The 2024 NBA Finals between the Celtics and Mavericks are going to make history, one way or another.
Dallas is down 3-0 in the series, a deficit from which no NBA team has ever recovered. The teams are 0-156 all-time after losing the first three games, and only a few teams, including last year’s Celtics team, have forced a Game 7.
If the Mavericks can’t become the first team to do so, then the Celtics will win their 18th championship. That will break the tie between them and the Lakers for the most in NBA history.
It’s been a long championship drought for the Celtics, at least by the organization’s lofty standards. Here’s a look at the organization’s championship history as they inch closer to their first title in 16 years.
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When was the last time the Celtics won the championship?
The Celtics won their 17th championship in 2008. It was the first year of the team’s “Big 3” era with Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen as the team’s three stars, and they won 66 games during the regular season.
Boston endured tough tests from the Hawks, Cavaliers and Pistons on its way to the NBA Finals. The series against Detroit was the only one that did not last seven games (it was six).
The Celtics faced the Lakers in the NBA Finals and beat them 4-2. They defeated the Kobe Bryant-led team in Game 6 at TD Garden, outscoring them 131-92 in a final-game blowout to clinch the title.
Pierce was named series MVP after averaging 21.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1.2 steals per game with shooting splits of .432/.393/.830. The victory also generated the famous “Anything is possible!” by Garnett. scream, which has since become a popular internet meme.
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Celtics NBA Championships
The Celtics reached the 2024 NBA Finals with 17 championships to their name. That is tied for the most in history with the Lakers, one of their historic rivals.
Below is a complete breakdown of the Celtics’ 17 NBA championships:
- 1957: Celtics defeat St. Louis Hawks, 4-3
- 1959: The Celtics defeat the Minneapolis Lakers, 4-0
- 1960: Celtics defeat St. Louis Hawks, 4-3
- 1961: Celtics defeat St. Louis Hawks, 4-1
- 1962: Celtics defeat Los Angeles Lakers, 4-3
- 1963: Celtics defeat Los Angeles Lakers, 4-2
- 1964: The Celtics defeat the San Francisco Warriors, 4-1
- 1965: Celtics defeat Los Angeles Lakers, 4-1
- 1966: Celtics defeat Los Angeles Lakers, 4-3
- 1968: Celtics defeat Los Angeles Lakers, 4-2
- 1969: Celtics defeat Los Angeles Lakers, 4-3
- 1974: Celtics defeat Milwaukee Bucks, 4-3
- 1976: Celtics defeat Phoenix Suns, 4-2
- 1981: Celtics defeat Houston Rockets, 4-2
- 1984: Celtics defeat Los Angeles Lakers, 4-3
- 1986: Celtics defeat Houston Rockets, 4-2
- 2008: Celtics defeat Los Angeles Lakers, 4-2
When was the last time the Celtics were in the finals?
The Celtics were last in the NBA Finals in 2022. They played the Warriors and had a 2-1 lead in the series before losing the final three games to lose 4-2.
A lot has changed for the Celtics since then. Ime Udoka is no longer Boston’s head coach, while key players Marcus Smart, Robert Williams III and Grant Williams are no longer with the team.
NBA teams with the most championships
The Celtics and Lakers entered the 2024 NBA Finals tied for the most championships with 17. There are three other teams with at least five championships: the Warriors (7), Bulls (6) and Spurs (5).
Below are all NBA teams that have won at least two championships during their franchise’s history.
| Equipment | championships | Final appearances |
| Lakers | 17 | 32 |
| celts | 17 | 23 |
| Warriors | 7 | 12 |
| Bulls | 6 | 6 |
| Spurs | 5 | 6 |
| 76ers | 3 | 9 |
| Pistons | 3 | 7 |
| Heat | 3 | 7 |
| Knicks | 2 | 8 |
| rockets | 2 | 4 |
| Dollars | 2 | 3 |
