Boston Celtics - wikipedia Boston Celtics `` Celtics '' redirects here. It is not to be confused with Celts, Gaels, Celtic F.C., or Gaelic ( disambiguation ). Boston Celtics 2018 -- 19 Boston Celtics season Conference Eastern Division Atlantic Founded 1946 History Boston Celtics 1946 -- present Arena TD Garden Location Boston, Massachusetts Team colors Green, gold, black, brown, white Main sponsor General Electric President Rich Gotham General manager Danny Ainge Head coach Brad Stevens Ownership Boston Basketball Partners ( Wyc Grousbeck, CEO and governor ) Affiliation ( s ) Maine Red Claws Championships 17 ( 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1974, 1976, 1981, 1984, 1986, 2008 ) Conference titles 21 ( 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1974, 1976, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 2008, 2010 ) Division titles 22 ( 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1992, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2017 ) Retired numbers 22 ( 00, 1, 2, 3, 6, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, LOSCY ) Website www.nba.com/celtics Home Away Third Fourth The Boston Celtics are an American professional basketball team based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) as a member of the league 's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of the original eight NBA teams to survive the league 's first decade, the team is owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which they share with the National Hockey League ( NHL ) 's Boston Bruins. The franchise is the most successful in NBA history, with 17 championships, which accounts for 23.9 percent of all NBA championships since the league 's founding. The Celtics have a notable rivalry with the Los Angeles Lakers, and have played the Lakers a record 12 times in the NBA Finals ( including their most recent appearances in 2008 and 2010 ), of which the Celtics have won 9. Four Celtics players ( Bob Cousy, Bill Russell, Dave Cowens and Larry Bird ) have won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award for an NBA record total of 10 MVP awards. Both the nickname `` Celtics '' and their mascot `` Lucky the Leprechaun '' are a nod to Boston 's historically large Irish population. After winning 16 championships throughout the 20th century, the Celtics, after struggling through the 1990s, rose again to win a championship in 2008 with the help of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen in what was known as the new `` Big Three '' era, following the original `` Big Three '' era that featured Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish, which combined to win the 1981, 1984, and 1986 championships. Following the win in 2008, general manager Danny Ainge began a rebuilding process with the help of head coach Brad Stevens, who led the Celtics to a return to the playoffs from 2015. During the following season, the Celtics clinched the top seed in the Eastern Conference, and eventually reached the Conference Finals prior to losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers in five games. In the 2017 off - season, via some trades and free agency, Ainge rebuilt the roster into a championship caliber team by creating a third `` Big Three '' era consisting of Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward, and Al Horford. By the end of the season, the Celtics finished second in the Eastern Conference standings. During the season opener, Hayward left the game with a season - ending injury by dislocating his ankle and fracturing his tibia. Irving went down in March and went through knee surgery. Therefore, they entered the playoffs with only Horford and managed to reach the Eastern Conference Finals, taking the Cavaliers to seven games. The Celtics lost game seven, eliminating them from the playoffs. Contents 1 Franchise history 1.1 1946 -- 1950 : Early years 1.2 1950 -- 1957 : Arrival of Bob Cousy and Red Auerbach 1.3 1957 -- 1969 : The Bill Russell era 1.4 1970 -- 1978 : Heinsohn and Cowens duo 1.5 1979 -- 1992 : The Larry Bird era 1.6 1993 -- 1998 : Rebuilding 1.7 1998 -- 2013 : The Paul Pierce era 1.7. 1 2004 -- 2007 : The `` Doc '' is here 1.7. 2 2007 -- 2012 : The new `` Big Three '' : Pierce, Allen, and Garnett 1.8 2013 -- present : Brad Stevens era 2 Rivalries 2.1 Atlanta Hawks 2.2 Brooklyn Nets 2.3 Detroit Pistons 2.4 Los Angeles Lakers 2.5 New York Knicks 2.6 Philadelphia 76ers 2.7 Washington Wizards 3 Season - by - season record 4 Records, retired numbers and awards 4.1 FIBA Hall of Fame 5 Home arenas 6 Players 6.1 Current roster 6.2 Retained draft rights 6.3 Captains 6.4 Franchise leaders 7 Coaches 7.1 Head coaches 7.2 Assistant coaches 8 Logos and uniforms 8.1 Logos 8.2 Uniforms 8.2. 1 `` Icon '' and `` Association '' uniforms 8.2. 2 Alternate uniforms 8.2. 3 Special uniforms 8.2. 4 Memorial patches 8.2. 5 Uniform traditions 9 Television and radio 10 Management 10.1 Ownership history 10.2 Team presidents 10.3 General managers 10.4 Other 11 Medical staff 11.1 Team physicians 11.2 Team athletic trainers 12 Boston Celtics Communications 13 See also 14 Notes 15 References 16 External links Franchise history Main article : History of the Boston Celtics 1946 -- 1950 : early years The Boston Celtics were formed on June 6, 1946 by Boston Garden - Arena Corporation President Walter A. Brown as a team in the Basketball Association of America, and became part of the National Basketball Association after the absorption of the National Basketball League by the BAA in the fall of 1949. In 1950, the Celtics signed Chuck Cooper, becoming the first NBA franchise to draft a black player. 1950 -- 1957 : arrival of Bob Cousy and Red Auerbach Bob Cousy played 13 years for the team, 6 of them ending in NBA titles. The Celtics struggled during their early years, until the hiring of coach Red Auerbach. In the franchise 's early days, Auerbach had no assistants, ran all the practices, did all the scouting -- both of opposing teams and college draft prospects -- and scheduled all road trips. One of the first great players to join the Celtics was Bob Cousy, whom Auerbach initially refused to draft out of nearby Holy Cross because he was `` too flashy. '' Cousy 's contract eventually became the property of the Chicago Stags, but when that franchise went bankrupt, Cousy went to the Celtics in a dispersal draft. After the 1955 -- 56 season, Auerbach made a stunning trade, sending perennial All - Star Ed Macauley to the St. Louis Hawks along with the draft rights to Cliff Hagan for the second overall pick in the draft. After negotiating with the Rochester Royals -- a negotiation that included a promise that the Celtics owner would send the highly sought - after Ice Capades to Rochester if the Royals would let Russell slide to # 2 -- Auerbach used the pick to select University of San Francisco center Bill Russell. Auerbach also acquired Holy Cross standout, and 1957 NBA Rookie of the Year, Tommy Heinsohn. Russell and Heinsohn worked extraordinarily well with Cousy, and they were the players around whom Auerbach would build the champion Celtics for more than a decade. 1957 -- 1969 : the Bill Russell era Bill Russell starred on 11 NBA title teams in 13 years as a Celtic. With Bill Russell, the Celtics advanced to the 1957 NBA Finals and defeated the St. Louis Hawks in seven games, the first of a record 17 championships. Russell went on to win 11 championships, making him the most decorated player in NBA history. In 1958, the Celtics again advanced to the NBA Finals, this time losing to the Hawks in 6 games. However, with the acquisition of K.C. Jones that year, the Celtics began a dynasty that would last for more than a decade. In 1959, the Celtics won the NBA Championship after sweeping the Minneapolis Lakers, the first of their record eight consecutive championships. During that time, the Celtics met the Lakers in the Finals five times, starting an intense and often bitter rivalry that has spanned generations. In 1964, the Celtics became the first NBA team to have an all African - American starting lineup. On December 26, 1964, Willie Naulls replaced an injured Tommy Heinsohn, joining Tom ' Satch ' Sanders, K.C. Jones, Sam Jones, and Bill Russell in the starting lineup. The Celtics defeated St. Louis 97 -- 84. Boston won its next 11 games with Naulls starting in place of Heinsohn. The Celtics of the late - 1950s -- 1960s are widely considered as one of the most dominant teams of all time. Auerbach retired as coach after the 1965 -- 66 season and Russell took over as player - coach, which was Auerbach 's ploy to keep Russell interested. With his appointment Russell became the first African - American coach in any U.S. pro sport. Auerbach would remain the general manager, a position he would hold well into the 1980s. However, the Celtics ' string of NBA titles ended when they lost to the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1966 Eastern Conference Finals. The aging team managed two more championships in 1968 and 1969, defeating the Los Angeles Lakers each time. Russell retired after the 1969 season, effectively ending a Celtics dynasty that had garnered an unrivaled 11 NBA titles in 13 seasons. The team 's run of 8 consecutive is the longest championship streak in U.S. professional sports history. 1970 -- 1978 : Heinsohn and Cowens duo Tom Heinsohn coached the Celtics to the 1974 and 1976 NBA Championships. Dave Cowens helped the Celtics win 2 titles during the mid-1970s The 1970 season was a rebuilding year, as the Celtics had their first losing record since the 1949 -- 50 season. However, with the acquisition of Dave Cowens, Paul Silas, and Jo Jo White, the Celtics soon became dominant again. After losing in the Eastern Conference Finals in 1972, the Celtics regrouped and came out determined in 1973 and posted an excellent 68 -- 14 regular season record. But the season ended in disappointment, as they were upset in 7 games by the New York Knicks in the Conference Finals. John Havlicek injured his right shoulder in game six and was forced to play game 7 shooting left handed. The Celtics returned to the playoffs the next year, defeating the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Finals in 1974 for their 12th NBA Championship. The teams split the first four games, and after the Celtics won Game 5 in Milwaukee they headed back to Boston leading three games to two, with a chance to claim the title on their home court. However, the Bucks won Game 6 when Kareem Abdul - Jabbar nestled in a hook shot with 3 seconds left in the game 's second overtime, and the series returned to Milwaukee. But Cowens was the hero in Game 7, scoring 28 points, as the Celtics brought the title back to Boston for the first time in five years. In 1976, the team won yet another championship, defeating the Phoenix Suns in six games. The Finals featured one of the greatest games in the NBA 's history. With the series tied at two games apiece, the Suns trailed early in the Boston Garden, but came back to force overtime. In double overtime, a Gar Heard turn - around jumper at the top of the key sent the game to a third overtime, at which point the Celtics prevailed. Tommy Heinsohn coached the team for those two championships. After the 1976 championship and a playoff appearance in 1977, Boston went into another rebuilding phase. In the 1977 NBA draft, the Celtics drafted a young forward from UNC Charlotte named Cedric Maxwell. `` Cornbread '' Maxwell did not contribute much in his rookie season, but he showed promise. Auerbach 's job became even tougher following the 1977 -- 78 season in which they went 32 -- 50 as John Havlicek, the Celtics ' all - time leading scorer, retired after 16 seasons. 