be a big part of the Celtics' success in 1986.
In 1985–86
the Celtics fielded one of the best teams in NBA history. The 1986 Celtics won 67 games, going 40–1 at their home, the Boston Garden
. Bird won his third consecutive MVP award after having arguably his finest season, and Walton won the Sixth Man of the Year Award. They would win their 16th championship, easily defeating the Houston Rockets
in the NBA Finals
.
and the subsequent fall of the Seattle SuperSonics
, at the end of the 1985–86
the Celtics owned not only the best team in the NBA but also the second pick in the 1986 NBA Draft
. The Celtics drafted Len Bias
with the pick and had high hopes for the young University of Maryland
star. Fans believed Bias had superstar potential, and that he would be the perfect complement to the aging, but still strong, Celtics. The hope was that his presence would ensure that the franchise would remain a powerhouse after Bird, McHale and Parish retired. Unfortunately, Bias died 48 hours after he was drafted, after using cocaine at a party and overdosing. It would be the first in a long string of bad luck for the Celtics.
Despite the loss of Bias, the Celtics remained competitive in 1986–87
, going 59–23 and again winning the Eastern Conference Championship. Unfortunately, in the Finals the tired, aging, and injured Celtics ran into perhaps the best Los Angeles Lakers
team of the decade. The biggest injury was yet another foot injury for Bill Walton
, who only played 10 regular season games in 1986–87 after playing 80 games the year before. Walton fought through the injury, playing 12 games (out of 23) in the playoffs, but was not the same player as he was the year before. McHale, Parish and Ainge were also fighting injuries, forcing reserves Darren Daye
and Fred Roberts
to play larger roles in the series, which the Celtics would lose 4 games to 2.
The Celtics started the 1987–88
season without Kevin McHale
, who was recovering from a foot injury that had hobbled him in the 1987 playoffs. Bill Walton
was also recovering from injury, and while Walton stuck with the franchise for the 1987–88 and 1988–89 seasons, he had played his last game in the NBA in the 1987 NBA Playoffs
. The Celtics did add some new players in the 1987 NBA Draft
. In the first round, the Celtics selected a promising guard/forward out of Northeastern University by the name of Reggie Lewis
. The Celtics also added Brad Lohaus
in the second round, giving head coach K.C. Jones a few more weapons to choose from.
Jones was not one to play rookies however, and both Lewis and Lohaus would spend much of the 1987–88
season on the bench while Jones continued to play his veterans. The team won another division title, finishing 57–25 and earning home court advantage throughout the playoffs. Jones' reliance on his veterans came back to haunt him in the playoffs, as the Celtics appeared tired and worn down. Danny Ainge
had played the most minutes of his career, and Bird's body was starting to wear down after averaging 39 minutes per game. The Celtics struggled to defeat the Atlanta Hawks
in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, needed a 20 point 4th quarter from Larry Bird
in the decisive game 7 to finally put the Hawks away 118–116. Emotionally and physically drained from the Hawks series, the Celtics would fall in the Eastern Conference Finals to the Detroit Pistons
, 4 games to 2.
After the 1987–88 season, head coach K.C. Jones retired. Jones' teams had had the best regular season record in the Eastern Conference in all five of his seasons as coach. In addition he led the Celtics to four NBA Finals appearances and two NBA Championships. Jones was replaced as head coach by assistant Jimmy Rodgers
.
Rodgers faced immediate trouble in 1988–89
when, only 6 games into the season, Bird decided to have surgery to remove bone spurs in both feet. The injury was to sideline Bird until well after the All-Star Break, although supposedly he would be able to return. However, despite his best attempts to return he was unable to make it back as the Celtics stumbled to a 42–40 record and a First round playoff defeat to the Detroit Pistons
.
Bird returned in 1989–90
to play in 75 games and lead the Celtics to a 52–30 record. The season was not completely smooth sailing, as second year guard Brian Shaw caused a stir when he held out of the season for a bigger contract, instead playing the entire season in Italy
. However, in the playoffs
, after winning the first two games of a Best of 5 series against the New York Knicks
the Celtics collapsed, losing 3 straight, including the decisive 5th game at the Boston Garden
. In the wake of the embarrassing defeat, Rodgers was fired and replaced by assistant coach (and former Celtic player) Chris Ford
.
Under Ford's leadership the Celtics improved to 56–26 in 1990–91
, recapturing the Atlantic Division title even though Bird missed 22 games with a variety of injuries and Parish and McHale's skills had begun to decline. McHale was never the same after playing through the 1987 Finals
with a broken foot. Most significant were the developing back problems that hobbled Bird, even causing him to miss one playoff game. Reggie Lewis blossomed into a star, and swingman Kevin Gamble
provided a consistent scoring presence when Bird was out of the lineup. Shaw returned from Italy and teamed with rookie Dee Brown at the point guard spot. In the playoffs, the Celtics First round series against the Indiana Pacers
was highlighted by a climactic game 5 win in the Boston Garden. Bird left the game midway through the second quarter after hitting his head hard on the parquet floor while diving for a loose ball. Bird sustained a concussion & a broken eye socket, though he still returned in the third quarter and electrified the crowd after the Pacers had grabbed the lead. The Celtics won the game behind Bird's 32 points and advanced to the Eastern Conference Semi-finals, where they were defeated by their longtime nemesis, the Detroit Pistons
, 4 games to 2.
In 1992, a late season rally allowed the Celtics to catch the Knicks and repeat as Atlantic Division champions. The team finished 51–31 and again matched up with the Indiana Pacers in the First round, this time sweeping the series 3 games to 0. In the Eastern Conference Semifinals the Celtics lost a grueling 7 game series to the Cleveland Cavaliers
, 4 games to 3. Due to back problems, Larry Bird played in only 45 of the 82 regular season games, and only 4 of the 10 playoff games.
After thirteen seasons with the club and winning a gold medal in the Barcelona
Olympics
with the Dream Team, Bird retired in 1992 primarily due to his back injuries.
was the coach of the Celtics. 26-year old Reggie Lewis
(out of Boston's Northeastern University) was seen as Bird's successor as the franchise player for the Celtics. In Bird's final season it was Lewis who led the team in scoring, and he made his first All-Star appearance in the 1992 All-Star Game
. Lewis, a small forward
, fainted during a 1993 first round playoff
matchup with the Charlotte Hornets. It was later revealed that Lewis had heart problems, yet he was able to get doctors to clear him for a comeback. He died of a heart attack after participating in a pickup basketball game during the offseason. The Celtics honored his memory during the following season by retiring his number 35.
The team took another hit after the season, as Kevin McHale
retired after 13 seasons in the NBA. The Celtics were now down to one member of the "Big Three" for the 1993–94
, as well as without Lewis, their captain and young star. The Celtics drafted Acie Earl
in the first round of the 1993 NBA Draft
, and planned on making him Parish's successor in the middle. After missing the playoffs for the first time since 1978–79
, the year before Bird joined the franchise, Robert Parish
left as a free agent to join the Charlotte Hornets. The time of "Big Three" was officially over.
In 1994, the Celtics hired former player M.L. Carr to be the team's new G.M. In his first draft
in charge of the Celtics, he drafted University of North Carolina
star Eric Montross
with his first round draft pick. The Acie Earl era was already nearing an end, as Montross became the new heir apparent in the paint.
1994–95 was the Celtics final season in the Boston Garden
. The Celtics signed the aging Dominique Wilkins
as a free agent, and he led the team in scoring with 17.8 PPG. Second-year player Dino Radja, a power forward from Croatia
, added an interior presence to the team that had been lacking in 1993–94
. The Celtics made the playoffs, losing to the heavily favored Orlando Magic
in 4 games.
In 1995, the Celtics moved from the Boston Garden
into the Fleet Center (renamed the TD Banknorth Garden
in 2005). Carr fired Chris Ford
and took the coaching reins himself. After drafting Providence College
star Eric Williams, the Celtics struggled to a 33–49 record. Things got worse in 1996–97 as the Celtics lost a franchise record 67 games, winning only 15 times despite the emergence of 1st-round draft pick Antoine Walker
.
to join the franchise as the team's President, Front Office Manager, and Head Coach. Pitino had led the University of Kentucky
to an NCAA Championship and was a very successful head coach at the college level, with a short NBA stint with the New York Knicks
several years prior. Some controversy was generated when Pitino was given the title of team "President", taking such title away from Red Auerbach (Auerbach, who by 1997 was holding the title in a "ceremonial" way, became the "Vice Chairman of the Board") Unfortunately for the Celtics, Pitino was not the savior everyone expected him to be, although he did acquire several talented young players during his tenure.
The Celtics, after going 15–67 in 1996–97, had the best chance at winning the NBA's draft lottery in 1997
. Their odds were augmented even further by a 1996 trade that sent Eric Montross to Dallas
in exchange for the Mavericks 1st round pick in 1997 (as well as a swap in draft picks in 1996 that allowed the Celtics to move up to select Walker), which gave the Celtics a second lottery pick and more chances to win the coveted first pick. The San Antonio Spurs
won the lottery and selected Tim Duncan
first overall in the 1997 NBA Draft
.
The Celtics received the third and sixth picks, and used the picks to select a brand new backcourt. They drafted Chauncey Billups
and Ron Mercer
and dismantled much of the young team that lost 67 games the year before. David Wesley
and Rick Fox
were let go, and Williams was traded to the Denver Nuggets
for a pair of second round draft picks. The Celtics seemed ready to pair Billups and Mercer with Antoine Walker, the second-year player out of Kentucky who was coming off a solid rookie season. Unfortunately, two of these players would not remain as fixtures on the team in the long term.
The following year the Celtics drafted Paul Pierce
, a college star who had been expected to be drafted much higher than the Celtics' number 10 pick overall. Other notable players Pitino acquired were Walter McCarty
and veteran Kenny Anderson
(for future Finals
MVP Billups). Eric Williams was re-acquired from the Nuggets, where he had suffered a horrific knee injury and played only 42 games in two seasons. To obtain Williams (and Danny Fortson
) the Celtics parted ways with Mercer after only two seasons with the team.
Pitino failed to coach any successful teams and resigned in 2001, leaving the Celtics in the hands of assistant coach Jim O'Brien, a friend of Pitino's who had followed Pitino to the Celtics. Chris Wallace
became the general manager of the team and the title of "Team President" was returned to Red Auerbach.
matured into an NBA star and was ably complemented by Antoine Walker
, along with the other role players acquired over the years. The team finished the season going 24–24 under O'Brien (after going 12–22 before Pitino's resignation) and following the 2000–01 season O'Brien was given the job of head coach on a permanent basis. As a result of numerous trades, the Celtics had three picks in the 2001 NBA Draft
, a luxury that seemed to set the franchise up well for the long term. General Manager Chris Wallace used the picks on Joe Johnson
, Joe Forte
(a favorite of Red Auerbach
) and Kedrick Brown
.
The Celtics entered the 2001–02 season
with low expectations. The team's success in the latter stages of 2000–01 was largely forgotten, and critics were surprised when the team (along with the New Jersey Nets
) surged to the top of the Atlantic Division ahead of teams like the Philadelphia 76ers
, who were fresh off a trip to the NBA Finals
. A trade at the February trade deadline sent Joe Johnson, who was having an inconsistent rookie season, along with little-used bench players Randy Brown
and Milt Palacio
to the Phoenix Suns
in exchange for Tony Delk
and Rodney Rogers
. The season salvaged by the trade, the Celtics went on to win 49 games. The 49 victories were the franchises most since 1992
, when Larry Bird was still playing, and the Celtics made the playoffs
for the first time since 1995
.
The Celtics won a hard-fought five game series with the 76ers in the first round, 3 games to 2. Pierce scored 46 points in the series-clinching blowout at the Fleet Center
. In the conference semifinals the Celtics defeated the favored Detroit Pistons
4 games to 1 in a series best remembered for the Celtics low-scoring (66–64) game 3 victory. In their first trip to the Eastern Conference Finals since 1988
, the Celtics would jump out to a 2–1 series lead over the New Jersey Nets (after rallying from 21 points down in the fourth quarter to win game 3) but would lose the next three games to fall 4 games to 2.
Following their defeat at the hands of the Nets, the Celtics once again overhauled their roster. Gone were Rodney Rogers
, who signed with new rival New Jersey as a free agent, Vitaly Potapenko
, Kenny Anderson
and Joe Forte
, who were sent to Seattle
in a five-player trade that brought Vin Baker
and Shammond Williams
to Boston.
In 2003, the Celtics were sold by owner Paul Gaston to Boston Basketball Partners LLC, led by H. Irving Grousbeck
, Wycliffe Grousbeck, Steve Pagliuca, Robert Epstein, David Epstein, and John Svenson. The team made it back to the playoffs
but were swept by the Nets
in the second round, despite bringing Game 4 to double overtime.
Before their elimination, the team hired Danny Ainge
to take over the front office, pushing Chris Wallace to another job in the organization. Ainge believed the team had reached its peak and promptly stunned the team by sending Antoine Walker
to the Dallas Mavericks
(along with Tony Delk
). In return, the Celtics received the oft-injured Raef LaFrentz
and a first-round draft pick in 2004
.
, and struggling Kedrick Brown
to Cleveland
in exchange for troubled guard Ricky Davis
, center Chris Mihm
and center Michael Stewart. Reportedly distraught by this trade, O'Brien stepped down during the 2003–04 Season
and was replaced by interim coach John Carroll.
Davis proved to be an exciting player, and Welsch an offensive threat from three-point range (albeit an inconsistent one), but neither was capable of playing the tenacious defense that had become a trademark of O'Brien's teams. Vin Baker proved to be not up to the task of playing near his home state of Connecticut; alcoholism forced the Celtics to first suspend him, then void his contract. He played only 37 games for the Celtics in 2004, and 17 more with the New York Knicks
in a minor role. The acquisition of LaFrentz also proved problematic, as LaFrentz's chronic knee problems acted up and forced the big man to miss all but 17 games.
Still, with Pierce playing at his usual level, Davis providing a second scoring punch, and occasional help from rookie Marcus Banks
at point guard the Celtics prepared for yet another playoff run. In February, the Celtics helped their former nemeses, the Detroit Pistons
acquire Rasheed Wallace
for their own title run, sending Mike James
off to Detroit in exchange for a 1st-round pick as well as Chucky Atkins
, who would provide the Celtics with a stabilizing veteran point guard to go with the inconsistent Banks. The Celtics made the playoffs
only to be badly swept in the first round by the Indiana Pacers
losing all 4 by blowout margins.
Ainge received a lot of criticism for dismantling the previous team, but he attempted to redeem himself in the draft. After selecting Banks and center Kendrick Perkins
in 2003
, Ainge added high school power forward Al Jefferson
, St. Joseph's University
standout Delonte West
(with the Mavericks pick from the Antoine Walker
trade), and the athletic Tony Allen
(with the Pistons 1st-round pick acquired in the Atkins-James swap) in 2004
. During his second off-season, Ainge was able to unload some payroll when he acquired veterans Gary Payton
and Rick Fox
from the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Mihm, Atkins and bench player Jumaine Jones
. Fox retired rather than rejoin the team and Payton threatened to hold out of training camp, but he eventually ended up playing for the team during the 2004–05 Season
.
