The Boston Celtics have officially regained their spot at the top of NBA supremacy, winning their 18th championship in 2024 and surpassing long-time rival, the Los Angeles Lakers, for the most titles in the history of the NBA.
Beating the Dallas Mavericks in five games, the Celtics topped off their historic championship run by winning in front of their home crowd exactly 16 years after their last championship in 2008.
Winning only their second championship this century, the Celtics will likely add more to the list in the near future, but rather than looking ahead, let’s look back at some of the most iconic and memorable moments that brought them here in the first place.
Paul Pierce’s Wheelchair Game
The Truth always comes to light, and boy did he shine
The city of Boston has probably the most privileged fanbase within the American sports world. They have been blessed to witness some of the greatest teams in the history of professional sports, including the Celtics.
After rising to prominence in the 1960s and early-1970s, the team slowly began to fall back to earth, experiencing nowhere near the same amount of success these last few decades. Plagued by one of the biggest competitive droughts in NBA history, many fans viewed the Celtics’ decline as mere retribution for their many years of dominance.
| Celtics’ Longest Championship Droughts | |
|---|---|
| Time Period | Years |
| 1987-2008 | 22 |
| 2009-23 | 16 |
| 1947-57 | 11 |
| 1970-74, 1977-81 | 5 |
What seemed to be a never-ending cycle of mediocrity finally ended in the summer of 2007, when the team traded for two future Hall of Famers, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, and became an NBA juggernaut once again.
With a few bumps and bruises, the team ultimately lived up to expectations and made it back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1987, against the Lakers yet again.
Trailing 58-62 in the 3rd quarter of Game 1, things took a turn for the worse as Paul Pierce fell to the floor in agony, seemingly injuring his right knee. The Lakers, led by NBA legend Kobe Bryant, appeared to have the upper hand as Pierce went to the Celtics’ locker room in a wheelchair.
Suddenly, whatever championship hopes the Celtics had taken a huge hit in an instant until, out of nowhere, the crowd erupted, and Pierce skipped back onto the court.
Appearing healthier than ever, Pierce quickly entered the game and swung the momentum back in the Celtics’ favor, knocking down two back-to-back 3-pointers above the break and sealing the win.
King in the Fourth
In honor of his late-sister, Isaiah Thomas willed the Celtics to an overtime victory
In what was supposed to be a rebuilding era for the Celtics, the team took an unexpected leap and excelled far beyond expectations, largely because of the emergence of their superstar point guard, Isaiah Thomas. Drawing comparisons to fellow undersized superstar, Allen Iverson, Thomas and the Celtics had an outstanding season.
Thomas averaged almost 30 points per game, the highest since Celtics legend Larry Bird in 1988. His play helped propel the Celtics to the top of the Eastern Conference, exceeding their projected win total and competing with some of the best.
Though the team thrived during the regular season, it faced a lot of adversity in the playoffs. In the first round, it lost the first two games at home to the Chicago Bulls and was pushed to the brink of elimination by the Washington Wizards in the second.
Each game ended in a very exciting fashion, but Game 2 against the Wizards stood out greatly above the rest. Only a few weeks after the tragic passing of his beloved sister, Thomas had the performance of a lifetime. One point shy of the Celtics postseason franchise record, Thomas put up 53 points in an overtime thriller, willing his team to a victory on what would have been his sister’s 23rd birthday.
Overcome with emotion, Thomas could hardly describe how he felt after the game in what was a vintage Celtics performance. Truly earning the moniker “King of the Fourth,” Thomas will live on forever in Celtics history.
| 2016-17 4th Quarter Point Totals | |
|---|---|
| Player | Points |
| Isaiah Thomas | 684 |
| Russell Westbrook | 681 |
| Lou Williams | 573 |
| DeMarcus Cousins | 528 |
| Damian Lillard | 487 |
Havlicek Stole the Ball
Possibly the most iconic game call in NBA history and one of the more dramatic finishes to an Eastern Finals
Before Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, there was Bill Russell and John Havlicek leading the way for the Celtics during their legendary run. Similar to Brown, Havlicek often gets lost in the fold of both Celtics and NBA lore, as analysts and fans constantly forget just how great he was.
| Havlicek’s Accolades and Awards | |
|---|---|
| Award | Selection |
| Championships | 8 |
| Finals MVP | 1 |
| All-Star | 13 |
| All-NBA | 11 |
| All-Defense | 8 |
An elite scorer, defender, and leader, Havlicek is undoubtedly one of the most underrated players to ever play the game. He would probably have been forgotten long ago if it weren’t for this moment.
