Events in Sport
- 1950-04-25 Chuck Cooper becomes the 1st African American to be drafted into the NBA (for Boston Celtics)
Knicks Draft Cousy
1950-10-05 Boston Celtics owner Walter Brown & coach Red Auerbach draw lots out of hat for 3 members of defunct Chicago Stags franchise; hit jackpot with future 6-time NBA champion, Bob Cousy
- 1951-03-02 1st NBA All-Star Game, Boston Garden: East beats West, 111-94; MVP: Ed Macauley, Boston Celtics, G
- 1954-01-21 4th NBA All-Star Game, Madison Square Garden, NYC: East beats West, 98-93 (OT); MVP: Bob Cousy, Boston Celtics, PG
- 1954-01-21 First time in All-Star history, an overtime period is needed to decide a winner; Boston Celtics' guard Bob Cousy's 10-point OT scoring burst gave the East a 98-93 win; Cousy wins All-Star MVP honours
5th NBA All-Star Game
1955-01-18 5th NBA All-Star Game, Madison Square Garden NYC: East beats West, 100-91; MVP: Bill Sharman, Boston Celtics, G
- 1957-01-15 7th NBA All-Star Game, Boston Garden: East beats West, 109-97; MVP: Bob Cousy, Boston Celtics, PG
Sports History
1958-02-12 Boston Celtic Bill Russell grabs 41 rebounds to beat Syracuse Nationals, 119-101
- 1959-02-27 Boston Celtic Bob Cousy sets NBA record with 28 assists Boston Celtics score 173 points against Minneapolis Lakers
- 1959-03-18 Boston Celtic's Bill Sharman begins record of 56 straight free-throws
- 1959-04-09 13th NBA Championship: Boston Celtics sweep Minnesota Lakers in 4 games, first of Boston Celtics record 8 straight titles
- 1960-02-08 Boston Celtic Bill Russell becomes 1st NBAer with 50 rebounds (51)
Chamberlain's Record Rebounds
1960-11-24 Philadelphia center Wilt Chamberlain pulls down NBA record 55 rebounds in Warriors 132-129 defeat to Boston Celtics at Philadelphia Civic Center
- 1961-02-12 Boston Celtic Bill Russell grabs 40 rebounds to beat Philadelphia Warriors, 136-125
- 1962-04-18 16th NBA Championship: Boston Celtics beat LA Lakers, 4 games to 3
- 1963-01-16 13th NBA All-Star Game, LA Memorial Sports Arena: East beats West, 115-108; MVP: Bill Russell, Boston Celtics, C
- 1963-04-24 17th NBA Championship: Boston Celtics beat LA Lakers, 4 games to 2
- 1964-04-26 18th NBA Championship: Boston Celtics beat SF Warriors, 4 games to 1
- 1965-01-23 Boston Celtics' center Bill Russell misses all 14 shots in 104-100 loss to Philadelphia 76ers, led by newly acquired Wilt Chamberlain
- 1965-04-25 19th NBA Championship: Boston Celtics beat LA Lakers, 4 games to 1
Auerbach's 1,000th Win
1966-01-12 Boston Celtics coach Red Auerbach records his 1,000th NBA career victory (regular season and playoffs), 114-102 over the Los Angeles Lakers in Boston
- 1966-04-18 Bill Russell becomes first African American coach in NBA history (Boston Celtics)
- 1966-04-26 Red Auerbach retires as Boston Celtic's coach
- 1966-04-28 20th NBA Championship: Boston Celtics beat LA Lakers, 4 games to 3
- 1968-05-02 22nd NBA Championship: Boston Celtics beat LA Lakers, 4 games to 2
NBA Finals
1969-04-23 LA Lakers guard Jerry West scores 53 points in 120-118 NBA Finals Game 1 win over Boston Celtics at the LA Forum
- 1969-05-05 23rd NBA Championship: Boston Celtics beat LA Lakers, 4 games to 3
- 1969-08-12 Boston Celtics sold for an NBA record $6 million
Sports History
1970-10-13 2 future Basketball Hall of Famers debut; guard Calvin Murphy for San Diego Rockets in 111-96 loss in Chicago; forward Dave Cowens for Boston Celtics in 114-107 loss in New York
- 1973-01-23 23rd NBA All-Star Game, Chicago Stadium: East beats West, 104-84; MVP: Dave Cowens, Boston Celtics, C
- 1973-03-29 Boston Celtic Dave Cowens wins NBA MVP