The Celtics were a young team under new coach Doc Rivers
, yet they seemed to have a core of good young players, led by rookie Al Jefferson
, to go along with a selection of able veterans (Paul Pierce, a now-healthy Raef LaFrentz
, and Ricky Davis
). Before the trading deadline in the winter of 2005 the Celtics re-acquired Antoine Walker when they dealt Gary Payton to the Atlanta Hawks
(Payton would re-sign with the team after being released from the Hawks a week later). With Walker back in the fold, the Celtics improved enormously. The Celtics went 45–37 and won their first Atlantic Division title since 1991–92
. The Pacers defeated them in the first round yet again, with the series culminating in an embarrassing 27 point 7th game loss at the Fleet Center.
At the conclusion of the 2004–05 season Payton and Walker both became free agents. Walker was sent to the Miami Heat
in a multi-team sign-and-trade deal (the largest trade in NBA history) that brought the Celtics Qyntel Woods
and Curtis Borchardt
, both of whom would later be released, two future second-round draft picks, the rights to Spanish center Albert Miralles, and cash. Payton later chose to sign with the Heat as well. Ainge brought in a few more young players during the draft
, including Gerald Green
, Ryan Gomes
, and Orien Greene
. Ainge also added the veteran Brian Scalabrine
, signing Scalabrine to a 5-year/$15 million contract.
During the 2005–06 season
, Ainge traded Davis, Blount, Banks, Justin Reed
, and two conditional second-round draft picks to the Minnesota Timberwolves
for forward Wally Szczerbiak
, centers Michael Olowokandi
and Dwayne Jones
, and a first-round pick. Many were skeptical about this decision. However, Ainge stated more than once that he was committed to continuing the rebuilding process under team captain Paul Pierce
, who played some of the best basketball of his career in 2006. Despite Pierce's excellence, the Celtics missed the 2006 playoffs
with a 33–49 record.
. Danny Ainge traded the rights to seventh overall pick Randy Foye
, Dan Dickau
and Raef LaFrentz
to the Portland Trail Blazers
in exchange for Sebastian Telfair
, Theo Ratliff
, and a future second-round pick. A subsequent trade with the Philadelphia 76ers
for Allen Iverson
was reported as a potential move beneficial to each team, although such a trade never happened and Iverson was shipped to the Denver Nuggets
in December. Orien Greene was waived, and the Celtics replaced him by trading a first-round pick in the 2007 NBA Draft
to the Phoenix Suns
for the rights to Rajon Rondo
. In the second round the Celtics added Leon Powe
to the team, and later signed Villanova
star Allan Ray
as an undrafted free agent.
was a gloomy one for the franchise. The season began with the death of Red Auerbach
at the age of 89. Auerbach was one of the few remaining people who had been a part of the NBA since its inception in 1946. The Celtics went 2–22 from late December 2006 through early February 2007 after losing Paul Pierce
to injury, the result of a stress reaction in his left foot (he would later miss the latter part of March and all of April because of swelling in his left elbow). At first, the Celtics received a much needed boost from guard Tony Allen
but he tore his ACL
on a dunk attempt in a game vs. the Indiana Pacers
on January 10, 2007. The Celtics recorded a record of 24–58, second-worst in the NBA, including a franchise record 18-game losing streak that lasted from January 5 to February 14. As the streak grew, some suggested that Pierce sit out the rest of the season to the let the young players such as Al Jefferson
, Gerald Green
, Rajon Rondo
and Delonte West
get more experience. Green became the second Celtic, joining Dee Brown, to capture the Slam Dunk Contest during All-Star Weekend
.
On February 22, 2007, former Celtic Dennis Johnson
died at the age of 52. Johnson had been coaching the franchise's NBDL affiliate in Austin, Texas at the time of his death. Johnson was honored at the very next Celtics game, even though it was against the Lakers in Los Angeles. The Celtics also held a special ceremony for him at the Garden on February 28, 2007, before a game against the New York Knicks
.
One bright spot of the season happened on St. Patrick's Day against the eventual champions San Antonio Spurs
. The Celtics beat the Spurs 91–85, ending the 17-year away drought at San Antonio, as well as the 10-year drought against the Spurs (Boston's first victory against Tim Duncan
).
On April 18, the team promoted COO Rich Gotham
to President.
, essentially losing their chance of drafting either Greg Oden
or Kevin Durant
, who both were considered to go 1st and 2nd in the Draft. The 5th pick was the worst-case scenario for the Celtics, who had a 19.9% chance of obtaining the 1st overall selection. However, on June 28, the day of the 2007 NBA Draft
, the Celtics traded the 5th pick along with Wally Szczerbiak
and Delonte West
to the Seattle SuperSonics
in exchange for All-Star 3-point specialist Ray Allen
and the 35th overall selection prior to the event, and with the 5th pick selected forward Jeff Green
for Seattle. In the second round of the Draft, the Celtics selected guard Gabe Pruitt
with the 32nd pick, which was their own, and forward Glen "Big Baby" Davis
with the 35th pick, previously obtained from Seattle.
in the single largest trade for one player in NBA history. He was acquired from the Minnesota Timberwolves
in exchange for Al Jefferson
, Ryan Gomes
, Theo Ratliff
, Gerald Green
, Sebastian Telfair
, Boston's 2009 first-round draft pick (top three protected), the return of Minnesota's conditional first-round draft pick previously obtained in the 2006 Ricky Davis
-Wally Szczerbiak
trade and cash considerations. By adding Garnett to All-Stars Paul Pierce
and Ray Allen
, the trade brought a new era of relevancy to the long struggling franchise, but it also left the roster short-handed.
and Jackie Manuel
on August 1, just two days after the Garnett trade, and center Scot Pollard
on August 9. Later, Ainge called and asked 5-time All-Star Reggie Miller
to return from his 2-year retirement and join the roster in a reserve role. Miller strongly considered the possibility of playing alongside Garnett, but ultimately announced on August 23 that he would not join the Celtics. On August 27, forward James Posey
signed with the team and was considered a decisive signing which instantly gave the Celtics a drastic improvement to their bench.
On September 26, center Esteban Batista
and guard Dahntay Jones
signed non-guaranteed contracts with the Celtics, two days before the beginning of training camp and the team's departure to Rome for the 2007 NBA Europe Live Tour
. Curiously, Jones was involved in a trade back in the 2003 NBA Draft
, in which the Celtics drafted him with the 20th overall selection, but immediately traded him with the 16th pick, Troy Bell
, to the Memphis Grizzlies
in exchange for the 13th pick, Marcus Banks
, and the 27th pick, Kendrick Perkins
. Ultimately, the Celtics waived Batista on October 16, and Manuel and Jones on October 25, bringing the roster down to 14 players, one shy of the league maximum of 15 players, in order to have roster flexibility and be able to sign another player midway through the season.
Later in the season, on December 18, the Celtics released yet another player, Brandon Wallace
, in order to have even more roster flexibility that coach Doc Rivers
said they needed. This move brought the roster down to only 13 players, which is the league minimum for players allowed on a team's roster. On February 27, the Celtics signed center P.J. Brown
for the remainder of the season, in order to bolster their front court. His decision to come to Boston was strongly aided by a conversation with future teammates Ray Allen
and Paul Pierce
, who convinced him to sign with the Celtics during the 2008
NBA All-Star Weekend
. On March 4, 2008, the Celtics officially announced that they have signed guard
Sam Cassell
. After the signing, Cassell immediately flew back to his hometown of Baltimore
to attend funeral services for a deceased family member. This signing ultimately put the roster up to the league maximum of 15 players.
The 2008 NBA Playoffs
, however, were bumpier than many believed they should be. Their First round series was against the eighth-seeded Atlanta Hawks
. At home, the Celtics were dominant: their lowest home margin of victory against the Hawks in the playoffs was 19, in Game 2. However, the Hawks were able to beat the Celtics in Atlanta. The series went seven games, with the home team winning each game.
The Second round was against LeBron James
and the Cleveland Cavaliers
. Once again the series went to seven games, with the home team winning each one.
In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Celtics faced Chauncey Billups
, Richard Hamilton
and the Detroit Pistons
. In Game 2, the Celtics finally lost at home, and rumors began to fly that the Celtics had gotten too tired from consecutive seven-game series to pull off a title, especially with the Pistons having taken their first two series in six and five games, respectively. But the Celtics bounced back to win Game 3 on the road in Detroit. The series continued, and the Celtics took down the Pistons in six games, winning the deciding game on the road.
The 2008 NBA Finals
were contested with Kobe Bryant
, Pau Gasol
, Lamar Odom
and a Los Angeles Lakers
team in the middle of a dominant playoff run. They swept the Denver Nuggets
in the first round, took the Utah Jazz
in the second round in six games, and extinguished the repeat hopes of the defending-champion San Antonio Spurs
in five games in the Western Conference Finals.
The first few games of the series started with the Celtics once again dominating at the TD Banknorth Garden, the Celtics home turf. Game 1 saw Paul Pierce come back after apparently suffering a knee injury earlier in the game, and taking over the game for a 98–88 Celtics win. But in Game 2, Boston nearly lost a 20-point lead, ultimately winning, 97–91. Squandered leads would later become the story of the series. When the Lakers returned to Staples Center and won Game 3, 87–81, then took a 24-point lead in the second quarter of Game 4, some believed momentum in the series had shifted the Lakers' way.
However, the Celtics did not give up. Led by a bench that outscored the Lakers bench by 20 points, they fought back. The Celtics locked up their defense and took over Game 4 with a crushing 97–91 victory, the biggest comeback in NBA Finals history. Although the Lakers took Game 5, 103–98, the series went back to Boston for Game 6, and the Celtics finished it off with a dominating 131–92 victory. This game would mark the largest margin of victory for a clinching finals game in NBA history. The "Boston Three Party", as Garnett, Allen and NBA Finals MVP Paul Pierce became known, had finally brought a 17th banner to Boston, the first new banner for the new Garden and the first such win in 22 years. Indicating the bumpy the playoffs were for the Celtics, they had to play 26 playoff games, the most a team had ever endured in a single postseason, surpassing the 1994 New York Knicks
, whom Celtics Coach Doc Rivers
played for, and the 2005 Detroit Pistons
, each of whom played 25, but lost their respective finals in seven games (Knicks in , Pistons in ). This record was set in Game 6 of the Finals. It was also the most a team needed to win a championship, surpassing the 1988 Los Angeles Lakers
, who needed 24 in order to win the championship that year
.
The Celtics followed up the championship season with more dominance, winning the Atlantic Division with a record of 62–20. Unfortunately, it was announced just before the playoffs that Garnett would miss the entire post-season. In the first round of the 2009 NBA Playoffs
, the team faced the seventh seed Chicago Bulls
. Although the Celtics were favored, the Bulls surprised them with overtime wins in games 1 and 4. Thanks to Ray Allen and Paul Pierce, Boston had a 3–2 advantage going back to Chicago. In game six, though Ray Allen scored 51 points, the Bulls would win in a dramatic triple-overtime victory thanks to John Salmons
, Ben Gordon and eventual NBA Rookie of the Year Derrick Rose
. The Celtics, however would ultimately prevail in game 7.
In the second round, Boston faced the Orlando Magic
in a series that would also go to seven games. However, aided by Hedo Türkoğlu's 25 points, the Magic would defeat the Celtics in Boston 101–82, ending their bid for a second straight title.
Prior to the 2009–10 NBA Season, Boston would sign Rasheed Wallace
. Wallace had had a major impact in his 5½ seasons with the Detroit Pistons
, where he had won the 2004 NBA Championship. They won the Atlantic Division with a record of 50–32, then beat Miami 4–1 in the playoffs, followed by the Cavaliers 4–2. After a 4–2 series over the Magic in the ECF, the Celtics once again contested the Finals with the Lakers, but fell to them 4–3, with games 1, 2, 5, and 7 played in Boston.
The 2010 off-season saw the Celtics make the controversial move of signing veteran center Shaquille O'Neal, as he added still more age to a roster with most of its players over 30. They won the division again with a 56–26 record and acquired the No. 3 playoff seed. After sweeping the Knicks 4–0, they faced the now Lebron James-led Miami Heat, but the age of the Celtics' roster finally caught up with them as Miami won the series 4–1. Shaquille O'Neal, who had been injured much of the season and delivered mediocre performances, retired shortly afterwards, ending a nearly two-decade HoFer career.
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
. The Boston Celtics are an America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
n basketball team currently playing in the Atlantic Division
Atlantic Division (NBA)
The Atlantic Division is one of the three divisions in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . The division consists of five teams, the Boston Celtics, the New Jersey Nets, the New York Knicks, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Toronto Raptors...
of the Eastern Conference
Eastern Conference (NBA)
The Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association is made up of fifteen teams, organized in three divisions of five teams each.The three division winners and the non-division winner with the best record are seeded 1 through 4 for the playoffs in order of their records, with all...
in the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
(NBA). Over the years, the Celtics have won 17 NBA Championship
NBA Finals
The NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association . The series was named the NBA World Championship Series until 1986....
s.
1946–1956: The building of a dynasty
The Celtics were formed in 1946 as a team in the Basketball Association of America, and became part of the National Basketball AssociationNational Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
after the merger of the BAA and the National Basketball League to form the NBA in the fall of 1949. In 1950, the Celtics became the first franchise to draft an African American player, signing Chuck Cooper.
The Celtics had struggled during their early years, but the hiring of Coach Red Auerbach
Red Auerbach
Arnold Jacob "Red" Auerbach was an American basketball coach of the Washington Capitols, the Tri-Cities Blackhawks and the Boston Celtics. After he retired from coaching, he served as president and front office executive of the Celtics until his death...
would change their fortunes. One of the first major players to join the Celtics was Bob Cousy
Bob Cousy
Robert Joseph "Bob" Cousy is a retired American professional basketball player. The 6'1" , 175-pound Cousy played point guard with the National Basketball Association's Boston Celtics from 1951 to 1963 and briefly with the Cincinnati Royals in the 1969–70 season...
, whom Auerbach initially refused to draft. Cousy eventually became the property of the Chicago Stags
Chicago Stags
The Chicago Stags were a National Basketball Association team based in Chicago, Illinois, U.S..- Franchise history :The Chicago Stags were founded in 1946 and folded in 1950. Despite their short history, they were able to acquire the draft rights to a young Bob Cousy in a trade with the Tri-Cities...
. When that franchise went bankrupt, Cousy was acquired by the Celtics in a dispersal draft. He would become a huge part of the Celtics' success and eventually became good friends with his new coach. Under Auerbach the Celtics improved dramatically, becoming a consistent threat to win in the NBA's Eastern Division in each of his first six seasons, although they fell short each time.
