Meet the Celtics I f you want to experience a winning tradition go to a Boston Boston Celtics game and tilt your head up There hanging from the the rafters of the arena is one championship banner after another r Other banners show the uniform numbers of the team’s great stars of the past The Celtics are one of the oldest and most successful teams in sports history They have won championships in five different decades the 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s and in the first decade of the 21st century They have smashed records and broken barriers and made green and white the unofficial colors of basketball This book tells the story of the Celtics Their dedication to ry winning through unselfish team play sets an example for every player wearing the Boston uniform It also serves as a reminder to er to other teams in the National Basketball Association NBA and and in all sports that excellence is a goal well worth shooting for Kris Humphries and Jeff Green battle for a rebound in a 2013 14 game The Celtics take pride in winning as a team 5
d f f i h h Glory Days D uring the 1920s and 1930s the sport of professional l basketball struggled to attract loyal fans High school and college games were much more popular However in the years after World War II the pro game started to make headlines across the United States A new league called the Basketball Association of America BAA formed in 1946 It later merged with the National Basketball League to form the NBA One of the new league’s driving forces was Walter Brown He owned the BAA’s club in Boston which he named the Celtics After struggling for a few years the Celtics became a winning team during the 1950 51 season Three new faces made the difference coach Red Auerbach guard Bob Cousy and center Ed Macauley Auerbach came to Boston with the belief that a fast-paced offense could win championships At the time there was no shot clock in the NBA 6
Most teams held the ball for a long time waiting for an easy scoring chance With Macauley grabbing rebounds and throwing long passes to Cousy the Celtics were able to beat opponents down the court for quick baskets In 1956 the Celtics traded for a young center named Bill Russell He was a ferocious defensive player and a great rebounder perfect for Auerbach’s system With Russell shutting down opponents on defense and Cousy leading the charge on offense Boston was practically unstoppable Russell and Cousy made up the heart of a club that included other fine players such as Bill Sharman Frank Ramsey Tom Heinsohn and Jim Loscutoff Boston won the NBA championship in 1956 57 lost in the NBA Finals in 1957 58 and then went on an amazing streak From 1958 59 to 1968 69 the Celtics were NBA champions 10 times Auerbach was a genius when it came to fitting new players into his system As veterans retired they were replaced by talented stars that LEFT Bob Cousy led Boston’s fast-paced offense ABOVE Bill Russell soars above the rim on the cover this NBA guide 7
