While Larry Bird became the biggest star of Boston’s 1980s NBA World Championship teams, he was always a little uncomfortable with the spotlight directly on him. Said Bird at his farewell celebration in 1993, “I was nervous coming out here. I was kind of emotional before I walked out. Scared.” Bird continued by saying he […]

Did you have one of these pennants growing up? This one lists the players who helped bring NBA World Championship No. 16 to Boston, including Hall-of-Famers Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Dennis Johnson and Bill Walton. The Celtics defeated the Houston Rockets, led by the “Twin Towers” of Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson and […]

There were high expectations for the Celtics in the 1985-86 season after two straight NBA Finals appearances, and this team did not disappoint. Led by All-Stars Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish, the Celtics won 67 games, the second-most in team history. Incredibly, the team lost only once at home all year – regular […]

The Big Three of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish became the “big five” when Dennis Johnson and Danny Ainge joined them on the floor during the 1987-88 season. The quintet each averaged at least 30 minutes and 12 points per game without much help from the bench. This core powered the Celtics to […]

The Celtics always have great point guards on their championship teams, such as Bob Cousy, K.C. Jones, Jo Jo White, Tiny Archibald and Dennis Johnson. Rajon Rondo added his name to that elite group with his play in the 2008 NBA Playoffs. Rondo averaged 10.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 6.6 assists in the postseason, including […]

Boston fans had their sign game on display during the 1984 celebration honoring the NBA World Championship title-winning Celtics. These pieces of support for Kevin McHale and Dennis Johnson were just a few of dozens spotted in the crowd that day.

Dennis Johnson provided the Celtics with a much-needed spark. After Boston won the 1981 NBA World Championship title but failed to make the NBA Finals over the next two seasons, Red Auerbach traded for DJ, the 1979 NBA Finals MVP with the Seattle SuperSonics. Johnson’s defensive intensity and basketball intelligence paid immediate dividends as the […]

Larry Bird and the Celtics weren’t going to be intimidated by the “Bad Boy” Detroit Pistons. Watch what happened after notorious Pistons center Bill Laimbeer tackled Bird in the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals!

Watch Larry Bird steal the ball from Detroit Pistons legend Isiah Thomas, feed Dennis Johnson and steal a win from the Pistons in the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals.

Just one day after winning the 15th NBA World Championship title in franchise history, members of the Celtics were feted by President Ronald Reagan at the White House. Just back from a trip to his ancestral Ireland, Reagan compared Boston’s basketball team to the Celtic warriors of old. “You threw yourselves into that final battle […]