After the 1955–56
1955-56 NBA season
The 1955–56 NBA season was the 10th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Philadelphia Warriors winning the NBA Championship, beating the Fort Wayne Pistons 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals.- Notable occurrences :...
season, Auerbach made a stunning trade. He sent perennial All-Star Ed Macauley
Ed Macauley
Charles Edward "Ed" Macauley was a professional basketball player in the NBA. His playing nickname was "Easy Ed."...
to the St. Louis Hawks along with the draft rights to Cliff Hagan
Cliff Hagan
Clifford Oldham Hagan is an American former professional basketball player. A 6-4 forward who excelled with the hook shot, Hagan, nicknamed "Li'l Abner," played his entire 10-year NBA career with the St. Louis Hawks...
in exchange for the Hawks' first round draft pick, the second overall. After negotiating with the Rochester Royals
Rochester Royals
The franchise that would become the Sacramento Kings initially started in the city of Rochester, New York, as the Rochester Royals of the National Basketball League....
, Auerbach used the pick to select University of San Francisco
University of San Francisco
The University of San Francisco , is a private, Jesuit/Catholic university located in San Francisco, California. Founded in 1855, USF was established as the first university in San Francisco. It is the second oldest institution for higher learning in California and the tenth-oldest university of...
center
Center (basketball)
The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...
Bill Russell. Auerbach also acquired Holy Cross standout, and 1957 NBA Rookie of the Year, Tommy Heinsohn. Russell and Heinsohn worked extraordinarily well with Cousy, and they were the players around whom Auerbach would build the Celtics for more than a decade. Russell, who delayed joining until the middle of the 1957 season in order to play for the U.S. Olympic Team
United States at the Olympics
The United States of America has sent athletes to every celebration of the modern Olympic Games, except the 1980 Summer Olympics, which it boycotted.The United States Olympic Committee is the National Olympic Committee for the United States....
, had an immediate impact.
1957–1969: The dynasty
Russell joined the Celtics in December 1956 and went on to play most every game during which the Celtics advanced to the NBA Finals1957 NBA Finals
The 1957 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 1956-57 National Basketball Association season, and was the conclusion of the 1957 NBA Playoffs. The best-of-seven series was played between the Western Conference champion St. Louis Hawks and the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics....
and defeated the St. Louis Hawks
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
in seven games, giving the Celtics the first of their record 17 NBA Championships. In 1958, the Celtics again advanced to the NBA Finals
1958 NBA Finals
The 1958 NBA Finals pitted the Western Champion St. Louis Hawks against the Eastern Champion Boston Celtics. The Hawks won the series in six games to become the National Basketball Association champions.-Series summary:Hawks win series 4-2...
, this time losing to the Hawks in 6 games. However, with the acquisition of K.C. Jones that year, the Celtics began a dynasty that would last for more than a decade. In 1959, with Cousy at point guard
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
, Russell at center
Center (basketball)
The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...
and Heinsohn at forward, the Celtics won the NBA Championship after sweeping the Minneapolis Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
. Still coached by Auerbach, the Celtics won seven more consecutive championships, extending their streak to eight in a row. During that timespan, the Celtics met the Lakers in the Finals six times, starting an intense and often bitter rivalry. The Celtics would eventually meet the Lakers a total of 11 times in the NBA Finals. In 1964, Auerbach made the Celtics the first team to have an all African American starting lineup.
After the 1966 championship, Auerbach retired as coach and Russell took over as player-coach. With his appointment, Russell also became the first African American coach in any sport. Auerbach would remain the General Manager, a position he would hold well into the 1980s. However, that year the Celtics' string of NBA titles was broken as they lost to the Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
in the Eastern Conference Finals. The aging team managed two more championships in 1968 and 1969, defeating the Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
each time in the NBA Finals. Russell retired after the 1969 season, effectively ending a dominant Celtics dynasty that had garnered 11 NBA titles in 13 seasons. The streak of 8 consecutive NBA championships is the longest streak of consecutive championships in U.S. professional sports history. Other important players during this era included Sam Jones
Sam Jones (basketball)
Samuel Jones is a retired American professional basketball player at shooting guard and a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He was known for his quickness and game-winning shots, especially during the NBA Playoffs...
, John Havlicek
John Havlicek
John J. "Hondo" Havlicek is a retired American professional basketball player who competed for 16 seasons with the Boston Celtics, winning eight NBA titles, half of them coming in his first four seasons....
, Bill Sharman
Bill Sharman
William Walton "Bill" Sharman is a former professional basketball player and coach. Sharman completed high school in the rural city of Porterville, California and is mostly known for his time with the Boston Celtics in the 1950s, partnering with Bob Cousy in what some consider the greatest...
, Frank Ramsey, and Satch Sanders.
1970–1978: Rebuilding the dynasty
The 1970 season was a rebuilding year, as the Celtics had their first losing record since the 1949–501949-50 NBA season
The 1949–50 NBA season was officially the 4th season of the National Basketball Association. However, it is the first season that the league is officially called the National Basketball Association...
season, the year prior to Auerbach's arrival. However, with the acquisition of Dave Cowens
Dave Cowens
David William Cowens is a retired American professional basketball player and NBA head coach. At 6'9", he played the center and occasionally the power forward position. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991...
, Paul Silas
Paul Silas
Paul Theron Silas is a retired American professional basketball player and current head coach of the Charlotte Bobcats. He attended Creighton University, where he set an NCAA record for the most rebounds in three seasons and averaged 20.6 rebounds per game in 1963...
, and Jo Jo White
Jo Jo White
Joseph Henry "Jo Jo" White is an American former professional basketball player.-Life and career:White was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the son of a minister...
, the Celtics soon became dominant again. After losing in the Eastern Conference Finals in 1972, the Celtics regrouped and came out determined in 1973 and posted an excellent 68–14 regular season record. But the season ended in disappointment, as they were upset in 7 games by the New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
in the Conference Finals and became the team with the best record ever to have failed to make the Finals. The Celtics returned to the playoffs the next year, defeating the Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....
in the NBA Finals in 1974
1974 NBA Finals
-Series Summary:Celtics win series 4-3-Game 1:Before the series started, Bucks point guard Lucius Allen would be lost for the series with a knee injury. In Game 1, the Celtics took advantage, harassing a 35-year old Oscar Robertson and Allen's replacement, Ron Williams, into frequent turnovers...
for their 12th NBA Championship. The teams split the first four games, and after the Celtics won Game 5 in Milwaukee they headed back to Boston leading three games to two, with a chance to claim the title on their home court. However, the Bucks won Game 6 when Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a retired American professional basketball player. He is the NBA's all-time leading scorer, with 38,387 points. During his career with the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers from 1969 to 1989, Abdul-Jabbar won six NBA championships and a record six regular season...
nestled in a hook shot with three seconds left in the game's second overtime, and the series returned to Milwaukee. But Cowens was the hero in Game 7, scoring 28 points, as the Celtics brought the title back to Boston for the first time in five years. In 1976, the team won yet another championship, defeating the Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
in 6 games. The Celtics advanced to the 1976 NBA Finals
1976 NBA Finals
The 1976 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round for the 1975-76 NBA season.-Background:The Phoenix Suns finished the season with 42 wins and 40 losses, but beat the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors in the playoffs and went on to play the Boston Celtics in the NBA...
, which featured one of the greatest games in the history of the NBA. With the series tied at two games apiece, the Suns trailed early in the Boston Garden, but came back to force overtime. In double overtime, a Gar Heard
Gar Heard
Garfield "Gar" Heard, is a retired American professional basketball player and coach. He played collegiately at the University of Oklahoma and was selected by the Seattle SuperSonics in the third round of the 1970 NBA Draft...
turn-around jumper at the top of the key sent the game to an unprecedented third overtime, at which point the Celtics prevailed. Tommy Heinsohn coached the team for those two championships. After the 1976 championship and a playoff appearance in 1977
1977 NBA Playoffs
The 1977 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1976-1977 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Portland Trail Blazers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers four games to two in the Finals. It was...
, Boston went into another phase of rebuilding.
In the 1977 NBA Draft
1977 NBA Draft
The 1977 NBA Draft was the 31st annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on June 10, 1977 before the 1977–78 season. In this draft, 22 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players...
, the Celtics drafted a young forward from the UNC Charlotte
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte , also known as UNC Charlotte or simply Charlotte, is a public research university located in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States...
named Cedric Maxwell
Cedric Maxwell
Cedric Bryan Maxwell is a retired American professional basketball player now in radio broadcasting. Nicknamed "Cornbread", he played 11 seasons in the NBA, and played a key role in two championships with the Boston Celtics.-College career:Maxwell was a star forward/center for the Charlotte 49ers...
. Maxwell did not contribute much in his rookie season, but he showed promise. Auerbach's job became even tougher following a horrible 1977–78
1977-78 NBA season
The 1977–78 NBA season was the 32nd season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Washington Bullets winning the NBA Championship, beating the Seattle SuperSonics 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals.-Notable occurrences:...
in which they went 32–50 as John Havlicek
John Havlicek
John J. "Hondo" Havlicek is a retired American professional basketball player who competed for 16 seasons with the Boston Celtics, winning eight NBA titles, half of them coming in his first four seasons....
, the Celtics All-Time leading scorer, retired after 16 seasons.
1979–1992: The Bird years
Thanks to a trade and their poor record in 1977–781977-78 NBA season
The 1977–78 NBA season was the 32nd season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Washington Bullets winning the NBA Championship, beating the Seattle SuperSonics 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals.-Notable occurrences:...
, the Celtics owned two of the top eight picks in the 1978 NBA Draft
1978 NBA Draft
The 1978 NBA Draft was the 32nd annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on June 9, 1978, before the 1978–79 season. In this draft, 22 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players...
. Since the Celtics had two draft choices, Auerbach took a risk and selected junior Larry Bird
Larry Bird
Larry Joe Bird is a former American NBA basketball player and coach. Drafted into the NBA sixth overall by the Boston Celtics in 1978, Bird started at small forward and power forward for thirteen seasons, spearheading one of the NBA's most formidable frontcourts that included center Robert Parish...
of Indiana State with the 6th pick, knowing that Bird would elect to remain in college for his senior year. The Celtics would retain his rights for one year, a rule that was later changed, and Auerbach believed that Bird's potential would make him worth the wait. Auerbach also felt that when the college season ended the Celtics would have a great chance to sign Bird. Auerbach was right and Bird signed soon after leading Indiana State to the NCAA Championship game, where they fell to a Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
team that was led by Magic Johnson.
The other important story of the Celtics' 1978–79
1978-79 NBA season
The 1978–79 NBA season was the 33rd season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Seattle SuperSonics winning the NBA Championship, beating the Washington Bullets 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals, a rematch of the previous year's Finals, but with the opposite...
season was the ongoing dispute between Auerbach and new owner John Y. Brown
John Y. Brown, Jr.
This article is about one of four John Young Browns, from Kentucky, that have served political office. For others see: John Young Brown ...
. The dispute nearly led Auerbach to resign as General Manager for a position with the New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
. With public support strongly behind Auerbach, Brown elected to sell the team rather than face the wrath of the city for being the man who drove Red to a hated rival. During his short ownership, Brown orchestrated a trade for Bob McAdoo that Auerbach despised, and the team unraveled. The Celtics would struggle through the season, going 29–53 without Bird. Newcomers Chris Ford
Chris Ford
Christopher Joseph Ford is a former professional basketball player and head coach. A 6-foot-5 guard, he played high school basketball at Holy Spirit High School in Absecon, New Jersey,...
, Rick Robey
Rick Robey
Frederick Robert Robey is a retired American professional basketball player. At 6'11", he played the center and forward positions....
, Cedric Maxwell
Cedric Maxwell
Cedric Bryan Maxwell is a retired American professional basketball player now in radio broadcasting. Nicknamed "Cornbread", he played 11 seasons in the NBA, and played a key role in two championships with the Boston Celtics.-College career:Maxwell was a star forward/center for the Charlotte 49ers...
and Tiny Archibald failed to reverse the team's momentum.
Bird would debut for the Celtics during the 1979–80
1979-80 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Los Angeles Lakers*Rookie of the Year: Larry Bird, Boston Celtics*Coach of the Year: Bill Fitch, Boston Celtics*All-NBA First Team:**Paul Westphal, Phoenix Suns...
season, a year after his selection. With a new owner in place, Auerbach made a number of moves that would create a whole new dynasty. Auerbach traded the unhappy McAdoo, a former NBA scoring champion, to the Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
in exchange for guard M.L. Carr, a defensive specialist, and two first-round picks in the 1980 NBA Draft
1980 NBA Draft
The 1980 NBA Draft was the 34th annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on June 10, 1980, before the 1980–81 season. In this draft, 23 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players...
. He also picked up point guard
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
Gerald Henderson
Gerald Henderson
Jerome McKinley "Gerald" Henderson, Sr. is a retired American basketball player. He was a shooting guard who had a 13-year career in the NBA from 1979 until 1992. He played for the Boston Celtics, Seattle SuperSonics, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks, Detroit Pistons, and...
from the CBA
Continental Basketball Association
The Continental Basketball Association was a professional men's basketball league in the United States, which has been on hiatus since the 2009 season.- History :...
. Carr, Archibald, Henderson and Ford would form a highly competent backcourt, with their unique skills blending in perfectly with the talented frontcourt of Cowens, Maxwell and Bird, who would go on to win NBA Rookie of the Year honors. The Celtics improved by 32 games, at the time the best single-season turnaround in NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
history, going 61–21 and losing to the Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
in the Eastern Conference Finals.
After the season, Auerbach completed what may be the most lopsided trade in NBA history. Auerbach had been known for stockpiling draft picks, so even after the success of 1979–80 the Celtics had both the 1st and 13th picks in the 1980 NBA Draft
1980 NBA Draft
The 1980 NBA Draft was the 34th annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on June 10, 1980, before the 1980–81 season. In this draft, 23 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players...
leftover from the M.L. Carr trade. Auerbach saw an opportunity to improve the team immediately, sending the two picks to the Golden State Warriors
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
in exchange for center
Center (basketball)
The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...
Robert Parish
Robert Parish
Robert Lee Parish is a retired American basketball center. He was known for his strong defense and jump shooting, and was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003...
and the Warriors first round pick, the 3rd overall. With the draft pick, Auerbach selected University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
power forward
Power forward (basketball)
Power forward is a position in the sport of basketball. The position is referred to in playbook terms as the four position and is commonly abbreviated "PF". It has also been referred to as the "post" position. Power forwards play a role similar to that of center in what is called the "post" or "low...
Kevin McHale
Kevin McHale
Kevin Edward McHale is a retired American professional basketball player and current head coach of the Houston Rockets. After his playing career, he worked for the Minnesota Timberwolves as the team's general manager and later its coach. He was fired as coach in June 2009...
. With these three future Hall of Famers on the team the Celtics had a core in place to become a dominant team in the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
.