1979 -- 1992 : the Larry Bird era The Celtics owned two of the top eight picks in the 1978 NBA draft. Auerbach took a risk and selected junior Larry Bird of Indiana State with the 6th pick, knowing he would elect to remain in college for his senior year but believing Bird 's potential would make it worth the wait. The team would retain his rights for one year -- a rule that was later changed -- and Bird indeed signed soon after leading Indiana State to the NCAA Championship game. Freeman Williams was also taken, being traded before the 1978 -- 79 season began. In 1978, owner Irv Levin traded his stake in the Celtics to John Y. Brown, Jr. for control of the Buffalo Braves, which he moved to California as the San Diego Clippers. As part of the deal trades were made between the two franchises which resulted in many former Braves joining the Celtics. A move that irked Auerbach was a trade Brown made with the Braves that saw Buffalo 's franchise center Bob McAdoo join the Celtics in return for three first round draft picks Auerbach had planned on using for rebuilding the Celtics. The dispute nearly led to him resigning as general manager for a similar position with the New York Knicks. With public support strongly behind Auerbach, Brown sold the team to Harry Mangurian rather than run the risk of losing his famed GM. The Celtics would struggle through the season, going 29 -- 53 without Bird. Newcomers Chris Ford, Rick Robey, Cedric Maxwell and Nate Archibald failed to reverse the team 's momentum. Bird debuted for the Celtics during the 1979 -- 80 season. With a new owner in place, Auerbach made a number of moves that would bring the team back to prominence. He almost immediately traded McAdoo, a former NBA scoring champion, to the Detroit Pistons for guard M.L. Carr, a defensive specialist, and two first - round picks in the 1980 NBA draft. He also picked up point guard Gerald Henderson from the CBA. Carr, Archibald, Henderson and Ford formed a highly competent backcourt, blending in well with the talented frontcourt of Cowens, Maxwell and Bird. With Bird winning NBA Rookie of the Year honors the team went 61 -- 21, its 32 game improvement the best single - season turnaround in NBA history. Playing strong in the playoffs, the Celtics fell to the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference Finals. Some thirty years later the Celtics broke their own single - season turnaround record. After the season, Auerbach completed one of the most lopsided trades in NBA history, garnering a pair of future Hall of Famers for a pair of first round draft picks. He had always been a fan of stockpiling draft picks, so even after the success of the 1979 -- 80 season the Celtics had both the 1st and 13th picks in the coming 1980 NBA draft. Seeking to improve the team immediately Auerbach sent them to the Golden State Warriors for both center Robert Parish and the Warriors ' first round pick, the 3rd overall. He then used the pick to select University of Minnesota power forward Kevin McHale. With the addition of star prospect Larry Bird, the Celtics ' new `` Big 3 '' put the team back on the path to dominance. Despite losing center Dave Cowens to retirement late in training camp, the Celtics went 62 -- 20 under coach Bill Fitch in 1980 -- 81. Once again the Celtics faced the 76ers in the Eastern Conference Finals, falling behind 3 games to 1 before coming back to win the 7th game 91 -- 90. The Celtics went on to win the 1981 NBA Championship over the Houston Rockets, with Maxwell named NBA Finals MVP. Following the 1981 -- 82 NBA season, the Celtics once again met the Sixers, and fell behind 3 - 1 before losing Game 7 at Boston Garden. In 1983 the Celtics were swept in the playoffs for the first time by the Milwaukee Bucks ; afterward Fitch resigned and the team was sold to new owners led by Don Gaston. In 1983 -- 84, the Celtics, under new coach K.C. Jones, would go 62 -- 20 and return to the NBA Finals after a three - year hiatus. Boston came back from a 2 -- 1 deficit to defeat the Lakers for their 15th championship. Bird renewed his college rivalry with Lakers star Magic Johnson during this series. After the season Auerbach officially retired as general manager but maintained the position of team President. He was succeeded by Jan Volk, who had been with the Celtics since graduating from Columbia Law School in 1971, serving as the team 's General Counsel since 1976 and Assistant GM since 1980. In his first major transaction Volk made an offseason deal with the Seattle SuperSonics to send Henderson in return for their first round pick in the 1986 NBA draft. In 1985, the Lakers and Celtics met again in the championship round, with the Lakers winning. This was the first time the Lakers had defeated the Celtics in the finals, and the only time the team won a championship at Boston Garden. During the following off - season, the Celtics acquired Bill Walton from the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for Cedric Maxwell. Walton had been an All - Star and league MVP while leading the Portland Trail Blazers to the 1977 NBA championship, but injuries had hobbled him since. Considering the talent Boston had in its frontcourt - Robert Parish emerging as an All - Star center and one more future Hall of Famers - Walton was willing to come off the bench to help the team. Considered the best passing center in NBA history, he stayed healthy and was a big part of the Celtics ' success in 1986. Dennis Johnson was a key contributor to the `` Big Three '' title teams of the 1980s. In 1985 -- 86, the Celtics fielded one of the best teams in NBA history. The team went 67 - 15, winning all but one game at home. Bird won his third consecutive MVP award and Walton took home the Sixth Man of the Year Award. The Celtics defeated the Houston Rockets in the NBA Finals in six games, the franchise 's 16th championship and last of the 20th century. The Celtics won the second pick in the 1986 NBA draft after a remarkably poor year by the Seattle Supersonics, whose draft pick rights had been included in the 1984 trade of Gerald Henderson. They drafted University of Maryland star Len Bias, one of the most heralded prospects of his era. Bias died 48 hours later of an accidental cocaine overdose. Despite the loss the Celtics remained competitive in 1986 -- 87, going 59 -- 23 and again winning the Eastern Conference Championship. Injuries to key players led to a Lakers series win in six games. In 1988, the Celtics lost in six games to future champion Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals. Following the season, head coach K.C. Jones retired and was replaced by assistant Jimmy Rodgers. Boston 's hopes for 1988 -- 89 faded when only 6 games into the season Larry Bird underwent a procedure to remove bone spurs in his feet. Bird did not play until after the All - Star Break, and the Celtics won just 42 games before a first round playoff defeat to the Detroit Pistons, who would go on to win the championship. Bird returned in 1989 -- 90 and led the Celtics to a 52 -- 30 record. In the playoffs the Celtics collapsed after winning the first two games in a best - of - five series against the New York Knicks, losing 3 straight, including the decisive fifth game at Boston Garden. Rodgers was consequently fired and replaced by assistant coach and former Celtics ' player Chris Ford. Under Ford 's leadership the Celtics improved to 56 -- 26 in 1990 -- 91, recapturing the Atlantic Division title even though Bird missed 22 games with several injuries. The Celtics again lost to the Detroit Pistons, this time in the Conference Semifinals. In 1992, a late season rally allowed a 51 -- 31 Celtics team to catch the New York Knicks and repeat as Atlantic Division champions. After sweeping the Indiana Pacers in the first round, the Celtics lost a seven - game Eastern Conference Semifinals series to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Back injuries limited Bird to only 45 regular season games, and just four of ten in the playoffs. After thirteen NBA seasons and a gold medal at the Barcelona Olympics with the Dream Team, continued back trouble led Bird to retire in 1992. The Celtics ' struggle to maintain roster continuity with a salary cap led the NBA and NBPA to create the `` Bird exception, '' which allows teams to exceed the salary cap to re-sign players they 've drafted, at an amount up to the maximum salary. 1993 -- 1998 : rebuilding The loss of Bird and aging of the team 's other veteran stars forced coach Chris Ford into rebuilding mode. Hopes centered on 26 - year - old Reggie Lewis, a small forward out of Boston 's Northeastern University. In the first round of the 1993 playoffs Lewis fainted during Boston 's four - game sweep by the Charlotte Hornets. An examination revealed heart problems, but Lewis was able to get doctors to clear him for a comeback. Before he could make it he died of a heart attack while shooting baskets at Brandeis University during the offseason. The Celtics honored his memory by retiring his number 35. With Kevin McHale having retired after the Celtics ' playoff loss to the Hornets, Boston 's original Big 3 era came to an end in 1994 upon Robert Parish 's signing with Charlotte. The team collapsed, finishing out of the playoffs with a 32 -- 50 mark. In 1994, the Celtics hired former player and legendary towel - waving cheerleader M.L. Carr as the team 's new V.P. of Basketball Operations. Working alongside G.M. Jan Volk, Carr selected University of North Carolina star Eric Montross with Boston 's first round pick in the 1994 NBA draft. Montross became the new heir apparent in the paint, but failed to develop and was eventually traded. 