NBA Record
1973-04-01 Boston Celtics captain John Havlicek scores career high 54 points in 134-109 rout of Atlanta Hawks in Game 1 of 1st round Eastern Conference playoffs; hits NBA playoff record 24-of-36 field-goal attempts
- 1974-05-12 28th NBA Championship: Boston Celtics beat Milwaukee, 4 games to 3
- 1976-06-06 30th NBA Championship: Boston Celtics beat Phoenix Suns, 4 games to 2
- 1978-07-07 NBA approves franchise swap; Buffalo Braves owner John Y. Brown and Harry Mangurian acquire Boston Celtics, while the Celtics owner Irv Levin gets Braves, later moved to San Diego to become the Clippers
- 1979-01-01 John Y. Brown attends his first game as owner of the Boston Celtics NBA franchise after trading the Buffalo Braves to previous Celtics owner, Irving H. Levin
NBA Record
1979-10-12 Boston Celtics guard Chris Ford scores first 3-point basket in NBA history in 1st quarter of 114-106 win v Houston at Boston Garden; game also marks debut of Boston rookie Larry Bird
31st All-Star Game
1981-02-01 31st NBA All-Star Game, Coliseum at Richfield, OH: East beats West, 123-120; MVP: Nate Archibald, Boston Celtics, PG
- 1982-01-31 32nd NBA All-Star Game, Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ: East beats West, 120-118; MVP - Larry Bird, Boston Celtics
- 1982-02-24 Boston Celtics begin an 18 NBA game winning streak
- 1984-06-12 38th NBA Championship: Boston Celtics beat LA Lakers, 4 games to 3, to win the championship title
- 1985-03-12 Larry Bird scores Boston Celtic record 60 points
NBA Finals
1985-06-09 NBA Championship, Boston Garden: Los Angeles Lakers beat Boston Celtics, 111-100 for a 4 games to 2 series victory; Finals MVP: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
- 1986-04-13 Boston Celtics end season with a 40-1 home win record
- 1986-06-08 40th NBA Championship: Boston Celtics beat Hous Rockets, 4 games to 2
- 1987-01-15 Champion Boston Celtics NBA forward Larry Bird is named Man of the Year by 'The Sporting News' and Athlete of the Year by 'Associated Press'; first time one athlete gains both distinctions
- 1987-06-14 41st NBA Championship: LA Lakers beat Boston Celtics, 4 games to 2
- 1988-01-29 Detroit Pistons draw a then record NBA regular season crowd of 61,983 fans to the Pontiac Silverdome for a 125-108 win over the Boston Celtics
- 1988-10-21 Boston Celtics beat Yugoslavia 113-85 in Madrid
- 1988-10-23 Boston Celtics play Spain in Madrid
- 1990-01-09 Boston Celtics worst ever (6 pts in 2nd vs NJ Nets) & lose 87-78
- 1990-04-28 Boston Celtics score most points in a playoff, beat NY Knicks 157-128
- 1993-03-05 Boston Celtic Larry Bird undergoes backfusion surgery
NBA Finals
1993-06-20 NBA Finals: Chicago Bulls become first team since legendary Boston Celtics of the 1960s to win 3 consecutive titles, with a 99–98 victory in Game 6 over Phoenix Suns; MVP: Michael Jordan for third straight year
- 1995-04-21 Boston Celtics final regular season game at Boston Garden, NY Knicks win 98-92
- 1995-11-03 First NBA game at FleetCenter in Boston; Celtics lose to Milwaukee Bucks, 101-100
- 1997-05-06 Rick Pitino becomes coach of Boston Celtics
- 1998-01-18 Boston Celtics retire Robert Parrish's #00
- 2001-10-05 MLB's Atlanta Braves become first pro sports team to win 10 straight division titles after mauling the Marlins, 20-3 to clinch the NL East title; NBA's Boston Celtics (1957-65) & LA Lakers (1982-90) both won 9 in a row
- 2002-05-31 The New Jersey Nets defeat the Boston Celtics 96-88 in Game 6 of the NBA's Eastern Conference Championship, winning the series 4 games to 2 to advance to their first NBA Finals appearance.
