Boston Celtics Events

1978 Boston Celtics draft Larry Bird with the 6th pick of the NBA Draft
June 9, 1978 Drafted sixth overall as a junior-eligible by the Celtics, behind Mychal Thompson (Portland), Phil Ford (Kansas City), Rick Robey (Indiana), Micheal Ray Richardson (New Yor...
1979 Jun 8 Larry Bird Signs 5-Year Deal with Boston Celtics
June 8, 1979 Signs a five-year, $3.25 million contract with the Celtics shortly before he would've reentered the NBA Draft. At the time, it was the largest rookie contract in sports his...
1980 May 29 Larry Bird is Named Rookie of the Year
May 29, 1980 Named NBA Rookie of the Year after averaging 21.3 points, 10.4 rebounds and 4.5 assists, and leading the Celtics to a then-record 32-game improvement (29-53 to 61-21). Also ...
1981 May 5
to 1981 May 14
 1981 NBA Finals - Celtics Defeat Rockets
The 1981 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1980-81 NBA season, pitting the Boston Celtics against the Houston Rockets. For the 1980-81 season Houston Rock...
1984 May 27
to 1984 Jun 12
 1984 NBA Finals- Celtics Defeat Lakers
The 1984 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1983-84 NBA season. In 1984, the Boston Celtics defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in a seven-game Finals, winning Ga...
1984 Jun 25 Larry Bird is Named League MVP
In 1984, the Celtics defeated the Lakers in a seven-game Finals, winning game seven 111–102. Bird averaged 27.4 points on .484 shooting and 14 rebounds a game during the series, earning t...
1985 May 27
to 1985 Jun 9
 1985 NBA Finals - Lakers Defeat Celtics
The 1985 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1984–85 NBA season. The Boston Celtics were looking to repeat as NBA Champions for the first time since the 1968-...
1985 Jun 3 Larry Bird Wins Second Straight League MVP
In 1985, however, the Lakers avenged the loss, defeating the Celtics in game 6 of the Finals in the Boston Garden. In a losing effort against Los Angeles, Bird averaged 23.8 points on .44...
1986 Apr 20 Michael Jordan Scores 63 Points Against the Boston Celtics in Round One of the NBA Playoffs
Jordan was able to play in only 18 regular-season games in his second year in the NBA, after breaking a small bone in his foot in Chicago's third game of the year. Although he was encoura...
1986 May 26
to 1986 Jun 8
 1986 NBA Finals- Celtics Defeat Rockets
The 1986 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1985-86 NBA season. It pitted the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics against the Western Conference champion Houston Rockets....
1986 Jun 2 Larry Bird Wins Third Straight MVP
Joins Bull Russell (1961-63) and Wilt Chamberlain (1966-68) as the only players in NBA history to win three consecutive MVP awards. Averaged 25.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 2.0...
1987 Jun 2
to 1987 Jun 14
 1987 NBA Finals - Lakers Defeat Celtics
The 1987 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1986-87 NBA season. The match took place between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics. The Lakers won 4–2, beating the Celti...
1992 Aug 18 Larry Bird Announces Retirement
Following his Olympic experience, on August 18, 1992, Bird announced his retirement as an NBA player. He finished his career with averages of more than 24 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assist...
1993 Feb 4 Boston Celtics Hold Larry Bird Night at the Garden
Feb. 4, 1993 In an unprecendented move, the Celtics hold Larry Bird Night at the Garden—with no game scheduled—to celebrate Bird's career and retire his number. Scalpers would get as muc...
1998 Jun 29 Larry Bird Elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame
June 29, 1998 Elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame. Along with Hawks coach Lenny Wilkens, Harlem Globetrotter Marques Haynes, longtime NBA/ABA coach Alex Hannum, 13-year NBA veteran A...
2007 Nov 2 Boston Celtics defeat Washington Wizards, 103-83
The first shot was certainly interesting. "I was soooo jacked up," said Kevin Garnett. "As you can see by my first shot, which went off the backboard." Off? He's lucky it didn't go ...