1994 -- 95 was the Celtics ' final season in the Boston Garden. The Celtics signed aging Dominique Wilkins as a free agent, who led the team in scoring with 17.8 PPG. Second - year player Dino Rađa, a power forward from Croatia, added an interior presence the team had been lacking in 1993 -- 94. The Celtics made the playoffs, losing to the heavily favored Orlando Magic in 4 games. In 1995, the Celtics moved from the Boston Garden to the Fleet Center ( later TD BankNorth, then TD Garden ). Carr fired Chris Ford and took the coaching reins himself. After drafting Providence College star Eric Williams, the Celtics struggled to a 33 -- 49 record. Things got worse in 1996 -- 97 as the Celtics lost a franchise record 67 games, setting an unwanted NBA record winning only once against other Atlantic Division teams and just fifteen victories overall. In spite of the emergence of 1st - round draft pick Antoine Walker Carr 's coaching stint was deemed a failure, and he took another job in the organization when owner Paul Gaston convinced star college coach Rick Pitino to join the franchise as the team 's president, director of basketball operations, and head coach. Pitino 's appointment as team president was controversial as Auerbach, the incumbent who had filled that role for more than 25 years, first heard about the change from local media. Unfortunately for the franchise, Pitino was not the savior everyone hoped he 'd be. Auerbach bore the insult of being elbowed out with dignity, even as the team failed to improve. The Celtics received the third and sixth draft picks in the 1997 NBA draft, and used the picks to select a brand new backcourt through Chauncey Billups and Ron Mercer. The young team that lost 67 games the year before was dismantled, with David Wesley, Dino Rađa and Rick Fox being let go, and Williams traded to the Denver Nuggets for a pair of second round draft picks ( Williams would return to the Celtics in 1999 and played for four years ). Walter McCarty was also acquired in a trade with the Knicks. With a promising start, upsetting the defending champions Chicago Bulls at home on opening night, and hard play from the youngsters that led to leaderships in turnovers and steals, the team improved its victories from 15 to 36 despite many losing streaks. Billups was subsequently traded to the Raptors during his rookie year, and Mercer was traded to the Nuggets during his third season. 1998 -- 2013 : the Paul Pierce era Paul Pierce was drafted 10th overall in the 1998 NBA draft, going on to win the 2008 NBA Finals MVP award. The following year in the 1998 NBA draft, the Celtics drafted Paul Pierce, a college star who had been expected to be drafted much earlier than the Celtics ' 10th overall pick. Pierce had an immediate impact during the lockout - shortened 1998 -- 99 NBA season, averaging 19.5 points and being named Rookie of The Month in February as he led the league in steals. However, the Celtics continued to struggle as Pitino failed to achieve meaningful success. After Boston lost to the Toronto Raptors on March 1, 2000, on a buzzer - beater by Vince Carter, Pitino delivered the memorable `` Larry Bird is not walking through that door, fans '' speech. He resigned in January 2001. Following the resignation of Rick Pitino, the Celtics saw modest improvement under coach Jim O'Brien. Paul Pierce matured into an NBA star and was ably complemented by Antoine Walker and the other players acquired over the years. While the team was 12 -- 21 when Pitino left, O'Brien's record to finish the season was 24 -- 24. Following the 2000 -- 01 season O'Brien was given the job of head coach on a permanent basis. As a result of numerous trades, the Celtics had three picks in the 2001 NBA draft. They selected Joe Johnson, Joe Forte, and Kedrick Brown. Only Johnson managed to succeed in the NBA, becoming a perennial All - Star after leaving the Celtics. The Celtics entered the 2001 -- 02 season with low expectations. The team 's success in the latter stages of 2000 -- 01 was largely forgotten, and critics were surprised when the team, along with the New Jersey Nets, surged to the top of the Atlantic Division ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers, who were fresh off a trip to the NBA Finals. The Celtics won a hard - fought 5 - game series with the 76ers in the first round, 3 -- 2. Pierce scored 46 points in the series - clinching blowout at the Fleet Center. In the Conference Semifinals, the Celtics defeated the favored Detroit Pistons 4 -- 1. In their first trip to the Eastern Conference Finals since 1988, the Celtics jumped out to a 2 -- 1 series lead over the Nets, after rallying from 21 points down in the fourth quarter to win Game 3, but would lose the next three games to fall 4 -- 2. In 2003, the Celtics were sold by owner Paul Gaston to Boston Basketball Partners L.L.C., led by H. Irving Grousbeck, Wycliffe Grousbeck and Steve Pagliuca. The team made it back to the playoffs but were swept by the Nets in the second round, despite bringing Game 4 to double overtime. Before their elimination, the team hired former Celtics ' guard Danny Ainge as general manager, moving Chris Wallace to another position in the organization. Ainge believed the team had reached its peak and promptly sent Antoine Walker to the Dallas Mavericks ( along with Tony Delk ). In return, the Celtics received the often - injured Raef LaFrentz, Chris Mills, Jiří Welsch, and a first - round pick in 2004. The Celtics made the playoffs, only to be swept in the first round by the Indiana Pacers, losing all 4 games by blowout margins. Head coach Doc Rivers led the Celtics to an NBA title in 2008. 2004 -- 2007 : the `` Doc '' is here The Celtics were a young team under new coach Doc Rivers during the 2004 -- 05 season, having drafted youngsters Al Jefferson, Delonte West and Tony Allen in the 2004 Draft. Yet they seemed to have a core of good young players, led by Pierce and rookie Al Jefferson, to go along with a group of able veterans. The Celtics went 45 -- 37 and won their first Atlantic Division title since 1991 -- 92, receiving a boost from returning star Antoine Walker in mid-season. The Pacers defeated them in the first round yet again, with the series culminating in an embarrassing 27 - point loss in Game 7 at the Fleet Center. After the season Walker was traded again, this time to the Miami Heat. Despite Pierce 's career season, in which he averaged career - highs in points ( 26.8 ), the Celtics missed the playoffs with a 33 -- 49 record, owing largely to a young roster and constant roster shuffling, which saw the likes of Marcus Banks, Ricky Davis and Mark Blount traded for underachieving former first - overall pick Michael Olowokandi and former all - star Wally Szczerbiak. The Celtics continued to rebuild in the 2006 NBA draft. The Celtics selected Kentucky point guard Rajon Rondo, who was to become a key piece in the team 's revival. In the second round the Celtics added Leon Powe. The 2006 -- 07 season was a gloomy one for the franchise, starting with the death of Red Auerbach at 89. Auerbach was one of the few remaining people who had been a part of the NBA since its inception in 1946. The Celtics went 2 -- 22 from late December 2006 through early February 2007 after losing Pierce to injury, the result of a stress reaction in his left foot. At first, the Celtics received a much needed boost from guard Tony Allen but he tore his ACL and MCL on a needless dunk attempt after the whistle. The Celtics compiled a record of 24 -- 58, second - worst in the NBA, including a franchise record 18 - game losing streak. At the end of the season, the Celtics, with the second worst record in the NBA, were at least hopeful that they could secure a high draft pick and select either Greg Oden or Kevin Durant to help rebuild the franchise, but the Celtics fell to fifth in the Draft Lottery. 2007 -- 2012 : the New `` Big three '' : Pierce, Allen, and Garnett The Boston Celtics celebrate after winning the 2008 NBA championship The 17th championship banner was raised above the TD Garden rafters on October 28, 2008. In the summer of 2007, GM Danny Ainge made a series of moves that returned the Celtics to prominence. On draft night, he traded the No. 5 pick Jeff Green, Wally Szczerbiak and Delonte West to Seattle for perennial all - star Ray Allen and Seattle 's second - round pick which the team used to select LSU 's Glen `` Big Baby '' Davis. Then the Celtics traded Ryan Gomes, Gerald Green, Al Jefferson, Theo Ratliff, and Sebastian Telfair to Minnesota, where Ainge 's former teammate Kevin McHale was the G.M., and swapped 2009 first round draft picks, for MVP Kevin Garnett. These moves created the `` Boston Three Party '' ( the nickname given to describe the combining of Allen, Garnett, and Pierce by Scott Van Pelt in a `` This Is Sportscenter '' commercial ), which would revitalize the team and lead them back to glory. The Celtics completed the largest single - season turnaround in NBA history. The new `` Big Three '' of Pierce, Allen and Garnett went 66 -- 16 in the regular season, a 42 - game improvement. However, the team struggled initially in the playoffs. The Atlanta Hawks took them to seven games in the first round, as did the Cleveland Cavaliers in the conference semifinals. The Celtics defeated the Detroit Pistons in six games of the Eastern Conference Finals, winning two road games. In the 2008 NBA Finals, the Celtics faced MVP Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers for the 11th time, the first time since 1987. The Celtics won Game 1 at home 98 -- 88, fueled by strong play by Garnett and Pierce 's dramatic comeback from a second half knee injury. They would also go on to win Game 2 108 -- 102, despite nearly blowing a 24 - point lead in the fourth quarter. As the series shifted to Los Angeles, the Lakers stifled Pierce and Garnett in Game 3 and won 87 -- 81. However, the Celtics would overcome a 24 - point deficit in Game 4 to win 97 -- 91, the largest comeback in NBA Finals history. After again blowing a large lead, the Lakers hung on to win Game 5 103 -- 98, sending the series back to Boston. In Game 6, the Celtics overpowered the Lakers, winning 131 -- 92, clinching their 17th NBA title, and first since 1986. It remains the most win in a championship - clinching game ; Paul Pierce was named Finals MVP. The win in Game 6 was a sense of relief, as it was a difficult path to this championship ; in that game, these Celtics set a record for most games a team had ever played in a postseason, with 26, surpassing the 1994 New York Knicks, whom Coach Doc Rivers played for, and the 2005 Detroit Pistons, each of whom played 25, but lost their respective finals in seven games ( Knicks in 1994, Pistons in 2005 ). The Celtics during the 2008 -- 09 season opener : ( L-R ) Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Eddie House, Kendrick Perkins and Ray Allen The 2008 -- 09 Celtics started off the season at 27 -- 2, the then - best starting record in NBA history. They also had a pair of 10 + game winning streaks including a franchise record 19 - game streak. After the All Star Break, Kevin Garnett was injured in a loss against the Utah Jazz, missing the last 25 games of the season. Garnett was eventually shelved for the playoffs. The 2009 Celtics still finished with 62 victories, but their playoff run would end against the Magic in the second round, losing in seven games after leading 3 -- 2, the first such occurrence in team history. In the prior round they were pushed to a Game 7 against the Chicago Bulls, with four of those games went to overtime, yet the Celtics ' experience was too much for the young Bulls. The following year, with the return of Garnett from injury