- 2007-07-31 Boston Celtics obtain former MVP and 10-time All-Star Kevin Garnett in a 7-for-1 deal with Minnesota Timberwolves; then the NBA's biggest ever trade for one player
- 2008-06-17 NBA Finals: Boston Celtics beat Los Angeles Lakers, 131-92 in Game 6 for first title since 1986 and 17th overall; MVP: Paul Pierce
Sixth Coach to Win 1,000
2008-12-25 Phil Jackson becomes the sixth coach in NBA history to win 1,000 games as his LA Lakers beat Boston Celtics, 92-83 at the Staples Center, Los Angeles
NBA Finals
2010-06-17 NBA Finals: Depending champion Los Angeles Lakers beat Boston Celtics, 83-79 in Game 7 for franchise's 16th NBA title; MVP: Kobe Bryant
- 2016-04-01 The Golden State Warriors NBA record winning home run ends at 54 games with a 109-106 defeat to the Boston Celtics; the loss at Oracle Arena was the Warriors’ first since January 2015
NBA Finals
2022-06-16 NBA Finals: Golden State Warriors beat Boston Celtics, 103-90 for a 4-2 series win; Warriors' 4th title in 8 years; MVP: Stephen Curry
Birthdays in Sport
- 1905-02-10 Walter Brown, American basketball and ice hokey executive (founded and owned Boston Celtics, bought Boston Bruins), born in Hopkinton, Massachusetts (d. 1964)
Red Auerbach (1917-2006)
1917-09-20 American Basketball HOF coach (9xNBA C'ship; NBA Coach of the Year 1965 Boston Celtics; 11×NBA All-Star Game HC) and executive (President Boston Celtics 7× NBA C'ship), born in Brooklyn, New York
- 1924-10-09 Arnie Risen, Basketball Hall of Fame center (NBA All-Star 1952-55; NBA C'ship 1951, 57; Rochester Royals, Boston Celtics), born in Williamstown, Kentucky (d. 2012)
Bill Sharman (1926-2013)
1926-05-25 American Basketball HOF guard (8 × NBA All-Star; 4 x NBA C'ship; Boston Celtics) and coach (NBA C'ship 1972 LA Lakers), born in Abilene, Texas
- 1928-03-22 Ed Macauley, American Basketball Hall of Fame center (7-time NBA All Star), born in St. Louis, Missouri (d. 2011)
Bob Cousy (95 years old)
1928-08-09 Basketball Hall of Fame guard (NBA C'ship 1957, 59-63; NBA MVP 1957; 13 × NBA All-Star 1951–63; Boston Celtics), born in Manhattan, New York
- 1930-02-04 Jim Loscutoff, American basketball forward (NBA champion: 1957, 59–64; Boston Celtics), born in San Francisco, California (d. 2015)
- 1930-11-10 Gene Conley, American baseball pitcher (4 x MLB All Star; Boston/Milwaukee Braves, Philadelphia Phillies) and basketball forward (NBA C'ship 1959–1961; Boston Celtics), born in Muskogee, Oklahoma (d. 2017)
- 1932-05-19 Bill Fitch, American Basketball HOF coach (NBA C'ship 1981, Boston Celtics; NBA Coach of the Year 1976, 80; NBA All-Star coach 1982; Cleveland Cavaliers; NJ Nets, Houston Rockets, LA Clippers), born in Davenport, Iowa (d. 2022)
- 1932-05-25 K. C. Jones, American Basketball Hall of Fame point guard (Olympic gold 1956; NBA C'ship 1959–66, Boston Celtics) and coach (NBA C'ship 1984, 86; Boston Celtics), born in Taylor, Texas (d. 2020)
- 1933-06-24 Sam Jones, American College/Basketball HOF guard (North Carolina Central Uni; 10 × NBA C'ships; NBA All-Star 1962, 64–66, 68; Boston Celtics), born in Wilmington, North Carolina (d. 2021)
Bill Russell (1934-2022)
1934-02-12 American Basketball HOF center (11 × NBA C'ship; 5 x NBA MVP; 12 x NBA All-Star; Boston Celtics; Olympic gold 1956) and coach (NBA C'ship 1968, 69 Boston Celtics), born in West Monroe, Louisiana [1]
