History of the Boston Celtics

This is a history of the Boston Celtics. The Boston Celtics are an American basketball team currently playing in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Over the years, the Celtics have won 17 NBA Championships. The Celtics were formed in 1946 as a team in the Basketball Association of America, and became part of the National Basketball Association after the merger of the BAA and the National ... more

This is a history of the Boston Celtics. The Boston Celtics are an American basketball team currently playing in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Over the years, the Celtics have won 17 NBA Championships. The Celtics were formed in 1946 as a team in the Basketball Association of America, and became part of the National Basketball Association after the merger of the BAA and the National Basketball League to form the NBA in the fall of 1949. In 1950, the Celtics became the first franchise to draft an African American player, signing Chuck Cooper. The Celtics had struggled during their early years, but the hiring of Coach Red Auerbach would change their fortunes. One of the first major players to join the Celtics was Bob Cousy, whom Auerbach initially refused to draft. Cousy eventually became the property of the Chicago Stags. When that franchise went bankrupt, Cousy was acquired by the Celtics in a dispersal draft. He would... less