and the additions of Rasheed Wallace and Marquis Daniels, the Celtics started the season 23 -- 5 and at one point had the best record in the NBA. However, Doc Rivers decided to lessen his aging stars ' minutes to keep them fresh for the playoffs. As a result, the Celtics sputtered to an even 27 -- 27 record the rest of the way and finished the 2009 -- 10 regular season with a 50 -- 32 record, with a better road ( 26 -- 15 ) than home ( 24 -- 17 ) record. Despite previous predictions the Celtics would never go deeper into the playoffs, the Celtics still managed to make the NBA Finals despite their lowly fourth seeding. They defeated the Miami Heat in five games, upset the top - seeded Cavaliers in six games and toppled the defending Eastern champion Magic, avenging their loss from the previous season. Rajon Rondo emerged as a bonafide superstar during post-season play, continuing his rise to fame beginning with his first All - Star appearance. For the 12th time, their opponent were the Lakers. After taking a 3 -- 2 lead heading into Los Angeles for Game 6, the Celtics appeared poised to win their 18th title. But Kendrick Perkins, the team 's starting center, suffered a severe knee injury early in Game 6, and the Celtics would lose Game 6, and go on to blow a 13 - point lead in Game 7. After speculation coach Doc Rivers would resign to spend more time with his family, he affirmed on June 30, 2010, that he would return to the team for the 2010 -- 11 season. During the 2010 off season, with Perkins expected to be out until February 2011, the Celtics signed two former All - Star centers, Shaquille O'Neal and Jermaine O'Neal, along with Turkish center Semih Erden, their 2008 second round pick, and the return of Delonte West. Shaquille O'Neal's presence wound up leading to Perkins departure : the Celtics were 33 -- 10 in games Perkins had missed during the year due to injury, with a 19 -- 3 record with O'Neal played over 20 minutes. Consequently, Perkins was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in February, when the Celtics were 41 -- 14 and held the Eastern Conference leaderboard despite another rash of injuries. Following the trade, however, they proceeded to win only 15 of their final 27 games to finish with a 56 -- 26 record, sliding to the third seed, due to the injuries -- O'Neal played only five minutes -- and difficult adjustment of new Celtics such as Jeff Green, Nenad Krstić and Carlos Arroyo. The 2010 -- 11 season still provided three landmarks : the Celtics became the second team to reach 3,000 victories, Paul Pierce became the third Celtic to score 20,000 points after Larry Bird and John Havlicek, and Ray Allen broke the NBA record for most three - pointers made in a career. The 2011 NBA Playoffs started with the Celtics sweeping the New York Knicks 4 -- 0 in the opening round, but in the second round they were ousted by eventual Eastern champions Miami Heat in five games. Shaquille O'Neal, limited to 12 minutes in two games of the second round, retired at the end of the season. At the 2011 NBA draft, the Celtics acquired two Purdue teammates, JaJuan Johnson and E'Twaun Moore. During the short preseason following the 2011 NBA lockout, the Celtics signed free agents Marquis Daniels, Chris Wilcox, Keyon Dooling and Greg Stiemsma, while acquiring Brandon Bass from the Magic for Glen Davis and Von Wafer. They also re-signed Jeff Green, only to have it voided after a physical revealed that Green was diagnosed with an aortic aneurysm, forcing him to miss the season. The Celtics started the season 0 -- 3 with Paul Pierce out with a heel injury and his replacement Mickaël Piétrus taking long to debut. The struggles let to the longest losing streak in the `` Big Three '' era with five games, and by the All Star break, the Celtics were below. 500 with a 15 -- 17 record. However, they were one of the hottest teams after the break, going 24 -- 10 the rest of the year and winning their 5th division title in a row. The Celtics would end up making the playoffs as the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference in the 2012 NBA Playoffs. In the playoffs, the Celtics faced the Atlanta Hawks in the first round, beating them in six games led by strong play from Pierce and Garnett. In the Conference Semifinals the Celtics faced the Philadelphia 76ers led by Doug Collins and a young group of promising players that would push the Celtics into a full - seven game series. Following a Game 7 85 -- 75 win the Celtics faced the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals, who had defeated them in the playoffs the previous year. After losing the first two games in Miami, Boston fought back and won the next three games. With the possibility of closing the series at home, the C suffered a blowout loss at the TD Garden of 98 -- 79, taking the series back to Miami for Game 7, where the Celtics built an early lead but eventually lost 101 -- 88 ; Miami would go on to defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Finals. Rajon Rondo became the Celtics ' leader after the new `` Big Three '' left. The 2012 offseason started with the Celtics having only six players under contract. While Kevin Garnett renewed, Ray Allen chose to sign with the Miami Heat for less money, bringing the five - year `` Big Three '' era to a somewhat acrimonious end. The Celtics also signed free agents Jason Terry, Jason Collins, Darko Miličić and Leandro Barbosa ; acquired Courtney Lee in a three - team sign and trade -- where Johnson, Moore, Sean Williams and a future second round pick were sent to the Houston Rockets and the Portland Trail Blazers got Sasha Pavlovic ; drafted three players, Jared Sullinger, Fab Melo and Kris Joseph ; and renewed with Brandon Bass along with Chris Wilcox and Jeff Green, who both were returning to play after sustaining season - ending heart ailments. Despite losing Rondo and Sullinger to injury, the Celtics compiled a seven - game winning streak, including victories over the Heat in double overtime and the Nuggets in triple overtime. The winning streak was snapped on February 12 when Leandro Barbosa suffered a season - ending torn ACL. To compensate, the Celtics signed swingman Terrence Williams, forwards D.J. White and Shavlik Randolph, and traded Barbosa and Collins to the Washington Wizards in exchange for guard Jordan Crawford. The Celtics finished the season with 41 wins, but played only 81 games after a home game against the Indiana Pacers on April 16 was cancelled following the Boston Marathon bombings ; the game was not made up with both teams already assured of their playoff positions. The 41 wins were the lowest totals the Celtics achieved as a playoff - bound team since 2004. The Celtics trailed 3 -- 0 to the New York Knicks in the first round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs, before losing the series in six games. In Game 6, the Celtics nearly completed a comeback when they went on a 20 -- 0 run to cut the lead to 4, but that was the closest they got as the New York Knicks would take over to win. During the offseason, head coach Doc Rivers was allowed out of his contract and left to coach the Los Angeles Clippers, giving the Celtics a 2015 unprotected first round pick as compensation. A few days later, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett ( after waiving his no - trade clause ), along with Jason Terry and D.J. White, were traded to the Brooklyn Nets for Keith Bogans, MarShon Brooks, Kris Humphries, Kris Joseph, Gerald Wallace, and three future first - round draft picks ( 2014, 2016, 2018 ), with the right to swap 2017 first - round picks with Brooklyn. The deal was later approved by the league on July 12, 2013, effectively ending the ' Big 3 ' era and marking the start of a youth movement for the team. 2013 -- present : Brad Stevens era Brad Stevens is the Celtics ' current head coach. On July 3, 2013, the Celtics announced that Brad Stevens, the head coach of Butler University, would replace Doc Rivers as head coach. Halfway through the season, in January, Rajon Rondo made his return and was named the 15th Team Captain in team history, and the team furthered the youth movement by acquiring two draft picks in a three team trade that sent Jordan Crawford and MarShon Brooks to the Golden State Warriors while the Celtics received the Heat center Joel Anthony. The 2013 -- 14 season marked the Celtics ' first missed playoffs since the `` Big Three ''. The next off - season, the Celtics drafted Marcus Smart with the 6th overall pick and James Young with the 17th overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft, and signed Evan Turner. The 2014 -- 15 season had several roster moves, the most prominent being Rondo and rookie Dwight Powell traded to the Dallas Mavericks for center Brandan Wright, forward Jae Crowder, veteran point guard Jameer Nelson, and future picks. A total of 22 players spent time with the Celtics, leading scorer and rebounder Sullinger suffered a season - ending left metatarsal stress fracture, and the team was only tenth in the East with 28 games remaining. However, midseason acquisition Isaiah Thomas helped the team win 22 of their last 34 games, finishing the season with a 40 -- 42 record, enough for the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs. The Celtics were swept by the second seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round. In the 2015 NBA draft Boston selected Terry Rozier, R.J. Hunter, Jordan Mickey, and Marcus Thornton with the 16th, 28th, 33rd, and 45th selections respectively. During the off - season, the Celtics signed forward Amir Johnson and traded Gerald Wallace and Chris Babb in exchange for Warriors forward David Lee. The Celtics finished the 2015 -- 16 NBA season with a 48 -- 34 record, earning the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference. They played the fourth seed Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the playoffs. After leading by 3 points in the fourth quarter of Game 1, guard Avery Bradley went down with a hamstring injury, making him sit out for the rest of the series. The Celtics lost the series 4 -- 2 to the Hawks, ending their season. On July 8, 2016, the Celtics signed 4 - time All - Star Al Horford. The Celtics finished the 2016 -- 17 season with a 53 -- 29 record and clinched the top seed in the Eastern Conference. After a hip injury ended Thomas ' impressive playoff run in game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Celtics eventually lost to the Cavaliers in five games. For the 2017 NBA draft, the Celtics won the draft lottery, earning them the first pick. They were projected to select freshman guard Markelle Fultz, but the pick was subsequently traded to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for the third pick in the 2017 draft and future picks. The 76ers would go on to draft Fultz, while the Celtics used the third pick to select freshman forward Jayson Tatum. Semi Ojeleye, Kadeem Allen, and Jabari Bird were selected with the 37th, 53rd, and 56th selections, respectively, in