Whether it be phrases like Mike Breen’s iconic “bang,” or moments like his “blocked by James,” sometimes the voices of the game play just as much of a role as the athletes do in making history. Luckily for Havlicek, the single most iconic play of his career will forever be etched into NBA history alongside Johnny Most, who made the called.
Though the game’s outcome was still up in the air, Havlicek quickly did away with any doubt, stealing an inbound pass and winning the game for the Celtics
Celtics’ Balloon Game
It was the perfect ending to arguably the most successful NBA career of all time
The Lakers weren’t nearly as intimidating of a rival for the Celtics in the 60s as they are now, and each time the two faced off, the Celtics always ended up on top. However, in 1969, that was destined to change.
The Lakers brought in some impressive talent in Wilt Chamberlain, while the Celtics continued to collect dust.
For the first time in over 10 years, the team had failed to win at least 50 games in the regular season, and the writing was on the wall for this once-great franchise.
| Celtics’ Win Totals By Season | |
|---|---|
| Season | Wins |
| 1958-59 | 52 |
| 1959-60 | 59 |
| 1960-61 | 57 |
| 1961-62 | 60 |
| 1962-63 | 58 |
| 1963-64 | 59 |
| 1964-65 | 62 |
| 1965-66 | 54 |
| 1966-67 | 60 |
| 1967-68 | 54 |
| 1968-69 | 48 |
The Celtics’ best player, captain and head coach, Bill Russell, was on his last leg at the age of 34, and many around the league speculated that a diminished version of him would only spell doom for the Celtics in the long run.
Contrary to what many experts believed, the Celtics still managed to pull off one upset after another with their unmatched experience and chemistry. Proving to be quite the formidable foe for any team, the Celtics were still underdogs in the Finals until the very last second.
Led by none other than the logo himself, Jerry West and the Lakers were primed to win their first championship after leaving Minneapolis. The series would still end up going to seven games, but the Lakers weren’t any less confident that the title was still theirs to lose. They were so confident in fact that the organization arranged for thousands of balloons to be hung up in the rafters and dropped once the championship was won, but Russell had other plans.
Once he received word of the Lakers’ decision, he quickly informed his team and urged them that, no matter what, they would not lose.
Against all odds, the Celtics completed their championship run with a victory, stunning the entire basketball world.
Prior to the win, Russell even told West how he felt about the stunt.
“Those f****** balloons are staying up there.”
– Bill Russell
Though West would walk away as the NBA Finals MVP, ruining the Lakers night was vindication enough for the NBA legend and Celtics fans everywhere.
The Hick From French Licks Steals the Game
Larry Bird steals a move from Havlicek’s playbook
History tends to repeat itself often, and in 1987, the legend himself, Larry Bird, put on his best Havlicek impression against the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals.
However, unlike Havlicek, Bird and the Celtics did not have the lead, so it was up to them to put destiny in their own hands and make a play. If not, the series would head back to Detroit for Game 6 and potentially swing the momentum in the Pistons’ favor. In what would end up being this iteration of the Celtics’ last Finals appearance, the team desperately needed to wrap the series up quickly, as the Pistons were right on their doorstep for supremacy in the East.
Both fans and players were eager to end the series on their home floor, but the Pistons’ superior athleticism and youth really took its toll on the Celtics throughout the game.
| 1986-87 Celtics’ Player Age | |
|---|---|
| Player | Age |
| Robert Parish | 33 |
| Dennis Johnson | 32 |
| Larry Bird | 30 |
| Kevin McHale | 29 |
| Danny Ainge | 27 |
The Pistons truly had the Celtics on their heels, but moments like this are what separates the legends from the superstars.
Bird, living up to his name in great fashion, flew down the court, intercepted the inbound pass, and immediately made one of the greatest assists of all time to his teammate, Dennis Johnson. Johnson then finished a clutch layup, giving the Celtics a one-point lead with only one second left.
The angst throughout the building could be felt from the parking lot, but after the play, there was a huge sigh of relief from players and fans alike. Quickly followed by countless cheers and screams, fans stood up in admiration of one of the greatest teams to ever play.
With so much history, it can be difficult to pinpoint just five moments that stand out, but as the Celtics reach the top of the pyramid yet again, the pool of choices will only get that much bigger.
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