The Celtics went 62–20 under coach Bill Fitch in 1980–81
1980-81 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Julius Erving, Philadelphia 76ers*Rookie of the Year: Darrell Griffith, Utah Jazz*Coach of the Year: Jack McKinney, Indiana Pacers*All-NBA First Team:**Larry Bird, Boston Celtics...
, despite losing center
Center (basketball)
The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...
Dave Cowens
Dave Cowens
David William Cowens is a retired American professional basketball player and NBA head coach. At 6'9", he played the center and occasionally the power forward position. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991...
to retirement late in training camp. Once again the Celtics matched up with the 76ers in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Celtics fell behind 3 games to 1 before coming back to win a classic 7th game, 91–90. The Celtics went on to capture the 1981 NBA Championship over the Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
, just two years after Bird had been drafted. Maxwell was named NBA Finals MVP.
The Celtics only reached the Eastern Conference finals in 1982, losing to Philadelphia in 7 games. The following season culminated in an embarrassing second round playoff loss in the 1983 NBA Playoffs
1983 NBA Playoffs
The 1983 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1982-1983 season. This was the final postseason using the 12-team format, before the NBA expanded the postseason to 16 teams the next season...
to the Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....
, 4 games to 0. Ford had retired after 1982 and Archibald's age, declining skills and injury problems led to his release after the 1982–83
1982-83 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Moses Malone, Philadelphia 76ers*Rookie of the Year: Terry Cummings, San Diego Clippers*Defensive Player of the Year: Sidney Moncrief, Milwaukee Bucks...
. Fitch was fired, and K.C. Jones was named head coach. Archibald was replaced when popular reserve forward Rick Robey
Rick Robey
Frederick Robert Robey is a retired American professional basketball player. At 6'11", he played the center and forward positions....
, a close friend of Bird, was traded to the Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
in exchange for point guard
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
Dennis Johnson
Dennis Johnson
Dennis Wayne Johnson nicknamed "DJ", was an American professional basketball player for the National Basketball Association's Seattle SuperSonics, Phoenix Suns and Boston Celtics and coach of the Los Angeles Clippers...
, a former Finals MVP himself. With Johnson starting alongside ex-CBA
Continental Basketball Association
The Continental Basketball Association was a professional men's basketball league in the United States, which has been on hiatus since the 2009 season.- History :...
player Gerald Henderson
Gerald Henderson
Jerome McKinley "Gerald" Henderson, Sr. is a retired American basketball player. He was a shooting guard who had a 13-year career in the NBA from 1979 until 1992. He played for the Boston Celtics, Seattle SuperSonics, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks, Detroit Pistons, and...
, and former Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
Danny Ainge
Danny Ainge
Daniel Ray "Danny" Ainge is an American basketball manager and retired professional basketball and baseball player, currently serving as President of Basketball Operations for the Boston Celtics....
, veterans Quinn Buckner
Quinn Buckner
William Quinn Buckner, commonly known as Quinn Buckner is a former American professional basketball player and coach. He played collegiately at Indiana University, and was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 7th pick of the 1976 NBA Draft...
and M.L. Carr coming off the bench, the Celtics once again had the backcourt depth to complement their talented frontline.
In 1983–84
1983-84 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-Yearly awards:*Most Valuable Player: Larry Bird, Boston Celtics*Rookie of the Year: Ralph Sampson, Houston Rockets*Defensive Player of the Year: Sidney Moncrief, Milwaukee Bucks...
the Celtics would go 62–20 and finally get back to the NBA Finals
1984 NBA Finals
The 1984 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1983-84 NBA season. In 1984, the Boston Celtics defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in a seven-game Finals, winning Game 7 111-102. Larry Bird averaged 27 points and 14 rebounds a game during the series, earning the award of...
after a three year hiatus. In the final, the Celtics came back from a 2–1 deficit to defeat the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
, winning their 15th championship. Bird renewed his college rivalry with Lakers star Magic Johnson
Magic Johnson
Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Lakers...
during this series. After the series the Celtics traded Henderson, whose dramatic steal in game 2 altered the course of the series and gave the Celtics a chance, to the Seattle SuperSonics
Seattle SuperSonics
The Seattle SuperSonics were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington that played in the Pacific and Northwest Divisions of the National Basketball Association from 1967 until 2008. Following the 2007–08 season, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, and now plays as...
in exchange for their first round pick in the 1986 NBA Draft
1986 NBA Draft
-Drug and health issues involving drafted players:There were various drug-related problems that plagued players in the 1986 NBA draft. Most notable was the death of highly-touted Len Bias. Bias died less than two days after being selected second overall by the defending champion Boston Celtics. His...
.
In 1985, the Lakers and Celtics would meet again, but this time the Lakers would take the championship. During the following offseason the Celtics acquired Bill Walton
Bill Walton
William Theodore "Bill" Walton III is a retired American basketball player and television sportscaster. The "Big Red-Head", as he was called, achieved superstardom playing for John Wooden's powerhouse UCLA Bruins in the early '70s, winning three straight College Player of the Year Awards, while...
from the Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
in exchange for Cedric Maxwell
Cedric Maxwell
Cedric Bryan Maxwell is a retired American professional basketball player now in radio broadcasting. Nicknamed "Cornbread", he played 11 seasons in the NBA, and played a key role in two championships with the Boston Celtics.-College career:Maxwell was a star forward/center for the Charlotte 49ers...
. Walton was a star with the Portland Trail Blazers
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...
, but injuries had kept him from living up to expectations. He was also a lifelong Celtics fan and willing to come off the bench, deferring to the three big men already with the team. Walton would be a big part of the Celtics' success in 1986.
In 1985–86
1985-86 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Larry Bird, Boston Celtics*Rookie of the Year: Patrick Ewing, New York Knicks*Defensive Player of the Year: Alvin Robertson, San Antonio Spurs...
the Celtics fielded one of the best teams in NBA history. The 1986 Celtics won 67 games, going 40–1 at their home, the Boston Garden
Boston Garden
The Boston Garden was an arena in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Designed by boxing promoter Tex Rickard, who also built the third iteration of New York's Madison Square Garden, it opened on November 17, 1928 as "Boston Madison Square Garden" and outlived its original namesake by some 30 years...
. Bird won his third consecutive MVP award after having arguably his finest season, and Walton won the Sixth Man of the Year Award. They would win their 16th championship, easily defeating the Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
in the NBA Finals
1986 NBA Finals
The 1986 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1985-86 NBA season. It pitted the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics against the Western Conference champion Houston Rockets. The Celtics defeated the Rockets four games to two to win their 16th NBA championship. The championship would...
.
The drafting of Len Bias, his death and aftermath
Thanks to the 1984 trade of Gerald HendersonGerald Henderson
Jerome McKinley "Gerald" Henderson, Sr. is a retired American basketball player. He was a shooting guard who had a 13-year career in the NBA from 1979 until 1992. He played for the Boston Celtics, Seattle SuperSonics, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks, Detroit Pistons, and...
and the subsequent fall of the Seattle SuperSonics
Seattle SuperSonics
The Seattle SuperSonics were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington that played in the Pacific and Northwest Divisions of the National Basketball Association from 1967 until 2008. Following the 2007–08 season, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, and now plays as...
, at the end of the 1985–86
1985-86 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Larry Bird, Boston Celtics*Rookie of the Year: Patrick Ewing, New York Knicks*Defensive Player of the Year: Alvin Robertson, San Antonio Spurs...
the Celtics owned not only the best team in the NBA but also the second pick in the 1986 NBA Draft
1986 NBA Draft
-Drug and health issues involving drafted players:There were various drug-related problems that plagued players in the 1986 NBA draft. Most notable was the death of highly-touted Len Bias. Bias died less than two days after being selected second overall by the defending champion Boston Celtics. His...
. The Celtics drafted Len Bias
Len Bias
Leonard Kevin "Len" Bias was a first team All-American college basketball player at the University of Maryland. He was selected by the Boston Celtics as the second overall pick in the 1986 NBA Draft on June 17, but died two days later from cardiac arrhythmia induced by a cocaine overdose...
with the pick and had high hopes for the young University of Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
star. Fans believed Bias had superstar potential, and that he would be the perfect complement to the aging, but still strong, Celtics. The hope was that his presence would ensure that the franchise would remain a powerhouse after Bird, McHale and Parish retired. Unfortunately, Bias died 48 hours after he was drafted, after using cocaine at a party and overdosing. It would be the first in a long string of bad luck for the Celtics.
Despite the loss of Bias, the Celtics remained competitive in 1986–87
1986-87 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-Yearly awards:* Most Valuable Player: Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers* Rookie of the Year: Chuck Person, Indiana Pacers* Defensive Player of the Year: Michael Cooper, Los Angeles Lakers...
, going 59–23 and again winning the Eastern Conference Championship. Unfortunately, in the Finals the tired, aging, and injured Celtics ran into perhaps the best Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
team of the decade. The biggest injury was yet another foot injury for Bill Walton
Bill Walton
William Theodore "Bill" Walton III is a retired American basketball player and television sportscaster. The "Big Red-Head", as he was called, achieved superstardom playing for John Wooden's powerhouse UCLA Bruins in the early '70s, winning three straight College Player of the Year Awards, while...
, who only played 10 regular season games in 1986–87 after playing 80 games the year before. Walton fought through the injury, playing 12 games (out of 23) in the playoffs, but was not the same player as he was the year before. McHale, Parish and Ainge were also fighting injuries, forcing reserves Darren Daye
Darren Daye
Darren Keefe Daye is a retired American professional basketball player. The 6'8", 220 lb guard-forward played high-school basketball for Kennedy High School in Granada Hills, CA, and attended UCLA...
and Fred Roberts
Fred Roberts
Frederick Clark Roberts is a retired American basketball player who played power forward in the National Basketball Association for 13 seasons, a career spanning from 1983 to 1997, becoming one of the more successful journeymen to play in the league...
to play larger roles in the series, which the Celtics would lose 4 games to 2.
The Celtics started the 1987–88
1987-88 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls*Rookie of the Year: Mark Jackson, New York Knicks*Defensive Player of the Year: Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls...
season without Kevin McHale
Kevin McHale
Kevin Edward McHale is a retired American professional basketball player and current head coach of the Houston Rockets. After his playing career, he worked for the Minnesota Timberwolves as the team's general manager and later its coach. He was fired as coach in June 2009...
, who was recovering from a foot injury that had hobbled him in the 1987 playoffs. Bill Walton
Bill Walton
William Theodore "Bill" Walton III is a retired American basketball player and television sportscaster. The "Big Red-Head", as he was called, achieved superstardom playing for John Wooden's powerhouse UCLA Bruins in the early '70s, winning three straight College Player of the Year Awards, while...
was also recovering from injury, and while Walton stuck with the franchise for the 1987–88 and 1988–89 seasons, he had played his last game in the NBA in the 1987 NBA Playoffs
1987 NBA Playoffs
The 1987 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1986-1987 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics four games to two in the Finals...
. The Celtics did add some new players in the 1987 NBA Draft
1987 NBA Draft
The 1987 Draft of the National Basketball Association was held on June 22, 1987 in New York City, New York.This draft is notable for the selection of two future members of the NBA 50 Greatest Players list, David Robinson and Scottie Pippen. Other notable selections include Reggie Miller, Kevin...
. In the first round, the Celtics selected a promising guard/forward out of Northeastern University by the name of Reggie Lewis
Reggie Lewis
Reggie Lewis was an American professional basketball player for the NBA's Boston Celtics from 1987 to 1993.-Early life:...
. The Celtics also added Brad Lohaus
Brad Lohaus
Bradley Allen "Brad" Lohaus is an American retired professional basketball player who was selected by the Boston Celtics in the second round of the 1987 NBA Draft...
in the second round, giving head coach K.C. Jones a few more weapons to choose from.
Jones was not one to play rookies however, and both Lewis and Lohaus would spend much of the 1987–88
1987-88 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls*Rookie of the Year: Mark Jackson, New York Knicks*Defensive Player of the Year: Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls...
season on the bench while Jones continued to play his veterans. The team won another division title, finishing 57–25 and earning home court advantage throughout the playoffs. Jones' reliance on his veterans came back to haunt him in the playoffs, as the Celtics appeared tired and worn down. Danny Ainge
Danny Ainge
Daniel Ray "Danny" Ainge is an American basketball manager and retired professional basketball and baseball player, currently serving as President of Basketball Operations for the Boston Celtics....
had played the most minutes of his career, and Bird's body was starting to wear down after averaging 39 minutes per game. The Celtics struggled to defeat the Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, needed a 20 point 4th quarter from Larry Bird
Larry Bird
Larry Joe Bird is a former American NBA basketball player and coach. Drafted into the NBA sixth overall by the Boston Celtics in 1978, Bird started at small forward and power forward for thirteen seasons, spearheading one of the NBA's most formidable frontcourts that included center Robert Parish...
in the decisive game 7 to finally put the Hawks away 118–116. Emotionally and physically drained from the Hawks series, the Celtics would fall in the Eastern Conference Finals to the Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
, 4 games to 2.
After the 1987–88 season, head coach K.C. Jones retired. Jones' teams had had the best regular season record in the Eastern Conference in all five of his seasons as coach. In addition he led the Celtics to four NBA Finals appearances and two NBA Championships. Jones was replaced as head coach by assistant Jimmy Rodgers
Jimmy Rodgers (basketball)
James Donald "Jimmy" Rodgers is an American former basketball coach. He coached the Boston Celtics for two seasons, and the Minnesota Timberwolves for nearly a season and a half...
.
Rodgers faced immediate trouble in 1988–89
1988-89 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers*Rookie of the Year: Mitch Richmond, Golden State Warriors*Defensive Player of the Year: Mark Eaton, Utah Jazz...
when, only 6 games into the season, Bird decided to have surgery to remove bone spurs in both feet. The injury was to sideline Bird until well after the All-Star Break, although supposedly he would be able to return. However, despite his best attempts to return he was unable to make it back as the Celtics stumbled to a 42–40 record and a First round playoff defeat to the Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
.
Bird returned in 1989–90
1989-90 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers*Rookie of the Year: David Robinson, San Antonio Spurs*Defensive Player of the Year: Dennis Rodman, Detroit Pistons...
to play in 75 games and lead the Celtics to a 52–30 record. The season was not completely smooth sailing, as second year guard Brian Shaw caused a stir when he held out of the season for a bigger contract, instead playing the entire season in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. However, in the playoffs
1990 NBA Playoffs
The 1990 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1989-1990 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons successfully defending their championship by beating the Western Conference champion Portland Trail Blazers...
, after winning the first two games of a Best of 5 series against the New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
the Celtics collapsed, losing 3 straight, including the decisive 5th game at the Boston Garden
Boston Garden
The Boston Garden was an arena in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Designed by boxing promoter Tex Rickard, who also built the third iteration of New York's Madison Square Garden, it opened on November 17, 1928 as "Boston Madison Square Garden" and outlived its original namesake by some 30 years...