the second round. At the start of the off - season, the team signed Tatum and Ante Žižić, among others, with the biggest acquisition being the signing of Gordon Hayward. On August 22, 2017, the Celtics agreed to a deal that sent Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Žižić, and the Brooklyn Nets ' 2018 first round draft pick to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Kyrie Irving. An additional draft pick ( Celtics ' 2020 second round ) was later added to the package from the Celtics to the Cavaliers after doctors revealed that Thomas 's injury was more significant than initially anticipated. By the end of the off - season, only 4 Celtics ' players remained from the 2016 -- 17 team, with Marcus Smart being the longest tenured Celtic from the 2014 NBA draft. On the team 's opening night game against the Cavaliers, Hayward suffered a fractured tibia and dislocated ankle in his left leg, causing him to be ruled out for the rest of the regular season. Despite the loss, the Celtics went on a 16 - game winning streak, which also went down as the fourth - longest winning streak in the teams ' history. The streak started with a 102 -- 92 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on October 20 and ended on November 22 to the hands of the Miami Heat with a 98 -- 104 loss. The Celtics finished the year with a 55 -- 27 record, good enough for second place in the Eastern Conference. In the playoffs, they defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in the First Round in seven games, and continued the feat in the Conference Semifinals by defeating the Philadelphia 76ers in five games before losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers in seven games in the Conference Finals. Rivalries Atlanta Hawks The Celtics -- Hawks rivalry is a rivalry in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association that has lasted for over five decades, although the two teams have played each other since the 1949 -- 50 season, when the then - Tri-Cities Blackhawks joined the NBA as part of the National Basketball League and the Basketball Association of America merger. However, the Blackhawks could not field a truly competitive team until they moved to St. Louis as the St. Louis Hawks after a four - year stopover at Milwaukee. The two teams have faced each other eleven times in the NBA Playoffs, four times in the NBA Finals, with the Celtics winning ten of twelve series against the Hawks, including three out of four NBA Finals. While the Hawks have only defeated the Celtics twice out of eleven series in the NBA Playoffs, they still often managed to make their series with the Celtics memorable. The rivalry intensified in 2016 with Hawks All - Star Center Al Horford spurning the team and joining the Celtics. Brooklyn Nets The Boston Celtics were once rivals of the New Jersey Nets during the early 2000s due to their respective locations and their burgeoning stars. The Nets were led by Jason Kidd and Kenyon Martin, while the Celtics were experiencing newfound success behind Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker. The rivalry began to heat up in the 2002 Eastern Conference Finals, which was preceded by trash talking from the Celtics who claimed Martin was a `` fake '' tough guy. Things progressed as the series started, and on - court tensions seemed to spill into the stands. Celtics ' fans berated Kidd and his family with chants of `` Wife Beater ! '' in response to Kidd 's 2001 domestic abuse charge. When asked about the fan barbs being traded, Kenyon Martin stated, `` Our fans hate them, their fans hate us. '' Bill Walton said at the time that Nets - Celtics was the `` beginning of the next great NBA rivalry '' during the Eastern Conference Finals in 2002 with the Nets advancing to the NBA Finals, though New Jersey would go on to sweep Boston in the 2003 playoffs. In 2012, the year the Nets returned to New York in the borough of Brooklyn, there were indications that the rivalry might be rekindled when an altercation occurred on the court on November 28, resulting in the ejection of Rajon Rondo, Gerald Wallace, and Kris Humphries. Rondo was suspended for two games in the aftermath, while Wallace and Kevin Garnett were fined. The story was revisited on December 25, when Wallace grabbed Garnett 's shorts and the two had to be broken up by referees and players alike. However, the rivalry between the Nets and the Celtics appeared significantly cooled off by the June 2013 blockbuster trade that dealt Celtics stars Garnett and Paul Pierce to the Nets in exchange for Wallace, Humphries, and others. This move was billed as a merger of the two Atlantic Division teams. Celtics announcer Sean Grande said `` It 's almost as if you found a great home for these guys. You could n't have found a better place. These guys will be in the New York market, they 'll be on a competitive team, they 'll stay on national TV. It 's funny, because the enemy of my enemy is my friend. So with Celtics fans feeling the way they do about the Heat, feeling the way they do about the Knicks, the Nets are going to become almost the second ( Boston ) team now. '' The trade would end up crippling the Nets who posted a record of 151 - 259 following the trade including three consecutive seasons with fewer than 30 wins from 2016 to 2018. Brooklyn would win just one playoff series with Garnett and Pierce, neither of whom were with the team by the close of the 2014 -- 2015 season. The Celtics would use Brooklyn 's draft picks to acquire Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum through the draft in 2016 and 2017 respectively and Kyrie Irving via trade, en route to consecutive appearances in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2017 and 2018. Detroit Pistons Main article : Celtics -- Pistons rivalry The rivalry between the Celtics and the Detroit Pistons peaked in the 1980s, featuring players such as Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Isiah Thomas, Bill Laimbeer, Dennis Rodman, and Joe Dumars. These teams met in the NBA Playoffs five times in 7 seasons from 1985 to 1991, with the Celtics winning in 1985 and 1987, and the Pistons coming out on top en route to back - to - back Finals appearances in 1988 and their championship seasons of 1989 and 1990. Led by Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen in the 2008 Eastern Conference Finals the Celtics defeated the Pistons in 6 games to advance to the NBA Finals where they went on to beat the Lakers also in 6 games. Los Angeles Lakers Main article : Celtics -- Lakers rivalry The rivalry between the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers involves the two most storied franchises in NBA history. It has been called the NBA 's best rivalry. The two teams have met a record twelve times in the NBA Finals, starting with their first Finals meeting in 1959. They would go on to dominate the league in the 1960s and the 1980s, facing each other six times in the 1960s, three times in the 1980s, in 2008, and in 2010. The rivalry had been less intense since the retirements of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird in the early 1990s, but in 2008 it was renewed as the Celtics and Lakers met in the Finals for the first time since 1987, with the Celtics winning the series in six games. They faced off once again in the 2010 NBA Finals which the Lakers won in seven games. The two teams have won the two highest numbers of championships, the Celtics 17, the Lakers 16 ; together, the 33 championships account for almost half of the 70 championships in NBA history. New York Knicks Main article : Celtics -- Knicks rivalry The rivalry between the Celtics and the New York Knicks stems from the location of the teams, both of which are in the NBA 's Atlantic division. It is one of many rivalries between Boston and New York teams. Boston and New York are also the only two original NBA franchises that have remained in the same city for the duration of their existence. The teams have played 512 games against each other during the regular season, with the Celtics winning 276 times. The two teams have also faced each other 61 times during the playoffs, with the Celtics winning 34 times. Philadelphia 76ers Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia 76ers being defended by Celtics ' center Bill Russell Main article : 76ers -- Celtics rivalry The Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers are the two teams who have the most meetings in the NBA Playoffs, playing each other in 19 series, of which the Celtics have won 12. The 76ers are considered as the Celtics ' biggest rival in the Eastern Conference. The rivalry reached its peak when players Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain of the 76ers played each other from 1965 to 1968. Their play would result in the Celtics not winning every NBA Finals series in the 1960s when the Sixers won in 1967. During the early 1980s, the teams constantly fought for conference championships with Larry Bird leading the Celtics and Julius Erving leading the 76ers. Washington Wizards The most recent and unexpected rivalry that has been created between the Celtics is with the Washington Wizards. Although both teams had engaged in a fight in 1984, the rivalry intensified during the 2015 -- 16 season in a January regular season game after Jae Crowder was given a technical foul. Crowder then began to exchange words with then Wizards coach Randy Wittman. It began to escalate that off - season when the Celtics were trying to sign Al Horford. It was publicly reported that Jae Crowder emphasized that the Celtics beat the Wizards in all of their meetings that season and should sign with them rather than Washington. In their first meeting of the 2016 - 17 season, Wall hit Marcus Smart in the back - court when they were up by 20 late in the 4th quarter. Wall was hit with a Flagrant 2 foul and was promptly ejected. Smart immediately got back up and began to scuffle with Wall. Their words continued even after being separated with Wall telling Smart to meet him out back after the game. No incident was reported between the two following the game. In their next meeting, the Celtics won 117 -- 108. However, after the game Wall and Crowder exchanged words in front of the Wizards bench. Crowder ended up trying to jab his finger at Wall 's nose and Wall tried to fight back with a slap. Teammates and coaches from both sides had to step in and separate the two teams but the players continued to yell while entering their respective locker rooms. Police officers had to be on guard between the two locker rooms to ensure no further confrontation. Otto Porter is quoted as calling the Celtics as dirty. Isaiah Thomas replied `` If playing hard is dirty, then I guess we are a dirty team. '' In their next game in January, the Wizards wore all black to enter the game. The notion was that it is similar to the attire of a funeral. Their decision worked as they defeated the Celtics 123 -- 108. The two teams would go on to meet in the Conference Semifinals in the 2017 Playoffs. In Game 1, Markieff Morris landed on Horford 's ankle after shooting a jumpshot. Morris sprained his ankle and had to miss the rest of the game which was a 123 - 111 loss. Morris believed that Horford did this intentionally. In Game 2, Morris retaliated by grabbing Horford by the waist and pushed him into the seats. In Game 3, Kelly Olynyk set a hard screen on Kelly Oubre. Olynyk 's shoulder hit Oubre in the chin causing him to drop to the floor. Oubre angrily rose and pushed Olynyk down onto the floor. Oubre was then assessed a flagrant 2 foul and was ejected while also being suspended for Game 4. No significant altercations erupted in the rest of the seven game series in which the Celtics would go on to win. The rivalry has since dissipated as the Celtics have retooled their roster but their match - ups are still seen as significant as they played on Christmas in 2017. Season - by - season record List of the last five seasons completed by the Celtics. For the full season - by - season history, see List of Boston Celtics seasons. Note : GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, % = Winning Percentage ; Season GP % Finish Playoffs 2012 -- 13 81 41 40. 