The Boston Celtics were established in 1946, and since their inception, they have become the most winningest franchise in the history of basketball. In fact, their 17 world titles are good for nearly 25 percent of the titles won in the history of the sport, which is an incredible feat. They were one of eight teams to survive the first decade of the NBA, and in every decade, they have shown dominance over the competition.
Starting in the 1950s, the Celtics were led by Bob Cousy, who would go on to be a Hall of Fame player. Legendary owner Red Auerbach brought in Bill Russell during the late 1950s, and through the 1960s, and the big center led the team to 11 championships. Ten years later, the team drafted the incredible Larry Bird out of Indiana State, and led the franchise through their next decade of dominance.
The battles between Bird and Magic Johnson are legendary, and it only added to the fire of the rivalry between the Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers. Playing inside the Boston Garden, those NBA Finals matchups are the stuff of legend, and all you have to do is look up at the banners in the new TD Garden to see how ridiculously good this franchise has been for the last sixty years.
A new Big Three was formed in Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen, who led the Celtics back to the top of the NBA landscape. Pierce finished his career as the second leading scorer all-time in Celtics history, behind only John Havlicek. It has been quite a ride for the Celtics, whose current roster has the talent to make a run at their 18th title.