2007 Nov 4 Boston Celtics defeat Toronto Raptors, 98-95
TORONTO - It's a dream of Tom Thibodeau's to be an NBA head coach one day. But if the first-year Celtics assistant never gets the opportunity, he always will have yesterday's victory on a...
2007 Nov 7 Boston Celtics defeat Denver Nuggets, 119-93
More than 1,000 members of Reebok's staff were on hand as Nuggets guard Allen Iverson was presented with bronzed sneakers Sept. 19 in the lobby of the company's Canton headquarters in hon...
2007 Nov 9 Boston Celtics defeat Atlanta Hawks, 106-83
2007 Nov 10 Boston Celtics defeat New Jersey Nets, 112-101
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Every once in a while an NBA team shows what it's made of by overcoming a major challenge. more stories like this Maybe it's a character challenge, or a physic...
2007 Nov 16 Boston Celtics defeat Miami Heat, 92-91
Although it was on life support last night, the Celtics' undefeated start is alive. more stories like this After blowing a 15-point, fourth-quarter lead, the Celtics pushed their reco...
2007 Nov 18 Orlando Magic defeat Boston Celtics, 104-102
ORLANDO, Fla. - Dreams may come true down the road from here at Disney World. But even the biggest Celtics fans couldn't have thought their team would be perfect all season. "We're not...
2007 Nov 21 Boston Celtics defeat Golden State Warriors, 105-82
This is Don Nelson's 29th season as an NBA head coach. Only two players on the Golden State Warriors roster were even alive when Nelson began his career in Milwaukee in 1976. He was 97 wi...
2007 Nov 23 Boston Celtics defeat Los Angeles Lakers, 107-94
Many Celtics fans wore shirts that read, "Beat LA." The sellout crowd of 18,624 at TD Banknorth Garden included a long list of celebrities. And it was the first time the Celtics' star tri...
2007 Nov 24 Boston Celtics defeat Charlotte Bobcats, 96-95
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The Bobcats had had only one starting lineup change in their first 12 games. Last night, the team was prepared to make a second change, announced that it wouldn't, then ...
2007 Nov 27 Cleveland Cavaliers defeat Boston Celtics, 109-104
The Celtics have had the bull's-eye on their chest ever since acquiring Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett in the offseason to join Paul Pierce. But today, they are the hunters against the Caval...
2007 Nov 29 Boston Celtics defeat New York Knicks, 104-59
Say hello to the 2007 New York Knicks. Clowns to the left. Jokers to the right. As dysfunctional families go, the Knicks make the Osbournes look like the Cleavers. This team needs Dr. Phi...
2007 Nov 30 Boston Celtics defeat Miami Heat, 95-85
MIAMI - Temperatures were in the 80s yesterday. Inside air-conditioned AmericanAirlines Arena, things got even hotter for the Celtics last night as they cooled off dramatically in the fou...
2007 Dec 2 Boston Celtics defeat Cleveland Cavaliers, 80-70
The clock oddly struck at 12:30 p.m. for tip-off. Cavaliers star LeBron James was sitting on the bench in street clothes. And the weary Celtics and the sold-out TD Banknorth Garden crowd ...
2007 Dec 5 Boston Celtics defeat Philadelphia 76ers, 113-103
PHILADELPHIA - Celtics forward Paul Pierce fondly remembers how his then-struggling team played the role of spoiler last season by winning a road game against the eventual NBA champion Sp...
2007 Dec 7 Boston Celtics defeat Toronto Raptors, 112-84
The Celtics' starting five had to work as hard in the fourth quarter as the fans sitting across from them in courtside seats. more stories like this With their starters on the bench, ...
2007 Dec 8 Boston Celtics defeat Chicago Bulls, 92-81
CHICAGO - Rajon Rondo jumped in front of the spotlight usually reserved for the Celtics' star trio last night. more stories like this Rondo had a well-rounded game with 18 points on 9...
2007 Dec 12 Boston Celtics defeat Sacramento Kings, 90-78
Only one team in Celtics history has felt more comfortable at home than the 2007-08 edition. And the current Celtics are just one win shy of joining that team from 23 years ago in the liv...
2007 Dec 14 Boston Celtics defeat Milwaukee Bucks, 104-82
Ray Allen has been questioned recently about his career-low shooting numbers. Maybe a sore right ankle that he has kept quiet about has something to do with it. The Celtics guard misse...