506 3rd, Atlantic Lost in First Round, 2 -- 4 ( Knicks ) 2013 -- 14 82 25 57. 305 4th, Atlantic Did not qualify 2014 -- 15 82 40 42. 488 2nd, Atlantic Lost in First Round, 0 -- 4 ( Cavaliers ) 2015 -- 16 82 48 34. 585 2nd, Atlantic Lost in First Round, 2 -- 4 ( Hawks ) 2016 -- 17 82 53 29. 646 1st, Atlantic Lost in Conference Finals, 1 -- 4 ( Cavaliers ) 2017 -- 18 82 55 27. 671 2nd, Atlantic Lost in Conference Finals, 3 -- 4 ( Cavaliers ) Records, retired numbers and awards Main article : List of Boston Celtics accomplishments and records The Celtics have a NBA record 17 Championships including 8 in a row, and 11 championships in 13 years. They also have 52 playoff appearances. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame have 40 enshrined players who played for the Celtics, and the franchise has retired 22 jersey numbers, more than any other American sports team. FIBA Hall of Fame Boston Celtics FIBA Hall of Famers Players No. Name Position Tenure Inducted 6 Bill Russell 1956 -- 1969 2007 36 Shaquille O'Neal 2010 -- 2011 2017 Home arenas Boston Garden TD Garden Arena Location Duration Boston Arena Boston, Massachusetts 1946 -- 1955 Boston Garden 1955 - 1995 TD Garden 1995 -- present Players Main article : Boston Celtics all - time roster Current roster Boston Celtics roster Players Coaches Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB ( YYYY - MM - DD ) From 7001460000000000000 ♠ 46 Baynes, Aron 7000208279999999999 ♠ 6 ft 10 in ( 2.08 m ) 260 lb ( 118 kg ) 1986 -- 12 -- 09 Washington State 7001260000000000000 ♠ 26 Bird, Jabari 7000198120000000000 ♠ 6 ft 6 in ( 1.98 m ) 200 lb ( 91 kg ) 1994 -- 07 -- 03 California G / F 7000700000000000000 ♠ 7 Brown, Jaylen 7000200659999999999 ♠ 6 ft 7 in ( 2.01 m ) 225 lb ( 102 kg ) 1996 -- 10 -- 24 California 7001200000000000000 ♠ 20 Hayward, Gordon 7000203200000000000 ♠ 6 ft 8 in ( 2.03 m ) 226 lb ( 103 kg ) 1990 -- 03 -- 23 Butler F / C 7001420000000000000 ♠ 42 Horford, Al 7000208279999999999 ♠ 6 ft 10 in ( 2.08 m ) 245 lb ( 111 kg ) 1986 -- 06 -- 03 Florida 7001110000000000000 ♠ 11 Irving, Kyrie 7000190500000000000 ♠ 6 ft 3 in ( 1.91 m ) 193 lb ( 88 kg ) 1992 -- 03 -- 23 Duke -- Lemon, Walter ( TW ) 7000190500000000000 ♠ 6 ft 3 in ( 1.91 m ) 180 lb ( 82 kg ) 1992 -- 07 -- 26 Bradley 7001130000000000000 ♠ 13 Morris, Marcus 7000205740000000000 ♠ 6 ft 9 in ( 2.06 m ) 235 lb ( 107 kg ) 1989 -- 09 -- 02 Kansas 7001370000000000000 ♠ 37 Ojeleye, Semi 7000200659999999999 ♠ 6 ft 7 in ( 2.01 m ) 235 lb ( 107 kg ) 1994 -- 12 -- 05 SMU 7001120000000000000 ♠ 12 Rozier, Terry 7000187960000000000 ♠ 6 ft 2 in ( 1.88 m ) 190 lb ( 86 kg ) 1994 -- 03 -- 17 Louisville 7001360000000000000 ♠ 36 Smart, Marcus 7000193040000000000 ♠ 6 ft 4 in ( 1.93 m ) 220 lb ( 100 kg ) 1994 -- 03 -- 06 Oklahoma State 5000000000000000000 ♠ 0 Tatum, Jayson 7000203200000000000 ♠ 6 ft 8 in ( 2.03 m ) 205 lb ( 93 kg ) 1998 -- 03 -- 03 Duke F / C 7001270000000000000 ♠ 27 Theis, Daniel 7000205740000000000 ♠ 6 ft 9 in ( 2.06 m ) 243 lb ( 110 kg ) 1992 -- 04 -- 04 Germany 7000900000000000000 ♠ 9 Wanamaker, Brad 7000193040000000000 ♠ 6 ft 4 in ( 1.93 m ) 209 lb ( 95 kg ) 1989 -- 07 -- 25 Pittsburgh 7001440000000000000 ♠ 44 Williams, Robert 7000208279999999999 ♠ 6 ft 10 in ( 2.08 m ) 241 lb ( 109 kg ) 1997 -- 10 -- 17 Texas A&M 7001300000000000000 ♠ 30 Yabusele, Guerschon 7000203200000000000 ♠ 6 ft 8 in ( 2.03 m ) 260 lb ( 118 kg ) 1995 -- 12 -- 17 France Head coach Brad Stevens Assistant coach ( es ) Jerome Allen Jay Larrañaga Scott Morrison Micah Shrewsberry Jamie Young Legend ( C ) Team captain ( DP ) Unsigned draft pick ( FA ) Free agent ( S ) Suspended ( GL ) On assignment to G League affiliate ( TW ) Two - way affiliate player Injured Roster Transactions Last transaction : 2018 -- 07 -- 08 Retained draft rights The Celtics hold the draft rights to the following unsigned draft picks who have been playing outside the NBA. A drafted player is ostensibly either an international draftee or a college draftee who is not signed by the team that drafted him, is allowed to sign with any non-NBA teams. In this case, the team retains the player 's draft rights in the NBA until one year after the player 's contract with the non-NBA team ends. This list includes draft rights that were acquired from trades with other teams. Draft Round Pick Player Pos. Nationality Current team Note ( s ) Ref Captains Former Celtics captain Paul Pierce being defended by LeBron James All - time Team captains Captain Tenure Bob Cousy 1950 -- 1963 Frank Ramsey & Bill Russell 1963 -- 1964 Bill Russell 1964 -- 1966 John Havlicek January 16, 1967 -- 1978 Jo Jo White & Dave Cowens October 17, 1978 -- November 14, 1978 Jo Jo White November 14, 1978 -- January 30, 1979 Dave Cowens & Chris Ford January 31, 1979 -- 1979 Dave Cowens 1979 -- October 1, 1980 Larry Bird 1983 -- 1992 Reggie Lewis 1992 -- 1993 Robert Parish 1993 -- 1994 Dominique Wilkins & Dee Brown 1994 -- 1995 Dee Brown 1995 -- 1996 Rick Fox 1996 -- 1997 Dee Brown & Antoine Walker October 8, 1997 -- December 2, 1997 Dee Brown, Antoine Walker, & Pervis Ellison December 2, 1997 - February 18, 1998 Antoine Walker and Pervis Ellison February 18, 1998 -- 1998 Antoine Walker 1998 -- 1999 Antoine Walker & Dana Barros 1999 -- 2000 Antoine Walker & Paul Pierce 2000 -- 2003 Paul Pierce 2003 -- 2013 Rajon Rondo January 17, 2014 -- December 19, 2014 Franchise leaders Bold denotes still active with team. Italic denotes still active but not with team. Points scored ( regular season ) ( as of the end of the 2016 -- 17 season ) 1. John Havlicek ( 26,395 ) 2. Paul Pierce ( 24,021 ) 3. Larry Bird ( 21,791 ) 4. Robert Parish ( 18,245 ) 5. Kevin McHale ( 17,335 ) 6. Bob Cousy ( 16,955 ) 7. Sam Jones ( 15,411 ) 8. Bill Russell ( 14,522 ) 9. Dave Cowens ( 13,192 ) 10. Jo Jo White ( 13,188 ) 11. Bill Sharman ( 12,287 ) 12. Tom Heinsohn ( 12,194 ) 13. Antoine Walker ( 11,386 ) 14. Don Nelson ( 9,968 ) 15. Satch Sanders ( 8,766 ) 16. Frank Ramsey ( 8,378 ) 17. Cedric Maxwell ( 8,311 ) 18. Reggie Lewis ( 7,902 ) 19. Ed Macauley ( 7,882 ) 20. Dennis Johnson ( 6,805 ) 21. Danny Ainge ( 6,257 ) 22. Kevin Garnett ( 6,233 ) 23. Ray Allen ( 5,987 ) 24. Bailey Howell ( 5,812 ) 25. Rajon Rondo ( 5,783 ) 26. Don Chaney ( 5,689 ) 27. Dee Brown ( 5,512 ) 28. Larry Siegfried ( 5,420 ) 29. K.C. Jones ( 5,011 ) 30. Avery Bradley ( 5,000 ) 31. Kevin Gamble ( 4,895 ) 32. Rick Fox ( 4,759 ) 33. Tiny Archibald ( 4,550 ) 34. Isaiah Thomas ( 4,422 ) 35. Eric Williams ( 4,248 ) 36. Paul Silas ( 3,744 ) 37. Dino Radja ( 3,733 ) 38. Gerald Henderson ( 3,521 ) 39. Jeff Green ( 3,252 ) 40. Brandon Bass ( 3,216 ) 41. Chris Ford ( 3,194 ) 42. Jim Loscutoff ( 3,156 ) 43. Dana Barros ( 3,109 ) 44. Sherman Douglas ( 2,981 ) 45. Ricky Davis ( 2,940 ) 46. Steve Kuberski ( 2,929 ) 47. Kendrick Perkins ( 2,917 ) 48. Jared Sullinger ( 2,856 ) 49. Rick Robey ( 2,829 ) 50. Walter McCarty ( 2,806 ) Other statistics ( regular season ) ( as of April 18, 2017 ) Most minutes played Player Minutes John Havlicek 46,471 Bill Russell 40,726 Paul Pierce 40,360 Robert Parish 34,977 Larry Bird 34,443 Bob Cousy 30,131 Kevin McHale 30,118 Dave Cowens 28,551 Jo Jo White 26,770 Sam Jones 24,285 Most rebounds Player Rebounds Bill Russell 21,620 Robert Parish 11,051 Dave Cowens 10,170 Larry Bird 8,974 John Havlicek 8,007 Kevin McHale 7,122 Paul Pierce 6,651 Satch Sanders 5,798 Tom Heinsohn 5,749 Antoine Walker 4,782 Most assists Player Assists Bob Cousy 6,945 John Havlicek 6,114 Larry Bird 5,695 Rajon Rondo 4,474 Paul Pierce 4,305 Bill Russell 4,100 Jo Jo White 3,686 Dennis Johnson 3,486 K.C. Jones 2,908 Dave Cowens 2,828 Most steals Player Steals Paul Pierce 1,583 Larry Bird 1,556 Rajon Rondo 990 Robert Parish 873 Antoine Walker 828 Dee Brown 675 Danny Ainge 671 Dennis Johnson 654 Dave Cowens 569 Reggie Lewis 561 Most blocks Player Blocks Robert Parish 1,703 Kevin McHale 1,690 Larry Bird 755 Paul Pierce 668 Kendrick Perkins 646 Dave Cowens 473 Reggie Lewis 417 Kevin Garnett 394 Cedric Maxwell 378 Tony Battie 369 Most three - pointers made Player 3 - pointers made Paul Pierce 1823 Antoine Walker 937 Ray Allen 798 Larry Bird 649 Avery Bradley 520 Isaiah Thomas 460 Walter McCarty 417 Dana Barros 416 Danny Ainge 348 Eddie House 332 Coaches Head coaches Main article : List of Boston Celtics head coaches Red Auerbach coached the Boston Celtics to 9 NBA titles, with eight straight between 1959 and 1966. There have been 17 head coaches in Celtics ' history. Red Auerbach is the most successful franchise 's head coach having won 9 NBA championships with the team. Celtics ' legend Bill Russell took coaching duties from Auerbach and led them to 2 NBA championships while playing and coaching at the same time. The other two coaches that won 2 NBA titles with the team are Tom Heinsohn and K.C. Jones. Both Bill Fitch and Doc Rivers led the Celtics to 1 NBA championship the latter being the most recent coach to do so. Brad Stevens is the team 's current head coach. Assistant coaches All - time Assistant coaches Name Tenure Name Tenure Danny Silva 1946 -- 1948 Dana Barros February 2004 - end of 2003 -- 04 Henry McCarthy 1948 -- 1950 Jim Brewer 2004 -- 2006 Art Spector 1949 -- 1950 Paul Cormier February 2004 -- 2005 John Killilea 1972 -- 1977 Tony Brown 2004 -- 2007 K.C. Jones 1977 -- 1983 1996 -- 1997 Kevin Eastman 2004 -- 2013 Satch Sanders 1977 -- 1978 Armond Hill 2004 -- 2013 Bob McKinnon 1978 -- 1979 Paul Pressey 2004 -- 2006 Jim Rodgers 1980 -- 1988 Dave Wohl 2004 -- 2007 Chris Ford 1983 -- 1990 Clifford Ray 2005 -- 2010 Ed Badger 1984 -- 1988 Mike Longabardi 2007 -- 2013 Lanny Van Eman 1988 -- 1990 Tom Thibodeau 2007 -- 2010 Don Casey 1990 -- 1996 Lawrence Frank 2010 -- 2011 Jon P. Jennings 1990 -- 1994 Roy Rogers 2010 -- 2011 Dennis Johnson 1993 -- 1997 Tyronn Lue 2011 -- 2013 John Kuester 1995 -- 1997 Jamie Young 2011 -- present Winston