Boston Celtics Autographs, Memorabilia & Collectibles

The Boston Celtics are a professional basketball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and are one of the most storied franchises in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The team was established in 1946 as one of the league's original eight teams. Renowned for their rich history and winning culture, the Celtics have a record of 17 NBA Championships, as of my knowledge cutoff in 2021, tied with the Los Angeles Lakers for the most in the league. Their first title came in 1957, but the team's golden age was from 1959 to 1966 when they won an unprecedented eight consecutive championships under the leadership of legendary coach Red Auerbach and center Bill Russell.

The Celtics experienced another dominant period in the 1980s with a team that included Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish, all Hall of Famers. In the modern era, they won another championship in 2008 with a team led by Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen, known as the "Big Three." The team's long-standing rivalry with the Los Angeles Lakers, highlighted by multiple NBA Finals confrontations, is considered one of the greatest in NBA history. The teams first met in the Finals in 1959, and their rivalry was especially intense in the 1980s due to their numerous Finals encounters.

Beyond their on-court success, the Celtics are known for breaking racial barriers. Chuck Cooper, drafted by the team in 1950, was one of the first African American players in the league. In 1966, Bill Russell became the first African American head coach in the NBA while playing for the Celtics. The team's home games are held at the TD Garden, an arena they share with the NHL's Boston Bruins.