Boston Celtics facts for kids
| Boston Celtics | |||||
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| Conference | Eastern | ||||
| Division | Atlantic | ||||
| Founded | 1946 | ||||
| History | Boston Celtics 1946–present |
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| Arena | TD Garden | ||||
| Location | Boston, Massachusetts | ||||
| Team colors | Green, gold, black, brown, white |
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| Main sponsor | General Electric | ||||
| President | Rich Gotham | ||||
| General manager | Danny Ainge | ||||
| Head coach | Brad Stevens | ||||
| Ownership | Boston Basketball Partners (Wyc Grousbeck, CEO/Governor) |
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| Affiliation(s) | Maine Red Claws | ||||
| Championships | 17 (1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1974, 1976, 1981, 1984, 1986, 2008) | ||||
| Conference titles | 21 (1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1974, 1976, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 2008, 2010) | ||||
| Division titles | 22 (1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1992, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2017) | ||||
| Retired numbers | 23 (00, 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, LOSCY) | ||||
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The Boston Celtics (/ˈsɛltɪks/ SEL-tiks) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of the league's original eight teams, the Celtics play their home games at TD Garden, which they share with the National Hockey League (NHL)'s Boston Bruins. The Celtics are regarded as the most successful basketball team in NBA history; the franchise has won the most championships in the NBA with 17 (accounting for 23.9 percent of all NBA championships since the league's founding), and currently hold the record for the most recorded wins of any NBA team.The Celtics are one of the two charter BAA franchises (the other being the New York Knicks) still playing in their original city today.
The Celtics have a notable rivalry with the Los Angeles Lakers, who have won 16 NBA championships, second behind the Celtics. The rivalry was heavily highlighted throughout the 1960s and 1980s. The franchise has played the Lakers a record 12 times in the NBA Finals (including their most recent appearances in 2008 and 2010), of which the Celtics have won nine. Four Celtics players (Bob Cousy, Bill Russell, Dave Cowens and Larry Bird) have won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award for an NBA record total of 10 MVP awards. Both the nickname "Celtics" and their mascot "Lucky the Leprechaun" are a nod to Boston's historically large Irish population.
The Celtics' rise to dominance began in the late 1950s, after acquiring center Bill Russell in a draft day trade in 1956, who would become the cornerstone of the Celtics dynasty. Led by Russell and superstar point guard Bob Cousy, the Celtics won their first NBA championship in 1957. Russell, along with a talented supporting cast of future Hall of Famers including John Havlicek, Tom Heinsohn, K. C. Jones, Sam Jones, Satch Sanders, and Bill Sharman, would usher the Celtics into the greatest period in franchise history, winning eight consecutive NBA championships throughout the 1960s. After the retirement of Russell in 1969, the Celtics entered a period of rebuilding. Led by center Dave Cowens and point guard JoJo White, the Celtics returned to championship caliber, winning two NBA titles in 1974 and 1976. The Celtics again returned to dominance in the 1980s. Led by the "Big Three" that featured Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish, the Celtics won the 1981, 1984, and 1986 championships. After winning 16 championships throughout the 20th century, the Celtics, after struggling through the 1990s, rose again to win a championship in 2008 with the help of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen in what was known as the new "Big Three" era. The Celtics returned to the NBA Finals in 2010, only to lose to the Lakers in a seven-game series.
By the start of the 2013 season none of the "Big Three" were still signed - Ray Allen having already left a season prior - ushering in a new era for the team. With the help of newly hired head coach Brad Stevens, the team began rebuilding. In his second season, Stevens led the Celtics on a return to the playoffs in 2015. During the following season, the Celtics clinched the top seed in the Eastern Conference, but were eliminated in the Conference Finals. This prompted an aggressive rebuild in 2017, where the team acquired All-Stars Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward. However, the pair struggled with injuries throughout the 2017–18 season, and the team was again defeated in the Eastern Conference Finals, despite pushing the Cleveland Cavaliers to seven games.
History
The Celtics were one of the first NBA teams. Since their start in 1946, they have been one of the most successful teams, winning seventeen NBA championships, including eight championships in a row at one point. The Celtics' seventeen championships is more than any other team. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden.
From 2008 to 2013, they were lead by the big three: Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo. But in July 2013, Garnett and Pierce were traded to the Brooklyn Nets, and Rondo was traded to the Dallas Mavericks.
Rival Teams
Celtics-Lakers Rivalry
The rivalry between the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers is two most of the best franchises in NBA history. It has been called the NBA's best rivalry. The two teams have met a record twelve times in the NBA Finals, starting with their first Finals meeting in 1959. They would go on to win the league in the 1960s and the 1980s, playing each other six times in the 1960s and three times in the 1980s.
The rivalry had been less known since the retirements of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird in the early 1990s, but in 2008 it happened again when the Celtics and Lakers met in the Finals for the first time since 1987, with the Celtics winning the series in six games. They played once again in the 2010 NBA Finals which the Lakers won in seven games. The two teams have won the two highest numbers of championships, the Celtics 17, the Lakers 16; together, the 33 championships account for almost half of the 67 championships in NBA history.
Images for kids
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Bob Cousy played 13 years for the team, winning 6 NBA titles.
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Bill Russell played 13 years for the team, winning 11 NBA titles.
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Tom Heinsohn coached the Boston Celtics to the 1974 and 1976 NBA Championship.
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Dave Cowens had helped the Celtics win 2 titles during the mid-1970s.
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Dennis Johnson was another key member of the Celtics, along with the "Big 3".
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Paul Pierce, 2008 NBA Finals MVP, was drafted 10th overall in the 1998 NBA draft.
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Head coach Doc Rivers led the Celtics to an NBA title in 2008.
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The 17th championship banner was raised above the TD Garden rafters on October 28, 2008.
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The Celtics during the 2008–09 season opener. L-R: Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Eddie House, Kendrick Perkins and Ray Allen.
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Rajon Rondo became the Celtics' leader after the 'Big Three' left.
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Brad Stevens is the Celtics' current head coach.
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Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia 76ers being defended against by Bill Russell of the Boston Celtics.
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Former Celtics captain Paul Pierce being defended by LeBron James.
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Red Auerbach coached the Boston Celtics to 9 NBA titles, with eight straight titles between 1959 and 1966.