Bennett 1997 -- 1998 Jay Larrañaga 2012 -- present Jim O'Brien 1997 -- 2001 Ron Adams 2013 -- 2014 John Carroll 1997 -- 2004 Micah Shrewsberry 2013 -- present Mark Starns 1997 -- 2001 Walter McCarty 2013 -- 2018 Kevin Willard 1997 -- 2001 Darren Erman 2014 -- 2015 Lester Conner 1998 -- 2004 Jerome Allen 2015 -- present Andy Enfield 1998 -- 2000 Scott Morrison 2017 -- present Dick Harter 2001 -- 2004 Frank Vogel 2001 -- 2004 Logos and uniforms Logos The Celtics ' wordmark, used since the 1969 -- 70 season The Boston Celtics logo since the early 1960s features a leprechaun spinning a basketball, named Lucky. It was originally designed by Zang Auerbach, the brother of Celtics head coach Red Auerbach. For a long time, the logo 's only colors were black, white and green. Then for the 1996 -- 97 season, celebrating the club 's 50th anniversary, the logo got a full - color treatment. Lucky 's face and hands were both painted tan, while gold was included on the vest, bow tie and hat, as well as brown on the ball and shillelagh, and black on its pants and shoes. The Celtics also have various alternative logos, with the most popular being a white shamrock with the letters `` Celtics '' above it, wrapped in a green circle, which has been used since the 1998 -- 99 season. The alternate logo is based on logos used by the Celtics before they used the Zang Auerbach leprechaun. For much of its history, the shamrock was trimmed in gold, as seen in the old team warmup jackets. A new secondary logo, unveiled in 2014, featured a variation of the leprechaun logo, in silhouette form. Uniforms `` Icon '' and `` Association '' uniforms For much of their history, the Celtics wore green uniforms on the road and white uniforms at home. The basic template of the current Celtics ' uniforms were formalized in the 1950s, and along the way they made a few adjustments in the lettering and stripes. Among the more notable changes in the uniforms were the switch from serifed to sans - serif block lettering in 1968, the addition of names in 1972, and the incorporation of the three - leaf shamrock logo in 1998. While the white uniforms remained largely intact, the green uniforms have featured either the city name ( 1950s -- 1965 ; 2014 -- present ) or the team name ( 1965 -- 2014 ). When Nike became the NBA 's uniform provider in 2017 they decided to eliminate the ' home ' and ' away ' uniform designations. Thus the white Celtics uniforms became known as the `` Association '' uniforms while the green uniforms became the `` Icon '' uniforms. Both sets are now used regardless of home and road games. In January 2017, the Celtics signed a multi-year deal with General Electric where they became the `` exclusive Data and Analytics partner '' for the team. As part of the deal, GE agreed to pay the Celtics more than $7 million per year to have the uniforms with a GE logo prominently placed on the left shoulder of jerseys in green and white. This was the first time a corporate logo were placed on the game uniforms. Along with the GE logo, the Nike logo now emblazons the right shoulder of the Celtics ' uniforms. Alternate uniforms From 2005 to 2017, the Celtics wore alternate green uniforms with black lettering and trim featuring the word `` Boston '' on the front side. One noticeable difference in the alternate uniforms were the black panels with a green shamrock, reminiscent of the original Celtics uniforms worn in the late 1940s. A gray uniform set was also used from 2014 to 2017. Dubbed `` Parquet Pride '', the uniforms featured sleeves ( a prominent figure in Adidas ' NBA uniforms ), white letters with green trim, the silhouetted leprechaun logo on the shorts, the shamrock logo on the left leg, and a parquet - like pattern on the sides. For 2017 and beyond, the Celtics will wear black `` Statement '' uniforms ( labeled by Nike in reference to the league 's third jerseys ). Its features include green letters with white trim, green panels with black shamrock and white player names. The team name is prominently featured in front. The Celtics will also wear a fourth alternate uniform, dubbed by Nike as the `` City '' uniforms. Their first `` City '' uniforms are in gray and features a pattern of the parquet floor throughout, a green shamrock with white trim on the left leg, green letters with white trim, Red Auerbach 's signature near the uniform tag, and a portion of the 2008 championship banner on the beltline. Special uniforms Between 2006 and 2017, the Celtics wore special St. Patrick 's Day uniforms. The initial uniforms were worn from 2006 to 2013 and it strongly resembled their regular green uniforms save for gold and white trim and the city name in front. For 2014 and 2015, the uniforms were sleeved, replaced the city name in front in favor of the team name, and now resembled their green / black alternates. In 2016 and 2017, the uniforms were again sleeveless and featured the city name in front, but kept the previous striping. During the NBA Europe Live Tour prior to the 2007 -- 08 season, the Celtics used the alternate road jerseys in their game against the Toronto Raptors in Rome, except that the words `` Boston '' on the front side of the jersey and the shamrock on the shorts and on the reverse side of the jersey contained the green, white and red tricolors of the Italian flag. In the second game in London, the regular road jerseys featured a patch containing the Union Jack. At the 2008 -- 09 season opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Celtics wore a modified version of their home uniforms, accented with gold, to commemorate last season 's championship team. The Celtics have also worn special edition Christmas Day uniforms since the 2008 -- 09 season. For the first four games, they wore their regular green uniforms modified with the NBA logo inside a snowflake. Then in the 2012 -- 13 season, they wore monochrome uniforms with green lettering trimmed in white. For the 2016 -- 17 season, the Celtics wore a special green uniform with a more ornate script lettering, but without the additional striping. Memorial patches During the 2006 -- 07 season, the Celtics wore a commemorative patch of a black shamrock with the nickname `` Red '' in green letters on the right top of the jersey in remembrance of Red Auerbach, who died shortly prior to the beginning of the season. The team has honored deceased members of the Celtics family with a commemorative black band on the left shoulder strap of the jersey. It has been featured eight times in the history of the franchise : Walter Brown ( 1964 -- 65 ), Bob Schmertz ( 1975 -- 76 ), Joan Cohen ( 1989 -- 90 ), Johnny Most ( 1993 -- 94 ), Reggie Lewis ( 1993 -- 94 ), Dorothy Auerbach ( 2000 -- 01 ), Dennis Johnson ( 2006 -- 07 ), Jim Loscutoff ( 2015 -- 16 ) and Jo Jo White ( 2017 -- 18 ). The Celtics also wore a black band for reasons not related to the franchise, such as the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013, and the death of Isaiah Thomas ' younger sister during the 2017 NBA Playoffs. Uniform traditions The team also had the tradition of wearing black sneakers through most of their history, except during the early 1980s when they wore green sneakers. According to legend, Celtics patriarch Red Auerbach had a problem with the white sneakers, claiming that the white sneakers can easily get dirty ; hence starting a long tradition with the black sneakers. But prior to the 2003 -- 04 season, current Celtics GM Danny Ainge and captain Paul Pierce suggested wearing white sneakers, in due part to a growing number of teams wearing black sneakers. Auerbach gladly accepted and the white sneakers have remained since on home games. They still wore the black sneakers on away games, but in the 2008 -- 09 season, they wore white sneakers with green and gold accents while wearing their St. Patrick 's Day jerseys on the road. Most recently, when the Celtics play on Christmas Day, they wore white or green sneakers with red and gold accents. Since the 2009 -- 10 season, the NBA relaxed its rules on specified sneaker colors, and Celtics players are now seen wearing custom - made and personalized sneakers at home and on the road, although for the most part they wear either green, white or black sneakers. The Celtics were the only team to wear warmup jackets with the player names on the back. During the 1980s, this style was dominant in most NBA warmup jackets, but by the late 1990s, this style gradually declined. The Celtics, however, kept the design in keeping with tradition, before discontinuing the practice after the 2011 -- 12 season in favor of a templated jacket design common to all 30 teams. Television and radio Main article : List of Boston Celtics broadcasters NBC Sports Boston is the Boston Celtics ' main television outlet, having aired its games since 1981 when the station was known as PRISM New England. In 1983, it rebranded as SportsChannel New England. Like all the other SportsChannel networks, the New England channel was rebranded as Fox Sports New England when former owner Cablevision entered into a partnership with Liberty Media and News Corporation in 1998. Comcast purchased Cablevision 's original network stake in 2001, then acquired the remaining stake in what was now FSN New England in 2007 and rebranded the network as Comcast SportsNet New England. In 2017, all CSN networks ( including CSN New England ) were renamed as NBC Sports Regional Networks in reference to Comcast 's current ownership of NBCUniversal. Mike Gorman provides the play - by - play with former Celtics player and coach Tommy Heinsohn serving as analyst for home games, while former Celtics ' player Brian Scalabrine serves as analyst for road games. Abby Chin serves as courtside reporter. The Celtics can be heard on 98.5 the Sports Hub during all Boston Celtics games, all season long from preseason to postseason. The play - by - play announcer is Sean Grande with commentary from Cedric Maxwell. On September 26, 2013, the Celtics and 98.5 The Sports Hub announced a multi-year partnership in which the Boston Celtics games will be broadcast on the market 's leading sports station. Beginning with the 2013 -- 14 season, 98.5 The Sports Hub will feature select pre-season games, and all regular and post-season matchups, as well as produce extended pre - and postgame shows focused entirely on the Celtics. Management Ownership history Ownership history Owner Tenure Boston Garden - Arena Corporation June 6, 1946 -- July 31, 1950 Walter A. Brown / Lou Pieri July 31, 1950 -- September 7, 1964 Lou Pieri and Marjorie Brown, wife of team founder September 7, 1964 -- June 24, 1965 Marvin Kratter / Knickerbocker Brewing Company, subsidiary of National Equities June 24, 1965 -- 1968 Ballantine Brewery, subsidiary of Investors Funding Corporation 1968 -- 1969 1971 -- 1972 Trans - National Communications 1969 -- 1971 Irv Levin and Harold Lipton April 1972 -- May 1972 * November 1975 -- 1978 Robert Schmertz / Leisure Technology May 1972 -- January 1975 Robert Schmertz / Leisure Technology, Irv Levin, and Harold