The Boston Celtics are one of the most storied franchises in NBA history, boasting a rich legacy of dominance with a record 17 championships. Renowned for their iconic players like Bill Russell, Larry Bird, and Paul Pierce, the Celtics have played a pivotal role in shaping the league's history with their unparalleled success and enduring impact on basketball culture.
Throwback NBA Boston Celtics Jerseys
One of the most famous throwback NBA jerseys of all time is the Boston Celtics jersey. Their uniform hasn't changed much during their 71-year history.
The Celtics' uniforms on the road were green, and their home uniforms were white. During the franchise's glory days, Hall of Fame players like Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, John Havlicek, and Larry Bird wore these home jerseys with green piping, lettering, and numbers.
During the 1950s, the Celtics formalized the design of their uniforms. Their traditional white uniforms have stayed mostly the same. Their green uniforms had the city name until 1965, and the team name thereafter. They also made minor changes to the lettering and stripes over time.
Both the road and home jerseys of the 1972-73 season had the players' last names over the numbers, which was the most significant change to the Celtics jerseys over the years. Other notable changes include the transition from serif to sans-serif block lettering on the uniforms in 1968, and a new shamrock logo with three leaves introduced in 1998.
You can view the collection of vintage Boston Celtics jerseys at Custom Throwback Jerseys.
History of the Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics were founded in 1946. As one of the most successful franchises in sports history, the Celtics won 11 of 13 championships from 1957 to 1969. The team has won 17 NBA championships overall, the most of any NBA franchise.
Despite this, the Celtics did not have an easy start. Things looked bleak for the team after an early 22–46 record and losing each of its first four seasons. They struggled until the hiring of coach Red Auerbach in 1950.
One of the first great players to join the Celtics was Bob Cousy. Auerbach also acquired University of San Francisco Center Bill Russell and 1957 NBA Rookie of the Year Tom Heinsohn in the following years. Russell and Heinsohn played very well with Cousy, and they were the foundation Auerbach built his Celtics championship team around for over a decade.
During the 1957 NBA Finals, the Celtics won the first of their record 17 championships by defeating the St. Louis Hawks. 1958 marked the Celtics' second trip to the NBA Finals, but this time they lost to the Hawks in six games.
The Celtics achieved a dynasty that would last for more than a decade with the acquisition of KC Jones. In 1959, the Celtics won another NBA Championship after sweeping the Minneapolis Lakers. This was the first of their record eight consecutive championships in the following years, the longest in U.S. professional sports history.
In 1970, Boston's first losing season since 1949–50 marked the start of a rebuilding season. However, with the addition of future Hall of Famers Dave Cowens and Jo Jo White, the Celtics quickly became dominant again.
In 1974, the Celtics won their 12th NBA championship after defeating the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Finals. Then, after beating the Phoenix Suns in six games, the team won yet another championship in 1976. Following the 1977 playoffs, the Celtics went into another rebuilding phase.
In the following NBA draft, Boston selected sharpshooting forward Larry Bird. He is known as one of the greatest players in league history and arguably the most beloved Celtic.
By the 1980s, the Celtics were back to dominating and again competing with the Los Angeles Lakers, led by Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish, known as "The Big Three," led the Celtics to three more championships in 1981, 1984, and 1986.