NBA franchise story

Boston Celtics

Boston's history is the league's deepest championship lineage: Russell's standard, Havlicek and Cowens, Bird's revival, the 2008 Big Three and a homegrown Tatum–Brown champion.

Every era · The defining players · Five essential games

The franchise timeline

Every era of the Boston Celtics.

Move through the franchise chronologically. The jerseys identify each chapter’s central cast, and every curated card opens the complete story of that era.

Historical reference: Boston Celtics official team history ↗

The beginning

Franchise era

1946–47—1955–56

Bob Cousy

Ed Macauley

Bill Sharman

A fast-breaking foundation

Cousy and the early Celtics

Cousy and Sharman made Boston exciting and competitive while Red Auerbach assembled the pieces for a historic leap.

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Chapter 01

1946–47—1955–56

Franchise era

1956–57—1968–69

Bill Russell

Bob Cousy

Sam Jones

Eleven championships in thirteen seasons

Russell's dynasty

Russell made defense, rebounding and team play the center of the sport, leading the most concentrated championship run in NBA history.

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Chapter 02

1956–57—1968–69

Franchise era

1969–70—1978–79

John Havlicek

Dave Cowens

Jo Jo White

A second championship core

Havlicek and Cowens

Boston rebuilt without collapsing, winning titles in 1974 and 1976 behind Havlicek's endurance, Cowens's energy and White's control.

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Chapter 03

1969–70—1978–79

Franchise era

1979–80—1992–93

Larry Bird

Kevin McHale

Robert Parish

Passing, rivalry and three more banners

The Bird years

Bird restored Boston's place at the center of the league, and the frontcourt he formed with McHale and Parish won three titles.

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Chapter 04

1979–80—1992–93

Franchise era

1993–94—2006–07

Paul Pierce

Antoine Walker

Reggie Lewis

Rebuilding around a singular scorer

Pierce carries the bridge

After tragedy and decline, Pierce became the franchise constant and eventually gave Boston a star worth building a new contender around.

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Chapter 05

1993–94—2006–07

Franchise era

2007–08—2012–13

Paul Pierce

Kevin Garnett

Ray Allen

Ubuntu and the 2008 championship

The modern Big Three

Garnett and Allen joined Pierce, transforming Boston overnight into a defensive champion and a two-Finals team.

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Chapter 06

2007–08—2012–13

Franchise era

2013–14—present

Jayson Tatum

Jaylen Brown

Marcus Smart

A patient rebuild becomes a champion

Tatum and Brown

Draft capital from the Brooklyn trade became a durable homegrown core that made repeated deep runs and won the 2024 championship.

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Chapter 07

2013–14—present

Present day

The essential watchlist

Five Boston Celtics games to start with.

Curated from the franchise’s defining eras, championship stakes and the games that still carry its story.

#01 · NBA Finals

Celtics vs Hawks

Apr 13, 1957

#02 · NBA Finals

Celtics vs Lakers

Apr 18, 1962

#03 · NBA Finals

Lakers vs Celtics

Apr 14, 1962

#04 · Regular Season

Celtics vs 76ers

Apr 15, 1965

#05 · NBA Finals

Celtics vs Lakers

May 5, 1969

Season history

Past seasons

80 seasons · newest first

Game archive

Boston Celtics games

7,035 total · loaded 10 at a time