Other than winning NBA World Championship titles in Boston, Kevin McHale, Dennis Johnson, Red Auerbach and Robert Parish had something else in common. The Celtics retired each of their numbers – even Auerbach, whose No. 2 went up in the rafters during a ceremony on January 4, 1985. The number followed Celtics founder Walter Brown’s […]

Just when it appeared that Reggie Lewis was ready to take over the reins from the likes of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish, the unthinkable happened. Lewis passed away suddenly just weeks after leading the Celtics to the 1993 NBA Playoffs. This ball, with another unknown message, was signed by the 1992 All-Star […]

TD Garden exhibits historic relics from the old Celtics arena, including this gem. What better embodies the franchise than a piece of Boston Garden parquet signed by eight of the greatest players in team history and Celtics patriarch Red Auerbach? Between all nine men, this group owned 61 NBA World Championship rings!

The Celtics felt good coming off their 1981 NBA World Championship title, which the 1981-82 yearbook documented in a 13-page section. In addition to team photos and bios, the yearbook had ads featuring players: Kevin McHale on a “date” at Boston ’80s hotspot Jason’s Restaurant (which included the phrase “Now I know where Kevin got […]

When the hard-playing Celtics experienced bumps and bruises during the game, trainer Ray Melchiorre helped players get back onto the court. “I remember someone once telling me, ‘This is the N.B.A. and you’ve got to play hurt,’ but I never had a team that more exemplified the saying,” Melchiorre said of the 1987 squad. He […]

Celtics fans showed their support for their favorite players during the 1981 NBA Finals against the Houston Rockets. Rick Robey, Kevin McHale, Larry Bird, Tiny Archibald, Chris Ford and Robert Parish all earned shoutouts in this section! Boston’s fan banner game was so strong that reporters occasionally crowned a “banner of the game,” which was […]

Children of a certain era know exactly what someone means when they say “Starter jacket.” The brightly-colored satin jackets were on the sidelines of NBA games just as often as playgrounds and classrooms during the 1980s and ’90s. With players such as Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish and Dennis Johnson wearing these threads, it’s no wonder why kids found the jackets to be […]

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 […]