. In the wake of the embarrassing defeat, Rodgers was fired and replaced by assistant coach (and former Celtic player) Chris Ford
Chris Ford
Christopher Joseph Ford is a former professional basketball player and head coach. A 6-foot-5 guard, he played high school basketball at Holy Spirit High School in Absecon, New Jersey,...
.
Under Ford's leadership the Celtics improved to 56–26 in 1990–91
1990-91 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls*Rookie of the Year: Derrick Coleman, New Jersey Nets*Defensive Player of the Year: Dennis Rodman, Detroit Pistons...
, recapturing the Atlantic Division title even though Bird missed 22 games with a variety of injuries and Parish and McHale's skills had begun to decline. McHale was never the same after playing through the 1987 Finals
1987 NBA Finals
The 1987 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1986-87 NBA season. The match took place between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics. The Lakers won 4–2, beating the Celtics in the Finals. The key moment of the series was Magic Johnson's junior sky hook in Game 4...
with a broken foot. Most significant were the developing back problems that hobbled Bird, even causing him to miss one playoff game. Reggie Lewis blossomed into a star, and swingman Kevin Gamble
Kevin Gamble
Kevin Douglas Gamble is a retired American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association. At 6'5" he played as both a shooting guard and small forward...
provided a consistent scoring presence when Bird was out of the lineup. Shaw returned from Italy and teamed with rookie Dee Brown at the point guard spot. In the playoffs, the Celtics First round series against the Indiana Pacers
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...
was highlighted by a climactic game 5 win in the Boston Garden. Bird left the game midway through the second quarter after hitting his head hard on the parquet floor while diving for a loose ball. Bird sustained a concussion & a broken eye socket, though he still returned in the third quarter and electrified the crowd after the Pacers had grabbed the lead. The Celtics won the game behind Bird's 32 points and advanced to the Eastern Conference Semi-finals, where they were defeated by their longtime nemesis, the Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
, 4 games to 2.
In 1992, a late season rally allowed the Celtics to catch the Knicks and repeat as Atlantic Division champions. The team finished 51–31 and again matched up with the Indiana Pacers in the First round, this time sweeping the series 3 games to 0. In the Eastern Conference Semifinals the Celtics lost a grueling 7 game series to the Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...
, 4 games to 3. Due to back problems, Larry Bird played in only 45 of the 82 regular season games, and only 4 of the 10 playoff games.
After thirteen seasons with the club and winning a gold medal in the Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
Olympics
1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
with the Dream Team, Bird retired in 1992 primarily due to his back injuries.
1993–2001: Tragedy and decline
At the time of Bird's retirement former Celtics guard Chris FordChris Ford
Christopher Joseph Ford is a former professional basketball player and head coach. A 6-foot-5 guard, he played high school basketball at Holy Spirit High School in Absecon, New Jersey,...
was the coach of the Celtics. 26-year old Reggie Lewis
Reggie Lewis
Reggie Lewis was an American professional basketball player for the NBA's Boston Celtics from 1987 to 1993.-Early life:...
(out of Boston's Northeastern University) was seen as Bird's successor as the franchise player for the Celtics. In Bird's final season it was Lewis who led the team in scoring, and he made his first All-Star appearance in the 1992 All-Star Game
1992 NBA All-Star Game
The 1992 NBA All-Star Game was the 42nd edition of the All-Star Game. The event took place at the Orlando Arena in Orlando, Florida. The West defeated the East, 153-113. The game is most remembered for the return of Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson, who retired before the 1991-92 NBA season...
. Lewis, a small forward
Small forward
The small forward, or colloquially known as three, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically somewhat shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers, but on occasion are just as tall...
, fainted during a 1993 first round playoff
1993 NBA Playoffs
The 1993 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1992-1993 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls winning their third consecutive championship by defeating the Western Conference champion Phoenix Suns four...
matchup with the Charlotte Hornets. It was later revealed that Lewis had heart problems, yet he was able to get doctors to clear him for a comeback. He died of a heart attack after participating in a pickup basketball game during the offseason. The Celtics honored his memory during the following season by retiring his number 35.
The team took another hit after the season, as Kevin McHale
Kevin McHale
Kevin Edward McHale is a retired American professional basketball player and current head coach of the Houston Rockets. After his playing career, he worked for the Minnesota Timberwolves as the team's general manager and later its coach. He was fired as coach in June 2009...
retired after 13 seasons in the NBA. The Celtics were now down to one member of the "Big Three" for the 1993–94
1993-94 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston Rockets*Rookie of the Year: Chris Webber, Golden State Warriors*Defensive Player of the Year: Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston Rockets...
, as well as without Lewis, their captain and young star. The Celtics drafted Acie Earl
Acie Earl
Acie Boyd Earl is a retired American professional basketball player, who appeared in four NBA seasons, as a 6'10" center.-High school/college:...
in the first round of the 1993 NBA Draft
1993 NBA Draft
The 1993 NBA Draft took place on June 30, 1993 in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The draft had some talented players at the top, but injuries and personal problems hurt many of them. Anfernee Hardaway, Allan Houston, and Jamal Mashburn all looked like possible Hall of Famers until their careers were cut...
, and planned on making him Parish's successor in the middle. After missing the playoffs for the first time since 1978–79
1978-79 NBA season
The 1978–79 NBA season was the 33rd season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Seattle SuperSonics winning the NBA Championship, beating the Washington Bullets 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals, a rematch of the previous year's Finals, but with the opposite...
, the year before Bird joined the franchise, Robert Parish
Robert Parish
Robert Lee Parish is a retired American basketball center. He was known for his strong defense and jump shooting, and was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003...
left as a free agent to join the Charlotte Hornets. The time of "Big Three" was officially over.
In 1994, the Celtics hired former player M.L. Carr to be the team's new G.M. In his first draft
1994 NBA Draft
The 1994 NBA Draft took place on June 29, 1994 in Indianapolis, Indiana. It is notable for the fact that two NBA rookies of the year were picked in the first round, as Jason Kidd and Grant Hill were co-winners of the award for the 1994–95 NBA season...
in charge of the Celtics, he drafted University of North Carolina
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
star Eric Montross
Eric Montross
Eric Scott Montross is a retired American professional basketball player who played in the NBA....
with his first round draft pick. The Acie Earl era was already nearing an end, as Montross became the new heir apparent in the paint.
1994–95 was the Celtics final season in the Boston Garden
Boston Garden
The Boston Garden was an arena in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Designed by boxing promoter Tex Rickard, who also built the third iteration of New York's Madison Square Garden, it opened on November 17, 1928 as "Boston Madison Square Garden" and outlived its original namesake by some 30 years...
. The Celtics signed the aging Dominique Wilkins
Dominique Wilkins
Jacques Dominique Wilkins is a retired American professional basketball player who primarily played for the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA...
as a free agent, and he led the team in scoring with 17.8 PPG. Second-year player Dino Radja, a power forward from Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, added an interior presence to the team that had been lacking in 1993–94
1993-94 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston Rockets*Rookie of the Year: Chris Webber, Golden State Warriors*Defensive Player of the Year: Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston Rockets...
. The Celtics made the playoffs, losing to the heavily favored Orlando Magic
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy...
in 4 games.
In 1995, the Celtics moved from the Boston Garden
Boston Garden
The Boston Garden was an arena in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Designed by boxing promoter Tex Rickard, who also built the third iteration of New York's Madison Square Garden, it opened on November 17, 1928 as "Boston Madison Square Garden" and outlived its original namesake by some 30 years...
into the Fleet Center (renamed the TD Banknorth Garden
TD Banknorth Garden
TD Garden is a multi-purpose arena in Boston, Massachusetts. It is named after its sponsor, TD Bank, N.A. and is often simply referred to by local Bostonians as, The Garden, The Fleet Center, or the traditional Boston Garden...
in 2005). Carr fired Chris Ford
Chris Ford
Christopher Joseph Ford is a former professional basketball player and head coach. A 6-foot-5 guard, he played high school basketball at Holy Spirit High School in Absecon, New Jersey,...
and took the coaching reins himself. After drafting Providence College
Providence College
Providence College is a private, coeducational, Catholic university located about two miles west of downtown Providence, Rhode Island, United States, the state's capital city. With a 2010–2011 enrollment of 3,850 undergraduate students and 735 graduate students, the College specializes in academic...
star Eric Williams, the Celtics struggled to a 33–49 record. Things got worse in 1996–97 as the Celtics lost a franchise record 67 games, winning only 15 times despite the emergence of 1st-round draft pick Antoine Walker
Antoine Walker
Antoine Devon Walker is an American professional basketball player who most recently played for the Idaho Stampede of the NBA Development League...
.
The Pitino years
Carr stepped aside to another job in the organization when the Celtics convinced Rick PitinoRick Pitino
Rick Pitino is an American basketball coach. Since 2001, he has been the head coach at the University of Louisville. He has also served as head coach at Boston University, Providence College and the University of Kentucky, leading that program to the NCAA championship in 1996...
to join the franchise as the team's President, Front Office Manager, and Head Coach. Pitino had led the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
to an NCAA Championship and was a very successful head coach at the college level, with a short NBA stint with the New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
several years prior. Some controversy was generated when Pitino was given the title of team "President", taking such title away from Red Auerbach (Auerbach, who by 1997 was holding the title in a "ceremonial" way, became the "Vice Chairman of the Board") Unfortunately for the Celtics, Pitino was not the savior everyone expected him to be, although he did acquire several talented young players during his tenure.
The Celtics, after going 15–67 in 1996–97, had the best chance at winning the NBA's draft lottery in 1997
1997 NBA Draft
The 1997 NBA Draft took place on June 25, 1997 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Although the Celtics had the second worst record in the 1996-97 season and the best odds of winning the lottery with two picks, the Spurs, usually a model of winning and consistency, lost David Robinson to an injury early...
. Their odds were augmented even further by a 1996 trade that sent Eric Montross to Dallas
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
in exchange for the Mavericks 1st round pick in 1997 (as well as a swap in draft picks in 1996 that allowed the Celtics to move up to select Walker), which gave the Celtics a second lottery pick and more chances to win the coveted first pick. The San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
won the lottery and selected Tim Duncan
Tim Duncan
Timothy Theodore "Tim" Duncan is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association . The 6-foot 11-inch , 255-pound power forward/center is a four-time NBA champion, two-time NBA MVP, three-time NBA Finals MVP, and NBA Rookie of the Year...
first overall in the 1997 NBA Draft
1997 NBA Draft
The 1997 NBA Draft took place on June 25, 1997 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Although the Celtics had the second worst record in the 1996-97 season and the best odds of winning the lottery with two picks, the Spurs, usually a model of winning and consistency, lost David Robinson to an injury early...
.
The Celtics received the third and sixth picks, and used the picks to select a brand new backcourt. They drafted Chauncey Billups
Chauncey Billups
Chauncey Ray Billups is an American professional basketball point guard for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association . He has also played for Team USA. Billups won the NBA Finals MVP in 2004, helping the Detroit Pistons beat the Los Angeles Lakers in the Finals, and was given the...
and Ron Mercer
Ron Mercer
Ronald Eugene Mercer is a former American basketball player at the University of Kentucky who also had a career in the National Basketball Association; the last time he played was for the New Jersey Nets in 2005.-Basketball career:...
and dismantled much of the young team that lost 67 games the year before. David Wesley
David Wesley
David Barakau Wesley is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA. He is the cousin of former NBA player Michael Dickerson. He is currently an assistant coach for the Texas Legends.-High school and college:...
and Rick Fox
Rick Fox
Ulrich Alexander "Rick" Fox is a Canadian television actor and retired professional basketball player who last played for the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers in 2004.-Early life:...
were let go, and Williams was traded to the Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
for a pair of second round draft picks. The Celtics seemed ready to pair Billups and Mercer with Antoine Walker, the second-year player out of Kentucky who was coming off a solid rookie season. Unfortunately, two of these players would not remain as fixtures on the team in the long term.
The following year the Celtics drafted Paul Pierce
Paul Pierce
Paul Anthony Pierce , nicknamed The Truth, is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the NBA. He earned First Team All-America honors in his junior year at Kansas, and has been a starter every season since being selected by the Celtics with the 10th overall pick in the...
, a college star who had been expected to be drafted much higher than the Celtics' number 10 pick overall. Other notable players Pitino acquired were Walter McCarty
Walter McCarty
Walter Lee McCarty is an American former basketball player who played for the NBA's New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns, and the Los Angeles Clippers....
and veteran Kenny Anderson
Kenny Anderson
Kenneth "Kenny" Anderson is a retired American basketball player. After a college career at Georgia Institute of Technology, he played point guard professionally from 1991 to 2006, mostly in the National Basketball Association....
(for future Finals
2005 NBA Finals
The 2005 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 2004-05 National Basketball Association season. The San Antonio Spurs of the Western Conference faced the Detroit Pistons of the Eastern Conference for the title, with the Spurs holding home court advantage. The series was played under a...
MVP Billups). Eric Williams was re-acquired from the Nuggets, where he had suffered a horrific knee injury and played only 42 games in two seasons. To obtain Williams (and Danny Fortson
Danny Fortson
Daniel Anthony Fortson is an American former professional basketball player. He played power forward/center in the NBA from 1997 to 2007.-Early life:...
) the Celtics parted ways with Mercer after only two seasons with the team.
Pitino failed to coach any successful teams and resigned in 2001, leaving the Celtics in the hands of assistant coach Jim O'Brien, a friend of Pitino's who had followed Pitino to the Celtics. Chris Wallace
Chris Wallace (NBA General Manager)
Chris Wallace, from Buckhannon, West Virginia is the general manager and vice president of basketball operations for the Memphis Grizzlies basketball team in the National Basketball Association ....
became the general manager of the team and the title of "Team President" was returned to Red Auerbach.
Back to contention: The O'Brien years
Following the resignation of Rick Pitino, the Celtics improved greatly under coach Jim O'Brien. Paul PiercePaul Pierce
Paul Anthony Pierce , nicknamed The Truth, is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the NBA. He earned First Team All-America honors in his junior year at Kansas, and has been a starter every season since being selected by the Celtics with the 10th overall pick in the...
matured into an NBA star and was ably complemented by Antoine Walker
Antoine Walker
Antoine Devon Walker is an American professional basketball player who most recently played for the Idaho Stampede of the NBA Development League...
, along with the other role players acquired over the years. The team finished the season going 24–24 under O'Brien (after going 12–22 before Pitino's resignation) and following the 2000–01 season O'Brien was given the job of head coach on a permanent basis. As a result of numerous trades, the Celtics had three picks in the 2001 NBA Draft
2001 NBA Draft
The 2001 NBA Draft took place on June 27, 2001 in New York City, New York. Kwame Brown became the first high school player drafted with the first overall pick...
, a luxury that seemed to set the franchise up well for the long term. General Manager Chris Wallace used the picks on Joe Johnson
Joe Johnson (basketball)
Joe Marcus Johnson is an American professional basketball player, currently a member of the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA. Johnson stands at 6'7" and 240 lbs ....
