When was the last time the Boston Celtics won the NBA Finals? Full list of championship years
By Ian Levy
The Boston Celtics have a legacy that rivals any team in professional sports. They're tied with the Los Angeles Lakers for the most championships in NBA history, 17. In the 1950s and 1960s, they won eight championships in a row and 10 in 12 seasons.
The Celtics are now looking to add to that total. They were a juggernaut in the regular season and have advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals to take on the Indiana Pacers. If they can make it to the Finals and beat either the Minnesota Timberwolves or Dallas Mavericks they'll have their 18th championship and sole possession of the record for most in NBA history. They'd also end a 15-year drought since their last title.
When was the last time the Boston Celtics won the NBA Finals?
The Celtics have lost their last two appearances in the NBA Finals — in 2022 against the Warriors and 2010 against the Lakers. That means the last time they won a title was the famous 2008 season, over the Lakers and led by franchise legends Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo. The current championship drought is the second-longest in franchise history, creeping up on the 21-year span between their 1986 championship and the 2008 titles.
But to really understand the historic dominance of the Celtics, you really need to look at more than just their 17 championships and widen the lens to their 22 appearances in the NBA Finals.
Boston Celtics history in the NBA Finals
SEASON | FINALS RESULT | OPPONENT |
|---|---|---|
1956-57 | Won Finals | Hawks |
1957-58 | Lost Finals | Hawks |
1958-59 | Won Finals | Lakers |
1959-60 | Won Finals | Hawks |
1960-61 | Won Finals | Hawks |
1961-62 | Won Finals | Lakers |
1962-63 | Won Finals | Lakers |
1963-64 | Won Finals | Warriors |
1964-65 | Won Finals | Lakers |
1965-66 | Won Finals | Lakers |
1967-68 | Won Finals | Lakers |
1968-69 | Won Finals | Lakers |
1973-74 | Won Finals | Bucks |
1975-76 | Won Finals | Suns |
1980-81 | Won Finals | Rockets |
1983-84 | Won Finals | Lakers |
1984-85 | Lost Finals | Lakers |
1985-86 | Won Finals | Rockets |
1986-87 | Lost Finals | Lakers |
2007-08 | Won Finals | Lakers |
2009-10 | Lost Finals | Lakers |
2021-22 | Lost Finals | Warriors |
That's right, the Celtics have a 17-5 record in the NBA Finals all-time. In the 26-year span between the 1958-59 season and the 1983-84 season they made 14 appearances in the NBA Finals and won them all.
Fittingly, the Celtics' most frequent opponent in the NBA Finals has been the Lakers. They've met in the NBA Finals 12 times with the Celtics winning nine times. However, the Celtics have won just one of their last four NBA Finals matchups against the Lakers, going back to 1984-85. The other teams they've played in the Finals multiple times are the Rockets (1-1), Warriors (1-1) and Hawks (3-1).
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