The Celtics are synonymous with basketball.
No NBA team has won more championships. No NBA team has won more individual games. And no NBA team has played more games.
Boston’s basketball history is rich, and to many, the word “Celtics” simply means basketball.
But while the Celtics and their name have been a part of the NBA for nearly 80 years, not everyone likely knows how the team got its name or mascot.
Jugo Mobile takes a look at the history of the Celtic name and the history of the mascot in Boston.
What is a Celt?
For many in the United States, the first thing that comes to mind when they hear “Celtic” is the basketball team. But that is not the case globally.
Celtic, internationally, is most widely recognized as the descriptor of the Celts, who are people who speak the Celtic language. The Celts have lived throughout Europe throughout history, although today they are better known as Irish, Scottish Gaels, and Welsh. Many of those most strongly associated with the “Celts” are the Irish.
When it comes to the team’s name, ironically, it comes from Boston’s fiercest rival sports city: New York. The New York Celtics were founded in 1914, but disbanded due to World War I. They were reformed after World War I and called the Original Celtics. They played at Madison Square Garden, but they were also very much a smash team, playing as many as 205 games nationally. according to the Basketball Hall of Fame.
The Original Celtics stopped storming in 1926 and joined the ABL in 1926, and won ABL titles in 1926 and 1927. They then stormed again in 1930, but stopped doing so in 1941.
When Walter Brown formed the Boston basketball team, he and Howie McHugh, who handled public relations, had a variety of nicknames, including the Whirlwinds, Unicorns and Olympics. according to the Boston Irish Tourism Association. But Brown decided on the Celtics.
The reason was twofold: first, the original Celtics; secondly, the Irish population of Boston.
“We’ll dress them in green uniforms and call them the Boston Celtics,” Brown said. according to the Boston Irish Tourism Association.
boston celts mascot
It wasn’t long before the Celtics adopted a mascot, Lucky the Leprechaun.
Celtics coach Red Auerbach asked his brother to design a logo for Boston. according to the Boston Irish Tourism Association. The mascot featured aspects of 1950s Irish Americans, including a bowler hat, pipe, shamrock clothing, and a shillelagh.
The mascot has remained almost the same over the years. In the early years, he jumped into the air, but by 1968-69, he had transitioned to a cross-legged standing posture supported by the shillelagh. by SportsLogos.net. Since then, some minor color adjustments have been made.
How many NBA championships have the Celtics won?
The Celtics have won 17 championships, tied with the Lakers for the most in the NBA. Boston hasn’t won a title since the 2007-08 championship, but was the most dominant team of the 1950s and ’60s, winning 11 championships in 13 seasons between 1956-57 and 1968-69.
Here’s a look at every Celtics appearance in the NBA Finals:
| Season | Adversary | Games | Record | NBA Finals MVP |
| 1956-57 | Falcons | 7 | G, 4-3 | N/A |
| 1957-58 | Falcons | 6 | L, 4-2 | N/A |
| 1958-59 | Lakers | 4 | W, 4-0 | N/A |
| 1959-60 | Falcons | 7 | G, 4-3 | N/A |
| 1960-61 | Falcons | 5 | G, 4-1 | N/A |
| 1961-62 | Lakers | 7 | G, 4-3 | N/A |
| 1962-63 | Lakers | 6 | G, 4-2 | N/A |
| 1963-64 | Warriors | 5 | G, 4-1 | N/A |
| 1964-65 | Lakers | 5 | G, 4-1 | N/A |
| 1965-66 | Lakers | 7 | G, 4-3 | N/A |
| 1967-68 | Lakers | 6 | G, 4-2 | N/A |
| 1968-69 | Lakers | 7 | G, 4-3 | Jerry West, Lakers |
| 1973-74 | Dollars | 7 | G, 4-3 | John Havlicek, Celts |
| 1975-76 | Suns | 6 | G, 4-2 | Joe White, Celts |
| 1980-81 | rockets | 6 | G, 4-2 | Cedric Maxwell, Celts |
| 1983-84 | Lakers | 7 | G, 4-3 | Larry Bird, Celts |
| 1984-85 | Lakers | 6 | L, 4-2 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Lakers |
| 1985-86 | rockets | 6 | G, 4-2 | Larry Bird, Celts |
| 1986-87 | Lakers | 6 | L, 4-2 | Magic Johnson, Lakers |
| 2007-08 | Lakers | 6 | G, 4-2 | Paul Pierce, Celts |
| 2009-10 | Lakers | 7 | L, 4-3 | Kobe Bryant, Lakers |
| 2021-22 | Warriors | 6 | L, 4-2 | Stephen Curry, warriors |
NBA Finals 2024 Schedule
Games 1, 2, 5 and 7 are scheduled to be played at TD Garden in Boston. The series will move to the American Airlines Center in Dallas for Games 3, 4 and 6.
(1) Celtics vs. (5) Mavericks
| Date | Game | Time (ET) | TV/live broadcast |
| June 6th | Game 1 | 8:30 pm | ABC, Sling |
| June 9 | Game 2 | 8 p.m. | ABC, Sling |
| June 12 | Game 3 | 8:30 pm | ABC, Sling |
| June 14th | Game 4 | 8:30 pm | ABC, Sling |
| June 17 | 5* game | 8:30 pm | ABC, Sling |
| June 20th | Game 6* | 8:30 pm | ABC, Sling |
| June 23 | Game 7* | 8 p.m. | ABC, Sling |
*If necessary