, Joe Forte
Joseph Forte
Joseph Xavier "Joe" Forte is an American professional basketball player.-Beginnings:Forte got his start at DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Maryland. There, Forte played under the instruction of legendary high school prep coach Morgan Wootten. Forte's teammate at DeMatha, Keith Bogans,...
(a favorite of Red Auerbach
Red Auerbach
Arnold Jacob "Red" Auerbach was an American basketball coach of the Washington Capitols, the Tri-Cities Blackhawks and the Boston Celtics. After he retired from coaching, he served as president and front office executive of the Celtics until his death...
) and Kedrick Brown
Kedrick Brown
Albert Kedrick Brown is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for Bornova Belediye, a Turkish professional basketball team....
.
The Celtics entered the 2001–02 season
2001-02 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-Yearly awards:*Most Valuable Player: Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs*Rookie of the Year: Pau Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies*Defensive Player of the Year: Ben Wallace, Detroit Pistons...
with low expectations. The team's success in the latter stages of 2000–01 was largely forgotten, and critics were surprised when the team (along with the New Jersey Nets
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
) surged to the top of the Atlantic Division ahead of teams like the Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
, who were fresh off a trip to the NBA Finals
2001 NBA Finals
The 2001 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 2000-01 National Basketball Association season. The Los Angeles Lakers of the Western Conference took on the Philadelphia 76ers of the Eastern Conference for the title, with the Lakers holding home court advantage in a best-of-seven format.The...
. A trade at the February trade deadline sent Joe Johnson, who was having an inconsistent rookie season, along with little-used bench players Randy Brown
Randy Brown
Randy Brown is a retired American basketball player. A 6'2" guard who played at New Mexico State University, Brown was selected by the Sacramento Kings in the second round of the 1991 NBA Draft...
and Milt Palacio
Milt Palacio
Milton Sigmund Palacio , referred to as Milt Palacio, is a Belizean American professional basketball player. He currently plays with the pro club Obradoiro CAB in Spain. He was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, to Belizean parents and is a Belizean citizen.-College career:Palacio attended...
to the Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
in exchange for Tony Delk
Tony Delk
Tony Lorenzo Delk is an American former professional basketball player and current assistant coach for the New Mexico State Aggies men's basketball team. He was team leader of the 1996 University of Kentucky Wildcats team that won the 1996 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament...
and Rodney Rogers
Rodney Rogers
Rodney Ray Rogers is a retired American basketball player who last played power forward for the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers.-Early life:...
. The season salvaged by the trade, the Celtics went on to win 49 games. The 49 victories were the franchises most since 1992
1991-92 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls*Rookie of the Year: Larry Johnson, Charlotte Hornets*Defensive Player of the Year: David Robinson, San Antonio Spurs...
, when Larry Bird was still playing, and the Celtics made the playoffs
2002 NBA Playoffs
The 2002 NBA Playoffs were the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2001–02 season. This would be the final postseason that held a best-of-5 first-round series; next year's postseason would see those series expanded to a best-of-7 format...
for the first time since 1995
1995 NBA Playoffs
The 1995 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1994-1995 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Houston Rockets winning their second consecutive NBA championship by defeating the Eastern Conference champion Orlando Magic...
.
The Celtics won a hard-fought five game series with the 76ers in the first round, 3 games to 2. Pierce scored 46 points in the series-clinching blowout at the Fleet Center
TD Banknorth Garden
TD Garden is a multi-purpose arena in Boston, Massachusetts. It is named after its sponsor, TD Bank, N.A. and is often simply referred to by local Bostonians as, The Garden, The Fleet Center, or the traditional Boston Garden...
. In the conference semifinals the Celtics defeated the favored Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
4 games to 1 in a series best remembered for the Celtics low-scoring (66–64) game 3 victory. In their first trip to the Eastern Conference Finals since 1988
1988 NBA Playoffs
The 1988 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1987-1988 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons four games to three in the Finals...
, the Celtics would jump out to a 2–1 series lead over the New Jersey Nets (after rallying from 21 points down in the fourth quarter to win game 3) but would lose the next three games to fall 4 games to 2.
Following their defeat at the hands of the Nets, the Celtics once again overhauled their roster. Gone were Rodney Rogers
Rodney Rogers
Rodney Ray Rogers is a retired American basketball player who last played power forward for the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers.-Early life:...
, who signed with new rival New Jersey as a free agent, Vitaly Potapenko
Vitaly Potapenko
Vitaly Nikolaevich Potapenko is a Ukrainian former professional basketball player. He played college basketball at Wright State University and was selected 12th overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 1996 NBA Draft...
, Kenny Anderson
Kenny Anderson
Kenneth "Kenny" Anderson is a retired American basketball player. After a college career at Georgia Institute of Technology, he played point guard professionally from 1991 to 2006, mostly in the National Basketball Association....
and Joe Forte
Joseph Forte
Joseph Xavier "Joe" Forte is an American professional basketball player.-Beginnings:Forte got his start at DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Maryland. There, Forte played under the instruction of legendary high school prep coach Morgan Wootten. Forte's teammate at DeMatha, Keith Bogans,...
, who were sent to Seattle
Seattle SuperSonics
The Seattle SuperSonics were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington that played in the Pacific and Northwest Divisions of the National Basketball Association from 1967 until 2008. Following the 2007–08 season, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, and now plays as...
in a five-player trade that brought Vin Baker
Vin Baker
Vincent Lamont Baker is a former American professional basketball player who played in the NBA. He appeared in four consecutive All-Star Games before his career was halted due to alcoholism....
and Shammond Williams
Shammond Williams
Shammond Omar Williams is a naturalized Georgian professional basketball player who grew up in the United States . The 6'1" combination point guard/shooting guard is known for his long-range shooting accuracy...
to Boston.
In 2003, the Celtics were sold by owner Paul Gaston to Boston Basketball Partners LLC, led by H. Irving Grousbeck
H. Irving Grousbeck
Harold Irving "Irv" Grousbeck is an entrepreneur, professor at Stanford Business School and co-owner of the National Basketball Association basketball team the Boston Celtics....
, Wycliffe Grousbeck, Steve Pagliuca, Robert Epstein, David Epstein, and John Svenson. The team made it back to the playoffs
2003 NBA Playoffs
The 2003 NBA playoffs was the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2002-03 NBA season. This postseason was notable for being the first time all series were conducted in a best-of-7 format. It was also the only time in playoff history that no team was swept in a first-round series....
but were swept by the Nets
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
in the second round, despite bringing Game 4 to double overtime.
Before their elimination, the team hired Danny Ainge
Danny Ainge
Daniel Ray "Danny" Ainge is an American basketball manager and retired professional basketball and baseball player, currently serving as President of Basketball Operations for the Boston Celtics....
to take over the front office, pushing Chris Wallace to another job in the organization. Ainge believed the team had reached its peak and promptly stunned the team by sending Antoine Walker
Antoine Walker
Antoine Devon Walker is an American professional basketball player who most recently played for the Idaho Stampede of the NBA Development League...
to the Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
(along with Tony Delk
Tony Delk
Tony Lorenzo Delk is an American former professional basketball player and current assistant coach for the New Mexico State Aggies men's basketball team. He was team leader of the 1996 University of Kentucky Wildcats team that won the 1996 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament...
). In return, the Celtics received the oft-injured Raef LaFrentz
Raef LaFrentz
Raef Andrew LaFrentz is a retired American professional basketball power forward and center who played in the NBA from 1998 to 2009. Born and raised in Iowa, LaFrentz attended the University of Kansas and was drafted in 1998 by the Denver Nuggets...
and a first-round draft pick in 2004
2004 NBA Draft
The 2004 NBA Draft was held on June 24, 2004 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York and was broadcast live on ESPN at 7:00 pm . In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible...
.
Rebuilding anew: The Ainge years
On the heels of the off-season Walker trade, Ainge continued to dismantle O'Brien's team with a midseason trade that sent Eric Williams, Tony BattieTony Battie
Demetrius Antonio Battie is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Philadelphia 76ers.-High school and college career:...
, and struggling Kedrick Brown
Kedrick Brown
Albert Kedrick Brown is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for Bornova Belediye, a Turkish professional basketball team....
to Cleveland
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...
in exchange for troubled guard Ricky Davis
Ricky Davis
Tyree Ricardo Davis , better known as Ricky Davis, is an American professional basketball player.-Biography:...
, center Chris Mihm
Chris Mihm
Christopher Steven Mihm is a 7 ft , 265 pound American professional basketball player currently a free agent. He was drafted with the 7th overall pick in the 2000 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls.-Early life:...
and center Michael Stewart. Reportedly distraught by this trade, O'Brien stepped down during the 2003–04 Season
2003-04 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-Yearly awards:*Most Valuable Player: Kevin Garnett, Minnesota Timberwolves*Rookie of the Year: LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers*Defensive Player of the Year: Ron Artest, Indiana Pacers...
and was replaced by interim coach John Carroll.
Davis proved to be an exciting player, and Welsch an offensive threat from three-point range (albeit an inconsistent one), but neither was capable of playing the tenacious defense that had become a trademark of O'Brien's teams. Vin Baker proved to be not up to the task of playing near his home state of Connecticut; alcoholism forced the Celtics to first suspend him, then void his contract. He played only 37 games for the Celtics in 2004, and 17 more with the New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
in a minor role. The acquisition of LaFrentz also proved problematic, as LaFrentz's chronic knee problems acted up and forced the big man to miss all but 17 games.
Still, with Pierce playing at his usual level, Davis providing a second scoring punch, and occasional help from rookie Marcus Banks
Marcus Banks
Arthur Lemarcus Banks III, commonly known as Marcus Banks , is an American professional basketball player who most recently played with the New Orleans Hornets of the NBA....
at point guard the Celtics prepared for yet another playoff run. In February, the Celtics helped their former nemeses, the Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
acquire Rasheed Wallace
Rasheed Wallace
Rasheed Abdul Wallace is a retired American professional basketball power forward and center who played from 1995 to 2010 in the National Basketball Association...
for their own title run, sending Mike James
Mike James
Michael Lamont James is an American professional basketball player.-Early years:The youngest of seven siblings, James's childhood was not without challenges. Crime, drugs, and violence troubled his neighborhood streets. Lack of social and economic opportunity made urban living grueling and...
off to Detroit in exchange for a 1st-round pick as well as Chucky Atkins
Chucky Atkins
Kenneth Lavon "Chucky" Atkins is an American professional basketball player. He is currently a free agent.-Basketball career:...
, who would provide the Celtics with a stabilizing veteran point guard to go with the inconsistent Banks. The Celtics made the playoffs
2004 NBA Playoffs
The 2004 NBA Playoffs were the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2003–04 season. Consisting of 16 teams in two conferences, the playoffs involved about two months of play. The playoffs were conducted in seven-game series, with the team with the better record holding home court...
only to be badly swept in the first round by the Indiana Pacers
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...
losing all 4 by blowout margins.
Ainge received a lot of criticism for dismantling the previous team, but he attempted to redeem himself in the draft. After selecting Banks and center Kendrick Perkins
Kendrick Perkins
Kendrick Perkins is an American professional basketball player who plays as a center for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the NBA....
in 2003
2003 NBA Draft
The 2003 NBA Draft was held on June 26, 2003 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting basketball players and other first-time eligible players, such as players from high schools and...
, Ainge added high school power forward Al Jefferson
Al Jefferson
Al Ricardo Jefferson is an American professional basketball player for the Utah Jazz of the NBA.-Early life:...
, St. Joseph's University
Saint Joseph's University
Saint Joseph's University is a private, coeducational Roman Catholic Jesuit university located partially in the Wynnefield section of Philadelphia and partially in Lower Merion Township and located in the Pennsylvania Main Line, Pennsylvania, United States.The school was founded in 1851 as Saint...
standout Delonte West
Delonte West
Delonte Maurice West is an American professional basketball player who last played with the Boston Celtics of the NBA.-High school career:...
(with the Mavericks pick from the Antoine Walker
Antoine Walker
Antoine Devon Walker is an American professional basketball player who most recently played for the Idaho Stampede of the NBA Development League...
trade), and the athletic Tony Allen
Tony Allen (basketball)
Anthony Allen is an American professional basketball player with the Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA.-Early career:...
(with the Pistons 1st-round pick acquired in the Atkins-James swap) in 2004
2004 NBA Draft
The 2004 NBA Draft was held on June 24, 2004 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York and was broadcast live on ESPN at 7:00 pm . In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible...
. During his second off-season, Ainge was able to unload some payroll when he acquired veterans Gary Payton
Gary Payton
Gary Dwayne Payton is a former American professional basketball point guard. He is best known for his 13-year tenure with the Seattle SuperSonics, and holds Seattle franchise records in points, assists, and steals...
and Rick Fox
Rick Fox
Ulrich Alexander "Rick" Fox is a Canadian television actor and retired professional basketball player who last played for the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers in 2004.-Early life:...
from the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Mihm, Atkins and bench player Jumaine Jones
Jumaine Jones
Jumaine Lanard Jones is an American professional basketball forward. An NBA player from 1999 to 2007 drafted from the University of Georgia, he has played in the small forward and power forward positions...
. Fox retired rather than rejoin the team and Payton threatened to hold out of training camp, but he eventually ended up playing for the team during the 2004–05 Season
2004-05 NBA season
The 2004–05 NBA season was the 59th season of the National Basketball Association . It began on November 2, 2004 and ended June 23, 2005. The season ended with the San Antonio Spurs defeating defending champion Detroit Pistons 4–3 in the NBA Finals....
.
The Celtics were a young team under new coach Doc Rivers
Doc Rivers
Glenn Anton "Doc" Rivers is a former professional basketball player and the current head coach of the NBA's Boston Celtics. Rivers was known for his defense while playing in the NBA...
, yet they seemed to have a core of good young players, led by rookie Al Jefferson
Al Jefferson
Al Ricardo Jefferson is an American professional basketball player for the Utah Jazz of the NBA.-Early life:...
, to go along with a selection of able veterans (Paul Pierce, a now-healthy Raef LaFrentz
Raef LaFrentz
Raef Andrew LaFrentz is a retired American professional basketball power forward and center who played in the NBA from 1998 to 2009. Born and raised in Iowa, LaFrentz attended the University of Kansas and was drafted in 1998 by the Denver Nuggets...
, and Ricky Davis
Ricky Davis
Tyree Ricardo Davis , better known as Ricky Davis, is an American professional basketball player.-Biography:...
). Before the trading deadline in the winter of 2005 the Celtics re-acquired Antoine Walker when they dealt Gary Payton to the Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
(Payton would re-sign with the team after being released from the Hawks a week later). With Walker back in the fold, the Celtics improved enormously. The Celtics went 45–37 and won their first Atlantic Division title since 1991–92
1991-92 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls*Rookie of the Year: Larry Johnson, Charlotte Hornets*Defensive Player of the Year: David Robinson, San Antonio Spurs...
. The Pacers defeated them in the first round yet again, with the series culminating in an embarrassing 27 point 7th game loss at the Fleet Center.
