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Team Profile
Boston Celtics: Five things you need to know
Boston Celtics have won 18 NBA championships spanning seven decades
- The Celtics have won 18 NBA Championships — most in league history
- The Celtics have retired the most jerseys in the NBA (24)
- Boston won eight consecutive championships between 1959 and 1966
The Boston Celtics are the most decorated franchise in the NBA’s history, winning their 18th NBA Championship in 2024. After beating the Dallas Mavericks in five games, the Celtics surpassed their long-time rivals the Los Angeles Lakers for title wins in NBA History.
2024-2025 NBA Season Summary
- Record: 61-21
- Finish: 2nd seed (Lost in Conference Semifinals)
- All-Star Selections: Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown
In the franchise’s 79 years, the Celtics have built a reputation of being the league's most dominant force. Winning 11 championships in 13 years under the guidance of revolutionary coach Red Auerbach and Hall of Famer Bill Russell, the Celtics defined what it meant to become a dynasty.
By preserving their culture of excellence and innovative basketball across seven decades, the Celtics have established a perpetual influence on the direction of the game. From setting standards of defensive efficiency throughout the 50s and 60s to showcasing the value of all-rounded players in the 80s, the Celtics have continually changed the philosophy underpinning basketball.
After winning the championship in the previous year, the Celtics went into the 2024-25 season as favourites to take out the league.
The Celtics posted an impressive regular season, securing the second seed with a record of 61-21. Cruising through the first round against the Orlando Magic in five games, it was the Eastern conference semifinals that put a crack in the side’s dream of going back-to-back. In the Eastern Conference semifinals, the Celtics fell to the red-hot New York Knicks in six games, with their title hopes dashed with the devastating Achilles injury to superstar Jayson Tatum in game 4.
2025 off-season Moves
Ins
- Georges Niang joins via 3-team trade
- Luka Garza agrees to 2-year deal
- Josh Minott agrees to 2-year deal
- Anfernee Simons joins via trade with Trail Blazers
Outs
- Jrue Holiday departs via trade with Trail Blazers
- Luke Kornet departs in free agency to Spurs
- Kristaps Porziņģis departs via 3-team trade
The Boston Celtics offseason moves saw key members of their 2023/24 championship-winning team depart the franchise. The defensive tenacity and experience of Jrue Holiday will be a huge miss for the Celtics, who relied on him to offset opposition team’s number ones and add buckets on the other end.
Although the Celtics added good pieces to the roster, it will be tough to fill the hole left by superstar Jayson Tatum who is set to miss a majority of the season.
The Celtics hope to get a lot of production out of new addition Anfernee Simons, who brings his electric scoring and attack-the-rim style to the Boston franchise. With uncertainty around veteran big man Al Horford's future, the Celtics will be keen to lock down their starting centre throughout the season, a battle likely to be between Luka Garza, Neemias Queta and rookie Amari Williams.
Predicted 2025-26 Lineup
- Point Guard: Derrick White
- Shooting Guard: Anfernee Simons
- Small Forward: Jaylen Brown
- Power Forward: Georges Niang
- Centre: Luka Garza
Australians who have played for the Boston Celtics
Aron Baynes: NBA Champion Aron Baynes spent two years with the Boston Celtics, playing 132 games for the team between 2017-2019. His elite rebounding and interior presence for the Celtics off the bench was crucial in their deep playoff runs.
Boston Celtics History
In 1946 the Boston Celtics were formed as a team in the Basketball Association of America (BAA). After they became a part of the NBA in 1949, a new era of Celtics basketball began with the arrival of coach Red Auerbach and legends Bob Cousy and Bill Russell.
1957 was a critical year for the Celtics which saw them lift their inaugural championship after beating the St Louis Hawks in seven games. The NBA 1957 NBA Championship would be the first of 11 the franchise would achieve in a 13-year period.
The Celtics were made to wait half a decade, post-dynasty, to reach NBA glory once more, as the side went on to beat the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1974 finals. A 13th NBA Championship was achieved in 1976 when the Boston Celtics overcame the Phoenix Suns in six games.
Under the leadership of the “greatest” frontcourt of all time, Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish added three more championships to the trophy cabinet in the 1980’s.
After a steep decline through the 90s and 00’s the Celtics broke their 22-year Championship drought in 2008, when they defeated bitter rivals, the Lakers in six games. Spurred by an era of another Celtics ‘big three’, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, the Celtics enjoyed a period of success that saw them reach two NBA Finals in a five-year period.
In 2024, the Boston Celtics claimed their 18th championship, moving past the Lakers for the most in NBA history. With their well-rounded starters and high-class bench, the Celtics breezed past the Dallas Mavericks in five games with Jaylen Brown named Finals MVP.
Why the Boston Celtics are important?
With 24 jersey numbers hanging in the rafters, the Celtics represent what it means to cement your name in history. Breeding a culture of dominance and superiority means the Celtics have constantly controlled the philosophies cultivated in the NBA across decades. From Bill Russell’s blueprint on how to dominate the sport to the introduction of an era of “big-threes”, the Celtics are a catalyst for innovation in the world of basketball.
From their inception, the Boston Celtics have broken down inherent barriers in sport by constantly extending the impact of basketball beyond the court. As an institution the Celtics became the first franchise to draft an African American player, the first NBA franchise to have an all-African American starting lineup and the first franchise in any American Sport to appoint an African American head coach. With legends like Bill Russell, Robert Parish and Sam Jones paving the way, the Celtics played a big part in defining what it means to be an athlete and how that extends beyond the court.
The franchise has contributed vastly to the growth of basketball in America and to the development of Boston as one of the world's most diehard sporting cities. As an environment of constant greatness, the Celtics raised the standards of their opposition, and the threshold required to reach the pinnacle of basketball.
Celtics Five Fast Facts
- The Celtics' 18 championships are the most of any NBA franchise
- Boston won eight consecutive NBA titles from 1959 to 1966
- Bill Russell won 11 championships in his 13-year career with the Celtics
- The Celtics have retired 24 jersey numbers, the most in the NBA
- Larry Bird won three consecutive MVP awards from 1984 to 1986
Team Highlights Timeline
- 1957: Win first NBA championship, defeating St. Louis Hawks
- 1959: Begin record streak of eight consecutive NBA titles
- 1966: Red Auerbach retires as coach after ninth championship
- 1969: Bill Russell retires after winning 11th title in 13 years
- 1981: Larry Bird leads Celtics to first championship of 1980s
- 1986: Celtics win 16th title with arguably the greatest team ever
- 2008: "Big Three" of Pierce, Garnett and Allen win 17th championship
- 2024: Celtics defeat Dallas Mavericks to win 18th NBA title
As the Celtics go into the 2025/26 season, injuries to key players and the departure of championship contributors cast some uncertainty on their ceiling. Yet, beneath the surface lies a deeply rooted culture of excellence that has historically propelled Boston to exceed expectations.
The Boston Celtics encapsulate what it takes to build a culture of dominance and dynasties. As one of the greatest franchises in NBA history, the Celtics have continued to uphold a legacy of excellence and build upon the history laid down by the likes of Bill Russell, Larry Bird and Paul Pierce across seven decades.
