How many NBA championships have the Boston Celtics won?

Founded in 1946, the Boston Celtics are one of the original NBA teams. Since then, they've turned Boston into a city of champions, establishing a winning tradition only rivaled in the NBA by the Los Angeles Lakers. 

The Boston Garden and the TD Garden have been home to several hardwood classics. With 17 NBA championships under their belt, let's take a look at their most successful eras as they shoot for their 18th title against the Golden State Warriors in the 2022 NBA Finals. 

The Bill Russell era

Center Bill Russell led the way for the Celtics during the late 1950s and 1960s. They ran the Eastern Conference during this time, becoming one of the most respected dynasties in NBA history. The champions of old, paved the way for this storied franchise and turned Boston into a top-tier destination for free agents and draft prospects alike.

Drafting Bill Russell

After winning the NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player award in 1955 and winning two championships at the University of San Francisco (1955, 1956), Russell was drafted second overall by the Boston Celtics. It was official, the 6-10 defensive dynamo would don Celtic green. It was the start of something truly special. 

11 NBA championships in 13 years.

The Celtics won 11 championships in 13 years from 1957 to 1969. They won in 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968 and 1969 respectively. Bill Russell's shutdown defense and tenacious rebounding smothered opponents while Hall-of-Famers Bob Cousy, Bailey Howell, Satch Sanders, Sam Jones and K.C. Jones (more on him later) were key pieces in several championships. They played hard nosed defense and scored at will, winning eight championships in a row (1959-1966) at one point.

Bill Russell as player-head coach.

Celtics legend Red Auerbach won nine championships as head coach with the Celtics, amassing a 938-479 win-loss record, before stepping down to accept an executive role with the Celtics. He personally named Bill Russell as his successor. Russell became a player-coach and the first Black head coach in NBA history. The Celtics continued their winning ways as they won two championships in 1968 and 1969. Russell went 162-83 as the Celtic's head coach. 

The 1980s: Larry Bird era 

The 1980s... what a decade! This was a great time to be a Celtics fan. They carried over the dominance from the 50s and 60s and showed the world what Celtic basketball looks like. Their epic playoff series against Julius Erving's 76ers and Magic Johnson's Los Angeles Lakers live on in NBA lore.  

The Hick From French Lick 

Larry Bird accepted a basketball scholarship from the Indiana Hoosiers, but after restlessly wandering the halls of the university, Bird dropped out and went back to his hometown French Lick, Indiana. After working a series of odd jobs, he suited up for Indiana State University where he lead them to the 1979 March Madness Championship for a marquee matchup against Michigan State and Magic Johnson. It would be the first game between the two rivals. After an illustrious college career that almost never happened, Bird was selected sixth overall by the Boston Celtics in the 1978 NBA Draft, playing his senior year in 1979 before going pro.

Larry Bird is the seventh greatest player of all time, according to ESPN .  

Three Championships

The Boston Celtics won three championships with Bird leading the way (1981, 1984, 1986). With sidekick Kevin McHale and ageless wonder Robert Parish, the trio dominated with their selfless brand of basketball. Floor general Dennis Johnson and shooting guard Danny Ainge contributed immensely to team success as well. Head coach and former Celtics player K.C. Jones won a championship in 1981 as an assistant coach and two more as the head coach ('84, '86). 

During the same span of time, Boston lost two NBA finals in 1985 and 1987, going 3-2 in their five Finals appearances. 

For his contributions on the court, Bird was named MVP of the League three times in a row (1984-1986). It was the prime of his legendary 13-year career. 

The rivalry that defined a decade

The Boston Celtics and The Los Angeles Lakers duked it out for much of the 1980s. Year in and year out, they were among the NBA's finest. It was as if these two dynasties were playing each other every June in the Finals. The Lakers big three of Magic Johnson, James Worthy and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar formed a formidable challenge to the Celtics big three. They met in three NBA Finals (1984, 1985, 1987). These series got physical early and often. It wasn't unusual to see a few elbows thrown in the post or to grab a rebound. Bird holds a 1-2 record against Magic Johnson in the Finals. Bird versus Magic Johnson was an iconic rivalry. Both became good friends out of respect and would go on to be teammates on the 1992 Dream Team, the greatest team ever assembled. 

The Big Three Era

During the 2000s, the Celtics were led by star forward Paul Pierce. They were in rebuild mode for a good part of the decade--something Celtics fans weren't very accustomed to. The Celtics management pulled their hats together and got to work on building another contender for the new millennium. 

Assembling a new Big Three

The Celtics hired basketball announcer Doc Rivers as their head coach in 2004. In the summer of 2007, they traded a king's ransom for former League MVP Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, who is second all-time in three pointers made. It was official: the big three was successfully assembled and the NBA was put on notice. 

Winning the NBA Finals

The Celtics went 66-16 in 2008. They cruised through the Eastern Conference Playoffs, advancing to the NBA Finals where they'd play the Los Angeles Lakers. The storied rivalry was reignited for another NBA Finals series. Lakers legend Kobe Bryant gave the Celtics his all, but the Celtics won the series 4-2. The Larry O'Brien trophy was back in Boston for the first time since 1986!

And who can forget Kevin Garnett's legendary post-game interview. What a moment!

The 2008 Celtics were stacked. The big three of Pierce, Garnett and Allen gave opposing teams fits. The team was rounded out with talented players like Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins (who is now an analyst with ESPN). Several glue guys like Tony Allen, Glen Davis, Eddie House and an aging Sam Cassell made big plays when asked. 

Celtics executive Danny Ainge won the 2008 NBA Executive of the Year for his role in building a champion. 

Two Finals appearances in three years

Pierce, Garnett, and Allen were not done yet. In the 2008-2009 season, they went 62-20 and lost to the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. They rebounded in 2009-2010 by going 50-32 on the year. They made it all the way to the NBA Finals for a rematch against the Lakers. This time, the Lakers got the best of the Celtics in a series that went down to the wire in a 4-3 classic. While losing to their bitter rival wasn't their intentions heading into the season, going to two NBA Finals in three years solidified their case as one of the most memorable big threes in recent memory.

Breaking up the band

All good things must come to an end and it was no different for this Celtics group. Between 2012 and 2013, Ray Allen left via free agency to join the Heat and Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce were traded to the Brooklyn Nets. Doc Rivers moved West to coach the Los Angeles Clippers and the rebuild was on. 

Onto the future

It's been 14 years since Boston won an NBA championship. A solid young core featuring Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart have restored Boston's winning tradition (thanks to the Brooklyn Nets trade). They're poised to make some noise in the East for years to come.