
The Boston Celtics are one of the NBA's original franchises, founded in 1946 by Walter A. Brown as a charter member of the Basketball Association of America. The team joined the NBA in 1949 after the BAA merged with the National Basketball League, and it has called Boston home ever since. In 1950, the Celtics signed Chuck Cooper, becoming the first NBA franchise to draft a Black player. Home games have been played at TD Garden since 1995, an arena the Celtics share with the NHL's Boston Bruins.
Boston's rise to a dynasty began when coach Red Auerbach acquired Bill Russell in 1956. Behind Russell, Bob Cousy, and Tom Heinsohn, the Celtics won their first title in 1957, then reeled off eight consecutive championships from 1959 through 1966, a run that remains unmatched in NBA history. Russell later became the team's player-coach and the first African American head coach in any major U.S. sport, guiding Boston to titles again in 1968 and 1969. Dave Cowens, John Havlicek, and Jo Jo White powered championships in 1974 and 1976, before the 1980s "Big Three" of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish added banners in 1981, 1984, and 1986.
The franchise's next great era was built around a new "Big Three" of Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett under coach Doc Rivers, who delivered the 17th championship in 2008. Boston reached the Finals again in 2022, then won its 18th title in 2024 behind Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, moving ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers for the most championships in league history. The Celtics own the most wins of any NBA franchise and hold a winning record against every other team in the league.
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