2007 Dec 16 Boston Celtics defeat Toronto Raptors, 90-77
TORONTO - The Celtics' top-ranked defense made the Raptors' offense colder than it was outside the Air Canada Centre on this snowy day. more stories like this The Celtics improved to ...
2007 Dec 19 Detroit Pistons defeat Boston Celtics, 87-85
It was like hearing a song that reminds you of an old flame, or maybe walking past a bakery and smelling a pie that takes you back to happy days in the kitchen of your youth. The Garde...
2007 Dec 21 Boston Celtics defeat Chicago Bulls, 107-82
The in box was loaded Thursday morning, less than 12 hours after the Celtics' first defeat at home. Where is the backup point guard? Why did Doc Rivers have an ice-cold Paul Pierce take t...
2007 Dec 23 Boston Celtics defeat Orlando Magic, 103-91
When the game film from this one gets passed around from team to team, there is going to be a collective imbibing of hemlock across the NBA. Rajon Rondo is now making threes, too? Who's n...
2007 Dec 26 Boston Celtics defeat Sacramento Kings, 89-69
SACRAMENTO - The Celtics finally were able to crown the Kings last night in California's capital city. more stories like this Boston snapped an 11-game losing streak here with an ugly...
2007 Dec 27 Boston Celtics defeat Seattle Supersonics, 104-96
SEATTLE - Delonte West has no ill will toward the Celtics for trading him to the SuperSonics in the offseason. In fact, West would have made the deal, too. more stories like this West...
2007 Dec 29 Boston Celtics defeat Utah Jazz, 104-98
SALT LAKE CITY - As Paul Pierce walked off the hardwood floor, he poetically chanted over and over again, "Road warriors, road warriors!" more stories like this The Celtics advanced t...
2007 Dec 30 Boston Celtics defeat Los Angeles Lakers, 110-91
LOS ANGELES - The Lakers' Phil Jackson will pass late Celtics legend Red Auerbach on the all-time coaching wins list. But it didn't happen on the Celtics' watch. The Celtics completed ...
2008 Jan 2 Boston Celtics defeat Houston Rockets, 97-93
They are the biggest story in the NBA but not the dominant sports topic in their own hometown. They lead the nightly sportscast when they visit other NBA arenas. Not here. They are ...
2008 Jan 4 Boston Celtics defeat Memphis Grizzlies, 100-96
With an Eastern Conference showdown on tap for tonight, it seemed hard for the Celtics to stay focused on a lesser opponent last night. The Celtics improved to an NBA-best 28-3 with a ...
2008 Jan 5 Boston Celtics defeat Detroit Pistons, 92-85
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - How fitting it was that a rookie, a second-round draft pick, no less, was the difference-maker down the stretch last night in a game between teams stocked with veter...
2008 Jan 9 Charlotte Bobcats defeat Boston Celtics, 95-83
The Celtics followed their biggest win of the season by handing the Bobcats possibly the biggest win in their franchise's history. Just days after knocking off the Detroit Pistons, the...
2008 Jan 11 Boston Celtics defeat New Jersey Nets, 86-77
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Maybe they sleep better on the road. Maybe the opposing crowd revs them up. Maybe they are just a really good team and the whole road thing means nothing. Whate...
2008 Jan 12 Washington Wizards defeat Boston Celtics, 85-78
WASHINGTON - After a long and comfortable ride, the Celtics hit a big bump in the road. Boston's road winning streak was snapped at 10 with an 85-78 loss to the Wizards at the Verizon ...
2008 Jan 14 Washington Wizards defeat Boston Celtics, 88-83
Wait till last year? Can we please turn back the calendar to 2007? These Celtics we've seen in 2008 bear little resemblance to the wrecking crew that terrorized the NBA in November and...
2008 Jan 16 Boston Celtics defeat Portland Trail Blazers, 100-90
"Jesus" saved the struggling Celtics last night. Boston defeated the Portland Trail Blazers, 100-90, at sold-out TD Banknorth Garden and snapped a two-game losing streak thanks to Ray ...