At the conclusion of the 2004–05 season Payton and Walker both became free agents. Walker was sent to the Miami Heat
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
in a multi-team sign-and-trade deal (the largest trade in NBA history) that brought the Celtics Qyntel Woods
Qyntel Woods
Qyntel Deon Woods is an American professional basketball player who plays for Maccabi Haifa B.C. in Israel...
and Curtis Borchardt
Curtis Borchardt
Curtis Alan Borchardt is an American professional basketball player. He is a 7 ft 0 in tall center.-Amateur career:...
, both of whom would later be released, two future second-round draft picks, the rights to Spanish center Albert Miralles, and cash. Payton later chose to sign with the Heat as well. Ainge brought in a few more young players during the draft
2005 NBA Draft
The 2005 NBA Draft took place on June 28, 2005 in the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City. In this draft, NBA teams took turns selecting amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible players, such as players from high schools and non-North American leagues...
, including Gerald Green
Gerald Green
Gerald Green, Jr. is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Foshan Dralions of the CBA. He was selected by the National Basketball Association's Boston Celtics with the 18th pick of the first round in the 2005 NBA Draft...
, Ryan Gomes
Ryan Gomes
Ryan Anthony Gomes is an American professional basketball forward with the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association....
, and Orien Greene
Orien Greene
Orien Randolph Greene II is an American professional basketball player currently playing for the Halifax Rainmen of the National Basketball League of Canada. His first two seasons were spent with the NBA's Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers, respectively...
. Ainge also added the veteran Brian Scalabrine
Brian Scalabrine
Brian David Scalabrine is an American professional basketball power forward who plays for the Italian club Benetton Treviso. Raised in Enumclaw, Washington, Scalabrine attended the University of Southern California after transferring from Highline Community College...
, signing Scalabrine to a 5-year/$15 million contract.
2005-06 NBA season
The 2005–06 NBA season was the 60th season of the National Basketball Association. It began on November 1, 2005 and ran through April 19, 2006...
, Ainge traded Davis, Blount, Banks, Justin Reed
Justin Reed
Justin Michael Reed is an American professional basketball player, in the small forward position.Reed has been a free agent since the end of the 2009 season.-College career:...
, and two conditional second-round draft picks to the Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Founded in 1989, the team is currently owned by Glen Taylor...
for forward Wally Szczerbiak
Wally Szczerbiak
Walter Robert "Wally" Szczerbiak is an American former professional basketball player.-Early life:Szczerbiak was born in Madrid, Spain, while his father Walter was playing for Real Madrid, and spent much of his childhood in Europe during his father's playing career...
, centers Michael Olowokandi
Michael Olowokandi
Michael Olowokandi is a retired Nigerian British professional basketball center who played in the American National Basketball Association from 1998 to 2007....
and Dwayne Jones
Dwayne Jones
Dwayne Jones is an American professional basketball player.-College career:Along with senior Jameer Nelson and juniors Delonte West and Pat Carroll, Jones was an integral part of the undefeated Saint Joseph's team during the 2004 regular season. The Hawks earned a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament...
, and a first-round pick. Many were skeptical about this decision. However, Ainge stated more than once that he was committed to continuing the rebuilding process under team captain Paul Pierce
Paul Pierce
Paul Anthony Pierce , nicknamed The Truth, is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the NBA. He earned First Team All-America honors in his junior year at Kansas, and has been a starter every season since being selected by the Celtics with the 10th overall pick in the...
, who played some of the best basketball of his career in 2006. Despite Pierce's excellence, the Celtics missed the 2006 playoffs
2006 NBA Playoffs
The 2006 NBA Playoffs was the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2005–06 season. The Miami Heat won the first championship in the history of the franchise by defeating the Dallas Mavericks 4-2 in the 2006 NBA Finals...
with a 33–49 record.
2006 off-season
The Boston Celtics continued to rebuild on the night of the 2006 NBA Draft2006 NBA Draft
The 2006 NBA Draft was held on June 28, 2006 at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City and was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players,...
. Danny Ainge traded the rights to seventh overall pick Randy Foye
Randy Foye
Randy Foye is an American professional basketball player currently with the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers. He played collegiately at Villanova University. He was selected seventh overall in the 2006 NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics, immediately traded to the Portland Trail Blazers, and later traded to...
, Dan Dickau
Dan Dickau
Daniel David "Dan" Dickau is an American professional basketball player.-Early life and college:Born in Portland, Oregon, Dickau graduated from Prairie High School in Brush Prairie, Washington. He played for the University of Washington Huskies prior to transferring to, and becoming a standout...
and Raef LaFrentz
Raef LaFrentz
Raef Andrew LaFrentz is a retired American professional basketball power forward and center who played in the NBA from 1998 to 2009. Born and raised in Iowa, LaFrentz attended the University of Kansas and was drafted in 1998 by the Denver Nuggets...
to the Portland Trail Blazers
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...
in exchange for Sebastian Telfair
Sebastian Telfair
Sebastian Telfair is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Telfair was the 13th overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers out of Abraham Lincoln High School...
, Theo Ratliff
Theo Ratliff
Theophilus Curtis Ratliff , better known as Theo Ratliff, is an American professional basketball player who last played with the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers. Primarily a center, he was an excellent shot-blocker who has led the league three times in blocks per game...
, and a future second-round pick. A subsequent trade with the Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
for Allen Iverson
Allen Iverson
Allen Ezail Iverson is an American professional basketball point guard and shooting guard. He was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the number one pick in the 1996 NBA Draft. He was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in the 1996–97 season...
was reported as a potential move beneficial to each team, although such a trade never happened and Iverson was shipped to the Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
in December. Orien Greene was waived, and the Celtics replaced him by trading a first-round pick in the 2007 NBA Draft
2007 NBA Draft
The 2007 NBA Draft was held on June 28, 2007 at the WaMu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. It was broadcast on television in 115 countries. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur U.S...
to the Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
for the rights to Rajon Rondo
Rajon Rondo
Rajon Pierre Rondo is an American professional basketball player who plays point guard for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association . Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Rondo attended Eastern High School and Oak Hill Academy for his high-school basketball career, before receiving a...
. In the second round the Celtics added Leon Powe
Leon Powe
Leon Powe, Jr. is an American professional basketball power forward who last played for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association . Drafted in 2006 by the Denver Nuggets, Powe grew up in Oakland, California and played college basketball at the University of California, Berkeley...
to the team, and later signed Villanova
Villanova University
Villanova University is a private university located in Radnor Township, a suburb northwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
star Allan Ray
Allan Ray
Allan Ray is an American professional basketball player. He currently plays for the French team Pau-Orthez. He played college basketball for four years at Villanova University. He played one season with the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association...
as an undrafted free agent.
2006–07 season
The 2006–07 season2006-07 NBA season
The 2006–07 NBA season was the 61st season of the National Basketball Association. The regular season began on October 31, 2006 and ran through April 18, 2007. The league fielded 30 teams, each playing an 82 game regular season schedule. The top eight seeds from each conference reached the NBA...
was a gloomy one for the franchise. The season began with the death of Red Auerbach
Red Auerbach
Arnold Jacob "Red" Auerbach was an American basketball coach of the Washington Capitols, the Tri-Cities Blackhawks and the Boston Celtics. After he retired from coaching, he served as president and front office executive of the Celtics until his death...
at the age of 89. Auerbach was one of the few remaining people who had been a part of the NBA since its inception in 1946. The Celtics went 2–22 from late December 2006 through early February 2007 after losing Paul Pierce
Paul Pierce
Paul Anthony Pierce , nicknamed The Truth, is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the NBA. He earned First Team All-America honors in his junior year at Kansas, and has been a starter every season since being selected by the Celtics with the 10th overall pick in the...
to injury, the result of a stress reaction in his left foot (he would later miss the latter part of March and all of April because of swelling in his left elbow). At first, the Celtics received a much needed boost from guard Tony Allen
Tony Allen (basketball)
Anthony Allen is an American professional basketball player with the Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA.-Early career:...
but he tore his ACL
Anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...
on a dunk attempt in a game vs. the Indiana Pacers
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...
on January 10, 2007. The Celtics recorded a record of 24–58, second-worst in the NBA, including a franchise record 18-game losing streak that lasted from January 5 to February 14. As the streak grew, some suggested that Pierce sit out the rest of the season to the let the young players such as Al Jefferson
Al Jefferson
Al Ricardo Jefferson is an American professional basketball player for the Utah Jazz of the NBA.-Early life:...
, Gerald Green
Gerald Green
Gerald Green, Jr. is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Foshan Dralions of the CBA. He was selected by the National Basketball Association's Boston Celtics with the 18th pick of the first round in the 2005 NBA Draft...
, Rajon Rondo
Rajon Rondo
Rajon Pierre Rondo is an American professional basketball player who plays point guard for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association . Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Rondo attended Eastern High School and Oak Hill Academy for his high-school basketball career, before receiving a...
and Delonte West
Delonte West
Delonte Maurice West is an American professional basketball player who last played with the Boston Celtics of the NBA.-High school career:...
get more experience. Green became the second Celtic, joining Dee Brown, to capture the Slam Dunk Contest during All-Star Weekend
NBA All-Star Weekend
The National Basketball Association holds an All-Star Weekend every February, the festival has a variety of basketball-related events, exhibitions, and performances culminating in the NBA All-Star Game held on Sunday night.-The All-Star Game:...
.
On February 22, 2007, former Celtic Dennis Johnson
Dennis Johnson
Dennis Wayne Johnson nicknamed "DJ", was an American professional basketball player for the National Basketball Association's Seattle SuperSonics, Phoenix Suns and Boston Celtics and coach of the Los Angeles Clippers...
died at the age of 52. Johnson had been coaching the franchise's NBDL affiliate in Austin, Texas at the time of his death. Johnson was honored at the very next Celtics game, even though it was against the Lakers in Los Angeles. The Celtics also held a special ceremony for him at the Garden on February 28, 2007, before a game against the New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
.
One bright spot of the season happened on St. Patrick's Day against the eventual champions San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
. The Celtics beat the Spurs 91–85, ending the 17-year away drought at San Antonio, as well as the 10-year drought against the Spurs (Boston's first victory against Tim Duncan
Tim Duncan
Timothy Theodore "Tim" Duncan is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association . The 6-foot 11-inch , 255-pound power forward/center is a four-time NBA champion, two-time NBA MVP, three-time NBA Finals MVP, and NBA Rookie of the Year...
).
On April 18, the team promoted COO Rich Gotham
Rich Gotham
Rich Gotham is an alumnus of Providence College and resident of Medfield, Massachusetts. On April 18, 2007 he was named President of the National Basketball Association team Boston Celtics...
to President.
NBA Draft 2007: The Ray Allen trade
On May 22, the Celtics were assigned the 5th overall selection in the NBA Draft LotteryNBA Draft Lottery
The NBA Draft Lottery is an annual event held by the National Basketball Association in which the teams who had missed the playoffs in the previous season, or teams who hold the draft rights of another team that missed the playoffs in the previous season, participate in a lottery process to...
, essentially losing their chance of drafting either Greg Oden
Greg Oden
Gregory Wayne Oden, Jr. is an American basketball player at the center position. Oden is a member of the Portland Trail Blazers of the NBA....
or Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant
Kevin Wayne Durant is an American professional basketball player for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association . A 6'9" small forward/shooting guard who is also capable of playing power forward, Durant was the consensus 2007 National College Player of the Year and the...
, who both were considered to go 1st and 2nd in the Draft. The 5th pick was the worst-case scenario for the Celtics, who had a 19.9% chance of obtaining the 1st overall selection. However, on June 28, the day of the 2007 NBA Draft
2007 NBA Draft
The 2007 NBA Draft was held on June 28, 2007 at the WaMu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. It was broadcast on television in 115 countries. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur U.S...
, the Celtics traded the 5th pick along with Wally Szczerbiak
Wally Szczerbiak
Walter Robert "Wally" Szczerbiak is an American former professional basketball player.-Early life:Szczerbiak was born in Madrid, Spain, while his father Walter was playing for Real Madrid, and spent much of his childhood in Europe during his father's playing career...
and Delonte West
Delonte West
Delonte Maurice West is an American professional basketball player who last played with the Boston Celtics of the NBA.-High school career:...
to the Seattle SuperSonics
Seattle SuperSonics
The Seattle SuperSonics were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington that played in the Pacific and Northwest Divisions of the National Basketball Association from 1967 until 2008. Following the 2007–08 season, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, and now plays as...
in exchange for All-Star 3-point specialist Ray Allen
Ray Allen
Walter Ray Allen is an American professional basketball player who is currently playing for the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association. He has played professionally for the Milwaukee Bucks, Seattle SuperSonics, and the Boston Celtics; and collegiately for the University of...
and the 35th overall selection prior to the event, and with the 5th pick selected forward Jeff Green
Jeff Green (basketball)
Jeffrey Lynn Green is an American professional basketball player with the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association. Green attended Georgetown University until following his junior year, when he entered the 2007 NBA Draft...
for Seattle. In the second round of the Draft, the Celtics selected guard Gabe Pruitt
Gabe Pruitt
Gabriel Michael Pruitt , commonly referred to as Gabe Pruitt, is an American professional basketball player.-High school:...
with the 32nd pick, which was their own, and forward Glen "Big Baby" Davis
Glen Davis (basketball)
Ronald Glen Davis , commonly known as Glen Davis and by his nickname Big Baby, is an American basketball player who last played for the NBA's Boston Celtics...
with the 35th pick, previously obtained from Seattle.
The Kevin Garnett trade
On July 31, the Celtics traded for 10-time All-Star and 2004 MVP Kevin GarnettKevin Garnett
Kevin Maurice Garnett is an American professional basketball player who currently plays power forward for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association . After a high school basketball career at Farragut Career Academy which included winning a national player of the year award, he...
in the single largest trade for one player in NBA history. He was acquired from the Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Founded in 1989, the team is currently owned by Glen Taylor...
in exchange for Al Jefferson
Al Jefferson
Al Ricardo Jefferson is an American professional basketball player for the Utah Jazz of the NBA.-Early life:...
, Ryan Gomes
Ryan Gomes
Ryan Anthony Gomes is an American professional basketball forward with the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association....
, Theo Ratliff
Theo Ratliff
Theophilus Curtis Ratliff , better known as Theo Ratliff, is an American professional basketball player who last played with the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers. Primarily a center, he was an excellent shot-blocker who has led the league three times in blocks per game...
, Gerald Green
Gerald Green
Gerald Green, Jr. is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Foshan Dralions of the CBA. He was selected by the National Basketball Association's Boston Celtics with the 18th pick of the first round in the 2005 NBA Draft...
, Sebastian Telfair
Sebastian Telfair
Sebastian Telfair is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Telfair was the 13th overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers out of Abraham Lincoln High School...
