The Celtics had struggled during their early years, until the hiring of coach Red Auerbach. One of the first major players to join the Celtics was Bob Cousy, whom Auerbach initially refused to draft.[3] Cousy eventually became the property of the Chicago Stags.[4] When that franchise went bankrupt, Cousy was acquired by the Celtics in a dispersal draft. After the 1955–56 season, Auerbach made a stunning trade. He sent perennial All-Star Ed Macauley to the St. Louis Hawks along with the draft rights to Cliff Hagan in exchange for the Hawks' first round draft pick, the second overall.[5] After negotiating with the Rochester Royals, Auerbach used the pick to select University of San Francisco center Bill Russell.[6] Auerbach also acquired Holy Cross standout, and 1957 NBA Rookie of the Year, Tommy Heinsohn.[7] Russell and Heinsohn worked extraordinarily well with Cousy, and they were the players around whom Auerbach would build the Celtics for more than a decade. Russell, who delayed joining until the middle of the 1957 season in order to play for the U.S. Olympic Team,[7] had an immediate impact
After Birds' retirement the Celtics fell on hard times. With the death of all-star Reggie Lewis in 1993, the retirement of Kevin McHale, and the departure of Robert Parish, the remaining ties of the glory years were gone. Over the next few years the wins became fewer culminating in a franchise worst record of 15-67 in 1996-1997. One bright spot that year was the arrival of rookie Antoine Walker.
[edit] 1957–1969: The dynasty
 of the season, and the Celtics advanced to the NBA Finals and defeated the St. Louis Hawks in seven games, giving the Celtics the first of their record 17 NBA Championships.[8] In 1958, the Celtics again advanced to the NBA Finals, this time losing to the Hawks in 6 games.[9] However, with the acquisition of K.C. Jones that year, the Celtics began a dynasty that would last for more than a decade.[10] In 1959, with Cousy at point guard, Russell at center and Heinsohn at forward, the Celtics won the NBA Championship after sweeping the Minneapolis Lakers.[11] Still coached by Auerbach, the Celtics won seven more consecutive championships, extending their streak to eight in a row. During that time, the Celtics met the Lakers in the Finals six times, starting an intense and often bitter rivalry. The Celtics would eventually meet the Lakers a total of 11 times in the NBA Finals. In 1964, Auerbach made the Celtics the first team to have an all African American starting lineup. The Boston Celtics of the mid-1950s–60s are widely considered one of the most dominant teams of all- time.[12]
The next year hopes were raised when Rick Patino was hired as coach and president of the team. The team improved by 21 games in the 97-98 season and ended on an upbeat note. It appeared luck was on their side when Kansas star Paul Pierce unexpectedly became available in the 1998 draft.
After the 1966 championship, Auerbach retired as coach and Russell took over as player-coach.[13] With his appointment, Russell also became the first African American coach in the NBA.[14] Auerbach would remain the General Manager, a position he would hold well into the 1980s. However, that year the Celtics' string of NBA titles was broken as they lost to the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference Finals. The aging team managed two more championships in 1968 and 1969, defeating the Lakers each time in the NBA Finals.[15] Russell retired after the 1969 season, effectively ending a dominant Celtics dynasty that had garnered 11 NBA titles in 13 seasons.[16] The streak of 8 consecutive NBA championships is the longest streak of consecutive championships in U.S. professional sports history.[17]
Pierce showed from the beginning that he was a special talent and has developed into a premier scorer, all around player, and team leader. He became the fastest Celtic to score 10,000 points and has became a perennial all-star. Since his arrival the team has had some success including a trip to the Eastern Conference finals in 2002.
[edit] 1970–1978: Rebuilding the dynasty
The 1970 season was a rebuilding year, as the Celtics had their first losing record since the 1949–50 season, the year prior to Auerbach's arrival.[18] However, with the acquisition of Dave Cowens, Paul Silas, and Jo Jo White, the Celtics soon became dominant again.[19] After losing in the Eastern Conference Finals in 1972, the Celtics regrouped and came out determined in 1973 and posted an excellent 68–14 regular season record. But the season ended in disappointment, as they were upset in 7 games by the New York Knicks in the Conference Finals.[20] The Celtics returned to the playoffs the next year, defeating the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Finals in 1974 for their 12th NBA Championship.[21] The teams split the first four games, and after the Celtics won Game 5 in Milwaukee they headed back to Boston leading three games to two, with a chance to claim the title on their home court. However, the Bucks won Game 6 when Kareem Abdul-Jabbar nestled in a hook shot with three seconds left in the game's second overtime, and the series returned to Milwaukee. But Cowens was the hero in Game 7, scoring 28 points, as the Celtics brought the title back to Boston for the first time in five years. In 1976, the team won yet another championship,
The next year, Danny Ainge, a key member of the championship teams of the 80's returned to the Celtics as the Director of Basketball Operations. Ainge has retooled the team bringing exciting, athletic, and talented young players to develop as a unit together. With the superstar Pierce leading the way as the captain, there is reason for hope that the glory days will be returning to Boston.
defeating the Phoenix Suns in 6 games. The Finals featured one of the greatest games in the history of the NBA. With the series tied at two games apiece, the Suns trailed early in the Boston Garden, but came back to force overtime. In double overtime, a Gar Heard turn-around jumper at the top of the key sent the game to an unprecedented third overtime, at which point the Celtics prevailed.[22] Tommy Heinsohn coached the team for those two championships. After the 1976 championship and a playoff appearance in 1977, Boston went into another phase of rebuilding.
With sixteen Championships, and twenty eight Hall of Famers, the Celtics established the standard for basketball excellence. Powered by the amazing skills of their superstars, they adeptly integrated their lesser players into roles best suited for their talents. When the Celtics were at their best, it was poetry in motion on a basketball court. Some say the Celtics success is related to their logo, the smiling leprechaun; but any basketball historian will tell you that luck had nothing to do with it.
In the 1977 NBA Draft, the Celtics drafted a young forward from the UNC Charlotte named Cedric Maxwell.[23] Maxwell did not contribute much in his rookie season, but he showed promise. Auerbach's job became even tougher following the 1977–78 in which they went 32–50 as John Havlicek, the Celtics All-Time leading scorer, retired after 16 seasons