Lipton January 1975 -- November 1975 John Y. Brown, Jr. and Harry T. Mangurian, Jr. 1978 -- 1979 Harry T. Mangurian, Jr. 1979 -- 1983 Don Gaston, Alan N. Cohen, Paul Dupee 1983 -- 1993 Paul Gaston 1993 -- 2002 Boston Basketball Partners L.L.C. -- consisting of Wycliffe Grousbeck, Stephen Pagliuca, H. Irving Grousbeck and The Abbey Group, represented by Robert Epstein 2002 -- present * Sale not approved by NBA Team presidents All - time Team presidents President Tenure Walter A. Brown 1946 -- 1963 Louis Pieri 1963 -- 1965 Jack Waldron 1965 -- 1967 1968 -- 1970 Clarence H. Adams 1967 -- 1968 Red Auerbach 1970 -- 1997 1997 -- 2001 Rick Pitino 1997 -- 2001 Rich Gotham 2007 -- present General managers GM history GM Tenure Walter A. Brown 1946 -- 1951 Red Auerbach 1951 -- 1984 Jan Volk 1984 -- 1997 Chris Wallace 1997 -- 2007 Danny Ainge 2007 -- present Other Name Position Tenure Dave Gavitt CEO 1990 -- 1994 Larry Bird Special assistant to front office 1992 -- 1997 M.L. Carr Director of Basketball Operations 1994 -- 1997 Danny Ainge President of Basketball Operations 2003 -- present Medical staff Team physicians All - time Team physicians Physician Tenure Dr. Robert Steinsieck 1956 -- 1958 Dr. Jack Longford 1958 -- 1959 Dr. John Doherty 1959 -- 1969 Dr. Thomas Silva 1969 -- 1987 Dr. Arnold Scheller 1987 -- 2005 Dr. Brian McKeon 2005 -- present Team athletic trainers All - time Athletic Trainers Trainer Tenure Harry Cohen 1946 -- 1958 Buddy LeRoux 1958 -- 1967 Joe DeLauri 1967 -- 1972 Frank Challant 1972 -- 1979 Ray Melchiorre 1979 -- 1987 Ed Lacerte 1987 -- 2017 Art Horne 2017 -- present Boston Celtics Communications Main articles : WEEI ( AM ) and WFXT Boston Celtics Communications is a broadcasting division of the Celtics. In September 1989, the team through its owners, Don Gaston, Alan N. Cohen and Paul Dupee acquired radio station WEEI ( on the 590 frequency now known as WEZE ) from CBS Radio, as well as Fox affiliated station WFXT from Fox Television Stations. The sale was completed on May 10, 1990. CBS discontinued its association with WEEI that year, and they instead joined ABC Direction. WEEI, which had already carried Celtics broadcasts since 1987, expanded its sports programming to cover the Boston Bruins and certain Sports Byline USA and CBS Radio Sports broadcasts. However, WEEI was sold off in 1994, and would later reemerge as the name of an ESPN - radio affiliate, Sportsradio 850 WEEI. WFXT continued to carry the Fox network programming ; however, during the team 's ownership of the station, they broadcast the team 's games and they also had a news share agreement with regional cable news channel New England Cable News in 1993. WFXT meanwhile was reacquired by Fox Television Stations group, and once again was Fox owned - and - operated from 1995. See also National Basketball Association portal The Sports Museum ( at TD Garden ) Notes Jump up ^ This pick originally belonged to the Brooklyn Nets, but was sent to the Celtics in the 2013 trade involving Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. The Nets had the worst record in the previous season, which gave the Celtics the highest chance of winning the lottery. References Jump up ^ `` NBA.com/Stats -- Boston Celtics seasons ''. National Basketball Association. Retrieved January 10, 2017. Jump up ^ `` History : Team by Team '' ( PDF ). Official National Basketball Association Guide 2017 -- 18. National Basketball Association. October 30, 2017. Retrieved April 4, 2018. ^ Jump up to : `` Creation of a Logo ''. NBA.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Retrieved March 4, 2018. ^ Jump up to : Snow, Taylor C. ( September 21, 2017 ). `` Celtics Showcase New Nike Uniform System ''. NBA.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Retrieved November 26, 2017. 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The New York Times. Retrieved June 17, 2017. Jump up ^ `` NBA : Most frequent playoff matchups ''. McCubed.net. Jump up ^ Ryan, Bob ( May 12, 1985 ). `` Celtics - 76ers has been a playoff tradition ''. The Boston Globe. Retrieved June 17, 2017. Jump up ^ http://www.celticslife.com/2017/04/the-last-time-celtics-played-washington.html Jump up ^ `` How Celtics - Wizards became the NBA 's most unexpected rivalry ''. ESPN.com. Retrieved 2018 - 04 - 02. Jump up ^ Buckner, Candace ( 2017 - 12 - 24 ). `` Things change, but NBA hopes Wizards - Celtics rivalry still brings Christmas magic ''. Washington Post. ISSN 0190 - 8286. Retrieved 2018 - 04 - 02. Jump up ^ Dodson, Aaron ( 2017 - 05 - 05 ). `` Kelly Oubre Jr. vs. Kelly Olynyk : In the battle of the Kellys, Twitter stood by Oubre Jr ''. The Undefeated. Retrieved 2018 - 04 - 02. Jump up ^ `` Celtics Hall of Famers ''. NBA.com. Retrieved 8 February 2012. Jump up ^ `` Retired Numbers -- Celtics ''. NBA.com. Retrieved 8 February 2012. Jump up ^ Coon, Larry. `` NBA Salary Cap FAQ -- 2011 Collective Bargaining Agreement ''. Retrieved April 13, 2014. If the player is already under contract to, or signs a contract with a non-NBA team, the team retains the player 's draft rights for one year after the player 's obligation to the non-NBA team ends. Essentially, the clock stops as long as the player plays pro ball outside the NBA. Jump up ^ `` C 's Captain a Work in Progress ''. Telegram & Gazette. February 28, 1999. Jump up ^ AP ( October 10, 1963 ). `` Celtics Vow To Be Champions ''. Gadsden Times. Retrieved 3 June 2012. Jump up ^ AP ( January 16, 1967 ). `` Havlicek Celtic Captain ''. The Day. Retrieved 3 June 2012. Jump up ^ UPI ( October 12, 1978 ). `` White, Cowens captains ; Maxwell to start Friday ''. Bangor Daily News. Retrieved 3 June 2012. Jump up ^ UPI ( February 1, 1979 ). `` Celtics Defuse Rockets ''. The Telegraph. Retrieved 3 June 2012. Jump up ^ `` Cowens Calls It Quits ''. The Daily Union Democrat. October 2, 1980. Retrieved 3 June 2012. Jump up ^ UPI ( October 28, 1983 ). `` Talented, ambitious Celtics in opener at Detroit tonight ''. Bangor Daily News. Retrieved 3 June 2012. ^ Jump up to : AP ( October 14, 1992 ). `` Celtics name Lewis captain ''. Bangor Daily News. Retrieved 3 June 2012. Jump up ^ Hohman, Ralph ( October 31, 1993 ). `` Celtics wish for a new star ''. Record - Journal. Retrieved 3 June 2012. Jump up ^ AP ( November 2, 1994 ). `` Brown, Wilkins appointed as co-captains for Celtics ''. Sun Journal. Retrieved 3 June 2012. Jump up ^ AP ( October 11, 1995 ). `` High Hopes at Celts ' Camp ''. The Hour. Retrieved 3 June 2012. Jump up ^ The Associated Press ( November 28, 1996 ). `` Magic Edge Hawks ''. Gainesville Sun. Retrieved 3 June 2012. Jump up ^ Holley, Michael ( October 9, 1997 ). `` Pitino does his analysis play by play ''. The Boston Globe. ^ Jump up to : AP ( December 3, 1997 ). `` Pitino names Ellison captain ''. Sun Journal. Retrieved 3 June 2012. Jump up ^ Holley, Michael ( February 19, 1998 ). `` Pitino Plies Trade Again ''. The Boston Globe. Jump up ^ Bulpett, Steve ( October 27, 1999 ). `` Walker, Barros will captain ship ''. Boston Herald. Jump up ^ `` Pierce, Walker are Co-Captains ''. Telegram & Gazette. October 12, 2000. Jump up ^ `` C 's Name Rondo Captain On Night of Return ''. Retrieved 30 June 2015. ^ Jump up to : `` Boston Celtics : Players ''. Basketball Reference. 2017 - 04 - 18. Retrieved 2017 - 04 - 18. ^ Jump up to : Managements and Captains, nba.com. Retrieved December 16, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Boston Celtics Announce New Alternate Logo ''. NBA.com ( Press release ). NBA Media Ventures, LLC. July 21, 2014. Retrieved July 26, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Celtics unveil new alternate logo ''. ESPNBoston.com. July 21, 2014. Retrieved July 26, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Celtics x Nike ''. NBA.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. September 21, 2017. Retrieved March 4, 2018. Jump up ^ Sutherland, Brooke ( 2018 - 03 - 22 ). `` GE 's Nickel - and - Diming Included a Payroll Switch ''. Bloomberg News. Retrieved 2018 - 03 - 22. Jump up ^ Martin, Dylan ( January 25, 2017 ). `` GE Just Struck a Major Partnership with the Celtics ''. BostInno. Retrieved January 26, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Boston Celtics Unveil New Alternate Road Uniforms ''. NBA.com ( Press release ). NBA Media Ventures, LLC. November 21, 2005. Retrieved November 19, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Boston Celtics and adidas Unveil Parquet Pride Collection ''. NBA.com ( Press release ). NBA Media Ventures, LLC. November 6, 2014. Retrieved July 26, 2015. Jump up ^ `` NIKE NBA CITY EDITION UNIFORM '' ( Press release ). Nike, Inc. December 27, 2017. Retrieved December 27, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Boston Celtics Unveil Special St. Patrick 's Uniforms ''. NBA.com ( Press release ). NBA Media Ventures, LLC. March 6, 2006. Retrieved November 19, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Celtics unveil green, sleeved St. Patrick 's Day jerseys by Adidas ''. Sports Illustrated. March 11, 2014. Retrieved November 19, 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` 2007 -- 08 Downloadable Media Guide '' ( PDF ). nba.com. p. 223. Jump up ^ Kahn, Joseph P. ( May 11, 2003 ). `` Celtics court change with a move to white sneakers ''. The Boston Globe. Jump up ^ `` Celtics, 98.5 The Sports Hub Announce Multi-Year Broadcast Partnership `` CBS Boston ''. Boston.cbslocal.com. 2013 - 09 - 26. Retrieved 2013 - 10 - 25. Jump up ^ `` Brown, Pieri Purchases Celtics Basketball Club ''. The Hartford Courant. August 1, 1950. Jump up ^ `` New Owner But Red Is Still Boss of Celts ''. Lewiston Evening Journal. January 14, 1975. Retrieved 2010 - 03 - 14. Jump up ^ Paul Gaston to run Celtics ; Cohen out, highbeam.com September 2, 1993. Retrieved February 2, 2003. Jump up ^ `` Celtics ' owner dispute is more confused than ever ''. The Tuscaloosa News. July 22, 1974. Retrieved 2010 - 03 - 14. Jump up ^ Rich Gotham, Team President, nba.com. Retrieved November 19, 2010. Jump up ^ Chris Wallace, General Manager, nba.com. Retrieved December 16, 2010. ^ Jump up to : Danny Ainge, Executive Director of Basketball Operations and General Manager, nba.com. Retrieved December 16, 2010. ^ Jump up to : Boston Celtics : Medical Staff, http://www.museumstuff.com. Retrieved November 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Celtics and trainer Ed Lacerte and conditioning coach Bryan Doo part ways '', The Boston Globe, July 15, 2017. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Boston Celtics. Official website Boston Celtics Founded in 1946 Based in Boston, Massachusetts Franchise Franchise Team history All - time roster Seasons Accomplishments Head coaches Current season Arenas Boston Arena Boston Garden Hartford Civic Center TD Garden The Auerbach Center ( practice facility ) Administration Boston Basketball Partners ( owner ) Wyc Grousbeck ( CEO ) Wyc Grousbeck, H. 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Question: when was the last time the celtics made it to the finals
Answer: 2017–18