, Boston's 2009 first-round draft pick (top three protected), the return of Minnesota's conditional first-round draft pick previously obtained in the 2006 Ricky Davis
Ricky Davis
Tyree Ricardo Davis , better known as Ricky Davis, is an American professional basketball player.-Biography:...
-Wally Szczerbiak
Wally Szczerbiak
Walter Robert "Wally" Szczerbiak is an American former professional basketball player.-Early life:Szczerbiak was born in Madrid, Spain, while his father Walter was playing for Real Madrid, and spent much of his childhood in Europe during his father's playing career...
trade and cash considerations. By adding Garnett to All-Stars Paul Pierce
Paul Pierce
Paul Anthony Pierce , nicknamed The Truth, is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the NBA. He earned First Team All-America honors in his junior year at Kansas, and has been a starter every season since being selected by the Celtics with the 10th overall pick in the...
and Ray Allen
Ray Allen
Walter Ray Allen is an American professional basketball player who is currently playing for the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association. He has played professionally for the Milwaukee Bucks, Seattle SuperSonics, and the Boston Celtics; and collegiately for the University of...
, the trade brought a new era of relevancy to the long struggling franchise, but it also left the roster short-handed.
Adding depth
The Garnett trade left the roster depleted and depth became an immediate concern. Eventually, the Celtics signed guards Eddie HouseEddie House
Edward L. House II , commonly referred to as Eddie House, is an American professional basketball player in the NBA for the Miami Heat.-Early life:...
and Jackie Manuel
Jackie Manuel
Jackie Kameron Manuel is a retired American professional basketball player and current assistant strength and conditioning coordinator at the University of North Carolina.-NCAA career:...
on August 1, just two days after the Garnett trade, and center Scot Pollard
Scot Pollard
Scot L. Pollard is a retired American professional basketball player. In an eleven-year NBA career, he played for five teams, spending the bulk of his career with the Sacramento Kings and the Indiana Pacers...
on August 9. Later, Ainge called and asked 5-time All-Star Reggie Miller
Reggie Miller
Reginald Wayne "Reggie" Miller is a retired American professional basketball player who played his entire 18-year National Basketball Association career with the Indiana Pacers...
to return from his 2-year retirement and join the roster in a reserve role. Miller strongly considered the possibility of playing alongside Garnett, but ultimately announced on August 23 that he would not join the Celtics. On August 27, forward James Posey
James Posey
James Mikely Mantell Posey, Jr. is an American professional basketball player, currently a small forward for the Indiana Pacers of the NBA.-Early life:...
signed with the team and was considered a decisive signing which instantly gave the Celtics a drastic improvement to their bench.
On September 26, center Esteban Batista
Esteban Batista
Esteban Damián Batista Hernández is a Uruguayan professional basketball player currently with Anadolu Efes in the Turkish Basketball League and Euroleague. He is also the first ever Uruguayan to play in the NBA....
and guard Dahntay Jones
Dahntay Jones
Dahntay Lavall Jones is an American professional basketball player, currently playing for the Indiana Pacers of the NBA.Originally a student at Rutgers University, Jones transferred to Duke University...
signed non-guaranteed contracts with the Celtics, two days before the beginning of training camp and the team's departure to Rome for the 2007 NBA Europe Live Tour
2007 NBA Europe Live Tour
The 2007 NBA Europe Live Tour was a basketball exhibition tour featuring teams from the NBA and teams from Europe's top professional leagues. The hosting countries were England, Italy, Spain and Turkey. The NBA teams traveled to Europe to begin their training camps, and played a series of...
. Curiously, Jones was involved in a trade back in the 2003 NBA Draft
2003 NBA Draft
The 2003 NBA Draft was held on June 26, 2003 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting basketball players and other first-time eligible players, such as players from high schools and...
, in which the Celtics drafted him with the 20th overall selection, but immediately traded him with the 16th pick, Troy Bell
Troy Bell
Troy Delvon Bell is an American professional basketball player formerly of the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies. He played at Boston College and finished as one of the greatest players in the program's history....
, to the Memphis Grizzlies
Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies are a professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. The team is part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Along with the Toronto Raptors, the Grizzlies were established in 1995 as part of the NBA's...
in exchange for the 13th pick, Marcus Banks
Marcus Banks
Arthur Lemarcus Banks III, commonly known as Marcus Banks , is an American professional basketball player who most recently played with the New Orleans Hornets of the NBA....
, and the 27th pick, Kendrick Perkins
Kendrick Perkins
Kendrick Perkins is an American professional basketball player who plays as a center for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the NBA....
. Ultimately, the Celtics waived Batista on October 16, and Manuel and Jones on October 25, bringing the roster down to 14 players, one shy of the league maximum of 15 players, in order to have roster flexibility and be able to sign another player midway through the season.
Later in the season, on December 18, the Celtics released yet another player, Brandon Wallace
Brandon Wallace
Brandon Wallace is an American professional basketball player.-High school:Wallace spent his high school years at Silver Bluff, where he averaged 21.9 points, 15.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 4.3 blocks per game during his senior season...
, in order to have even more roster flexibility that coach Doc Rivers
Doc Rivers
Glenn Anton "Doc" Rivers is a former professional basketball player and the current head coach of the NBA's Boston Celtics. Rivers was known for his defense while playing in the NBA...
said they needed. This move brought the roster down to only 13 players, which is the league minimum for players allowed on a team's roster. On February 27, the Celtics signed center P.J. Brown
P. J. Brown
Collier Brown, Jr. , commonly referred to as P. J. Brown, is a retired American professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association...
for the remainder of the season, in order to bolster their front court. His decision to come to Boston was strongly aided by a conversation with future teammates Ray Allen
Ray Allen
Walter Ray Allen is an American professional basketball player who is currently playing for the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association. He has played professionally for the Milwaukee Bucks, Seattle SuperSonics, and the Boston Celtics; and collegiately for the University of...
and Paul Pierce
Paul Pierce
Paul Anthony Pierce , nicknamed The Truth, is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the NBA. He earned First Team All-America honors in his junior year at Kansas, and has been a starter every season since being selected by the Celtics with the 10th overall pick in the...
, who convinced him to sign with the Celtics during the 2008
2008 NBA All-Star Game
-Eastern Conference roster:The Boston Celtics, the team with the league's best record, came into New Orleans with three players. Kevin Garnett, top vote-getter in the league with 2,399,148 votes, was selected as a starter, while Paul Pierce and Ray Allen were selected as reserves by the coaches of...
NBA All-Star Weekend
NBA All-Star Weekend
The National Basketball Association holds an All-Star Weekend every February, the festival has a variety of basketball-related events, exhibitions, and performances culminating in the NBA All-Star Game held on Sunday night.-The All-Star Game:...
. On March 4, 2008, the Celtics officially announced that they have signed guard
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
Sam Cassell
Sam Cassell
Samuel James "Sam" Cassell , is a retired American professional basketball player who is an assistant coach for the Washington Wizards. The , point guard was selected out of Florida State University by the Houston Rockets with the 24th overall pick in the 1993 NBA Draft...
. After the signing, Cassell immediately flew back to his hometown of Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
to attend funeral services for a deceased family member. This signing ultimately put the roster up to the league maximum of 15 players.
Return to Glory
The Celtics started the season hot, winning their first eight games, and going into 2008 with a 26–3 record. They finished the season with a 66–16 record—the most wins in a single season since their previous championship season of . Their record guaranteed them home court advantage for the entire playoffs.The 2008 NBA Playoffs
2008 NBA Playoffs
The 2008 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2007–08 season which ended with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers 4–2....
, however, were bumpier than many believed they should be. Their First round series was against the eighth-seeded Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
. At home, the Celtics were dominant: their lowest home margin of victory against the Hawks in the playoffs was 19, in Game 2. However, the Hawks were able to beat the Celtics in Atlanta. The series went seven games, with the home team winning each game.
The Second round was against LeBron James
LeBron James
LeBron Raymone James is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association . Nicknamed "King James", he was a three-time "Mr. Basketball" of Ohio in high school, and was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar while a...
and the Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...
. Once again the series went to seven games, with the home team winning each one.
In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Celtics faced Chauncey Billups
Chauncey Billups
Chauncey Ray Billups is an American professional basketball point guard for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association . He has also played for Team USA. Billups won the NBA Finals MVP in 2004, helping the Detroit Pistons beat the Los Angeles Lakers in the Finals, and was given the...
, Richard Hamilton
Richard Hamilton (basketball)
Richard "Rip" Hamilton is an American basketball player who currently plays for the Detroit Pistons. Hamilton is 6'7" tall, weighs 193 lbs , and plays shooting guard. He currently is the Pistons' team captain....
and the Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
. In Game 2, the Celtics finally lost at home, and rumors began to fly that the Celtics had gotten too tired from consecutive seven-game series to pull off a title, especially with the Pistons having taken their first two series in six and five games, respectively. But the Celtics bounced back to win Game 3 on the road in Detroit. The series continued, and the Celtics took down the Pistons in six games, winning the deciding game on the road.
The 2008 NBA Finals
2008 NBA Finals
The 2008 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 2007–08 NBA season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Boston Celtics, top-seeded champions of the Eastern Conference, defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, top-seeded champions of the Western Conference, four games to two in a...
were contested with Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bean Bryant is an American professional basketball player who plays shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School, where he was recognized as the top high school...
, Pau Gasol
Pau Gasol
Pau Gasol Sáez is a Spanish professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . He was born to Marisa Sáez and Agustí Gasol, and he spent his childhood in Spain...
, Lamar Odom
Lamar Odom
Lamar Joseph Odom is an American professional basketball forward with the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association.-Early life:...
and a Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
team in the middle of a dominant playoff run. They swept the Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
in the first round, took the Utah Jazz
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
in the second round in six games, and extinguished the repeat hopes of the defending-champion San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
in five games in the Western Conference Finals.
The first few games of the series started with the Celtics once again dominating at the TD Banknorth Garden, the Celtics home turf. Game 1 saw Paul Pierce come back after apparently suffering a knee injury earlier in the game, and taking over the game for a 98–88 Celtics win. But in Game 2, Boston nearly lost a 20-point lead, ultimately winning, 97–91. Squandered leads would later become the story of the series. When the Lakers returned to Staples Center and won Game 3, 87–81, then took a 24-point lead in the second quarter of Game 4, some believed momentum in the series had shifted the Lakers' way.
However, the Celtics did not give up. Led by a bench that outscored the Lakers bench by 20 points, they fought back. The Celtics locked up their defense and took over Game 4 with a crushing 97–91 victory, the biggest comeback in NBA Finals history. Although the Lakers took Game 5, 103–98, the series went back to Boston for Game 6, and the Celtics finished it off with a dominating 131–92 victory. This game would mark the largest margin of victory for a clinching finals game in NBA history. The "Boston Three Party", as Garnett, Allen and NBA Finals MVP Paul Pierce became known, had finally brought a 17th banner to Boston, the first new banner for the new Garden and the first such win in 22 years. Indicating the bumpy the playoffs were for the Celtics, they had to play 26 playoff games, the most a team had ever endured in a single postseason, surpassing the 1994 New York Knicks
1993–94 New York Knicks season
The 1993–94 New York Knicks season was the 48th season of NBA basketball in New York City, New York.This marked the last season in which the Knicks were owned by Paramount Communications , which was sold near the end of the season to Viacom, which in turn sold them to ITT Corporation and Cablevision...
, whom Celtics Coach Doc Rivers
Doc Rivers
Glenn Anton "Doc" Rivers is a former professional basketball player and the current head coach of the NBA's Boston Celtics. Rivers was known for his defense while playing in the NBA...
played for, and the 2005 Detroit Pistons
2004–05 Detroit Pistons season
-NBA Draft:-Depth chart:-Player stats:Note: GP= Games played; MIN= Minutes; STL= Steals; REB = Rebounds; ASST = Assists; BLK = Blocks; PTS = Points-External links:* * -References:...
, each of whom played 25, but lost their respective finals in seven games (Knicks in , Pistons in ). This record was set in Game 6 of the Finals. It was also the most a team needed to win a championship, surpassing the 1988 Los Angeles Lakers
1987–88 Los Angeles Lakers season
The 1987-88 NBA season saw the Lakers win their eleventh NBA championship, defeating the Detroit Pistons in a seven-game final to become the NBA's first repeat champions since the Boston Celtics did it in the 1968–69 NBA season.-Draft picks:-Roster:...
, who needed 24 in order to win the championship that year
1988 NBA Finals
The 1988 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1987–88 NBA season.One of Los Angeles Lakers head coach Pat Riley's most famous moments came when he promised the crowd a repeat championship during the Lakers' 1986-87 championship parade in downtown Los Angeles...
.
The Celtics followed up the championship season with more dominance, winning the Atlantic Division with a record of 62–20. Unfortunately, it was announced just before the playoffs that Garnett would miss the entire post-season. In the first round of the 2009 NBA Playoffs
2009 NBA Playoffs
The 2009 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2008–09 season. The playoffs started on April 18, 2009 with ABC, ESPN, TNT, and NBA TV broadcasting the games in the United States...
, the team faced the seventh seed Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
. Although the Celtics were favored, the Bulls surprised them with overtime wins in games 1 and 4. Thanks to Ray Allen and Paul Pierce, Boston had a 3–2 advantage going back to Chicago. In game six, though Ray Allen scored 51 points, the Bulls would win in a dramatic triple-overtime victory thanks to John Salmons
John Salmons
John Rashall Salmons is an American professional basketball player for the Sacramento Kings of the NBA...
, Ben Gordon and eventual NBA Rookie of the Year Derrick Rose
Derrick Rose
Derrick Martell Rose is an American professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association ....
. The Celtics, however would ultimately prevail in game 7.
In the second round, Boston faced the Orlando Magic
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy...
in a series that would also go to seven games. However, aided by Hedo Türkoğlu's 25 points, the Magic would defeat the Celtics in Boston 101–82, ending their bid for a second straight title.
Prior to the 2009–10 NBA Season, Boston would sign Rasheed Wallace
Rasheed Wallace
Rasheed Abdul Wallace is a retired American professional basketball power forward and center who played from 1995 to 2010 in the National Basketball Association...
. Wallace had had a major impact in his 5½ seasons with the Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
, where he had won the 2004 NBA Championship. They won the Atlantic Division with a record of 50–32, then beat Miami 4–1 in the playoffs, followed by the Cavaliers 4–2. After a 4–2 series over the Magic in the ECF, the Celtics once again contested the Finals with the Lakers, but fell to them 4–3, with games 1, 2, 5, and 7 played in Boston.
The 2010 off-season saw the Celtics make the controversial move of signing veteran center Shaquille O'Neal, as he added still more age to a roster with most of its players over 30. They won the division again with a 56–26 record and acquired the No. 3 playoff seed. After sweeping the Knicks 4–0, they faced the now Lebron James-led Miami Heat, but the age of the Celtics' roster finally caught up with them as Miami won the series 4–1. Shaquille O'Neal, who had been injured much of the season and delivered mediocre performances, retired shortly afterwards, ending a nearly two-decade HoFer career.