BOSTON CELTICS FRANCHISE INFO:
Founded: 1946
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Stadium: TD Banknorth Garden
Conference: Eastern Conference
Division: Atlantic Division
Rivals: Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia 76ers
Mascot: Lucky
Dancers: Celtics Dancers
Notable Players: Larry Bird, Bill Walton, Sam Jones, Kevin McHale
Boston Celtics Championship Titles: 17
See Also:
Boston Celtics Playoff tickets
Boston Celtics Season Preview History
BOSTON CELTICS EXPERIENCE:
Known for having some of the most adamant fans among the NBA teams, the Boston Celtics have won more championships than any other team in the league. Although recent generations associate the success of the Celtics with big names like Paul Pierce and Larry Bird, whose name still rings out even after his retirement, winning is not (by any means) a new trend for the team. Bob Cousy and Bill Russell gave birth to the team's profound sense of pride in the 40s and 50s, sparking widespread popularity.
Naturally, with success comes more competition. Since the early years, the Celtics have developed strong rivalries with the Detroit Pistons, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Philadelphia 76ers. However, the team seemed to lose a little bit of its oomph when it had its first losing record since 1950 during the 1969-1970 season, which turned out to be rebuilding year. The acquisition of Dave Cowens and Paul Silas gave fans some hope, but the next few years proved to be slow progress. However, the highlights of this decade include defeating Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and the Milwaukee Bucks during the 1974-1975 championships and securing the 1975-1976 NBA Finals with one game requiring three overtime periods.
Larry Bird took the helm in 1979. After he was drafted from Indiana State as the sixth pick, it wasn't long before Bird became one of the top scorers on the team. In the 1981 season, the Celtics took the championship from the Houston Rockets, and Bird played a vital role in that victory.
Although there was another brief downturn for the Celtics at the close of Larry Bird's long and fruitful career, it wasn't long before they rose to prominence again. After drafting Paul Pierce in 1998, the Celtics began to show improvement under the leadership of new coach, Jim O'Brien. The team's expectations weren't very high after struggling throughout the majority of the 90s, but they made it to a few Eastern Conference Finals and major playoff games.
Recently, the team has accumulated an arsenal of dangerous weapons - including Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, who contributed to the team's 2008 championship win. Anyone who loves nothing more than good basketball will get exactly what they're looking for with the Boston Celtics. After all, Massachusetts is where it all began.