A new championship era in Boston began in the 1980-81 season with the additions of Robert Parish and Kevin McHale to a young team that already featured Larry Bird, Gerald Henderson and Cedric Maxwell. The roster combinations worked out for Coach Bill Fitch as the Celtics captured their 14th NBA World Championship title. Bird had […]

Larry Bird had been out of the lineup for weeks when Boston met the Indiana Pacers in the 1992 Eastern Conference First Round. Thankfully, the Celtics didn’t require any heroics from the Indiana native and swept the Pacers in three games. The next matchup in the semifinals against the Cleveland Cavaliers proved more challenging. Although […]

The early 1980s Celtics didn’t have “Showtime” (that belonged to their rivals in Los Angeles), but they did have the original Big Three of Larry Bird, Robert Parish and Kevin McHale. Joining the trio were running mates like future Hall-of-Famer Nate “Tiny” Archibald and 1981 NBA Finals MVP Cedric Maxwell. Together, these five Celtics players […]

After a few disappointing postseason runs, the Celtics turned to K.C. Jones as head coach to take the team to the next level. Jones brought a more relaxed, team-oriented approach to the floor. Ten players appeared in at least 60 games in the 1983-84 regular season, which helped carry the load as Boston went deep […]

Just weeks after collapsing on the court during the 1993 NBA Playoffs, newly-minted captain Reggie Lewis passed away at just 27 years old. The tragic ending made basketball small by comparison, but the games did go on in the 1993-94 season. Team veteran Robert Parish led the charge in his final season with the Celtics. […]

While great offensive players always grab headlines, the Celtics played fantastic defense during much of their long run of success in the 1980s. Under Head Coach K.C. Jones, the Celtics finished in the top five for defensive rating from 1984 to 1986. Said Jones, “We had strong defense, leading to strong offense.” Boston showed off […]

After defeating the Washington Bullets in four games in the 1984 Eastern Conference First Round, the Celtics faced the New York Knicks in the playoffs for the first time in 10 years. The physical semifinals went seven games, but Boston came out on top. In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Celtics took revenge on the […]

Some changes in the Celtics front office unfolded ahead of the 1990-91 season. Big East Conference commissioner and future Hall-of-Famer Dave Gavitt became team CEO and former Celtics player Chris Ford took over as head coach. Young stars Reggie Lewis, Brian Shaw, Kevin Gamble and Dee Brown paired well with mainstays Larry Bird, Robert Parish […]

The Celtics seemed to be back at full strength in the 1989-90 season with Larry Bird’s return from injury, productive seasons from Kevin McHale, Robert Parish and Dennis Johnson, and the emergence of Reggie Lewis as a starter. The team improved its win total by 10 and won the first two games of their opening-round […]

Imagine what the final season of the Boston Garden could have been with Len Bias and Reggie Lewis. Bias would have been just 31 early in the 1994-95 season and Lewis just 28. The loss of these young stars resonated deeply in the mid-1990s as the superstars of the past retired – first Dennis Johnson, […]