- 1934-10-07 Willie Naulls, American basketball small forward (NBA C'ship 1964, 65, 66 Boston Celtics; 4 × NBA All-Star; NY Knicks), born in Dallas, Texas (d. 2018)
- 1937-03-26 Wayne Embry, American Basketball HOF center (5 x NBA All Star; NBA C'ship 1968 Boston Celtics) and executive (NBA Executive of the Year 1992 Cleveland Cavaliers, 1998 Toronto Raptors), born in Springfield, Ohio
- 1937-08-26 Tom Heinsohn, American NBA star, coach (Boston Celtics) and broadcaster, born in Jersey City, New Jersey (d. 2020)
John Havlicek (1940-2019)
1940-04-08 American College/Basketball Hall of Fame small forward (8 x NBA C'ship Boston Celtics; 13 x NBA All Star; 4 x All-NBA First Team), born in Martin's Ferry, Ohio
- 1941-09-02 John Thompson Jr., American Basketball HOF coach (Georgetown Uni 1972–99, NCAA Division I tournament 1984) and center (NBA C'ship 1965, 66 Boston Celtics), born in Washington, D.C. (d. 2020)
- 1943-07-12 Paul Silas, American College Basketball HOF forward (NBA C'ship 1974, 76 Boston Celtics, 1979 Seattle SuperSonics; 2 x NBA All-Star) and coach (Charlotte/NO Hornets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Charlotte Bobcats), born in Prescott, Arkansas (d. 2022)
Dave Cowens (75 years old)
1948-10-25 American NBA forward, 1970-80, 1982-83, Rookie of the Year, 8X All-Star (Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks), and coach, 1978-79, 1996-2001 (Boston, Charlotte Hornets), born in Newport, Kentucky
- 1949-01-11 Chris Ford, American basketball guard (NBA C'ship 1971 Detroit Pistons; Boston Celtics) and coach (Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, LA Clippers), born in Atlantic City, New Jersey (d. 2023)
- 1950-11-30 Paul Westphal, American Basketball Hall of Fame guard (NBA C'ship 1974; NBA All-Star 1977–81; Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns) and coach (Phoenix Suns, Seattle SuperSonics, Sacramento Kings), born in Torrance, California (d. 2021)
Bill Walton (71 years old)
1952-11-05 American Basketball Hall of Fame center (NBA C'ship 1977, 1986; NBA Finals MVP 1977; Portland Trail Blazers, Boston Celtics), born in La Mesa, California
Robert Parish (70 years old)
1953-08-30 American College/Basketball HOF center (9 x NBA All-Star; NBA C'ship 1981, 84, 86 Boston Celtics; 97 Chicago Bulls), born in Shreveport, Louisiana
- 1954-08-20 Quinn Buckner, American College Basketball Hall of Fame point guard (Indiana Uni; Olympic gold 1976; Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, Indiana Pacers) and coach (Dallas Mavericks), born in Phoenix, Illinois
- 1955-11-21 Cedric Maxwell, American basketball small forward (NBA C'ship 1981 [MVP], 84 Boston Celtics; LA Clippers, Houston Rockets), born in Kinston, North Carolina
Larry Bird (67 years old)
1956-12-07 American Basketball HOF forward, coach, executive (3 x NBA C'ship; NBA Finals MVP 1984, 86; 3 × NBA MVP; 12 x NBA All Star; Boston Celtics), born in West Baden, Indiana
- 1957-12-19 Kevin McHale, American Basketball HOF forward (NBA C'ship 1981, 84, 86; 7 × NBA All-Star; Boston Celtics) and coach (Minnesota Timberwolves, Houston Rockets), born in Hibbing, Minnesota
- 1959-03-17 Danny Ainge, American NBA basketball player (Boston Celtics, 1981-69; 3 other teams 1989-95), coach (Phoenix Suns, 1996-99), and executive (Boston Celtics, 2000-present)and MLB baseball (Toronto Blue Jays, 1979-81) player, born in Eugene, Oregon
- 1961-10-13 Doc Rivers, American NBA guard, 1983-96 (Atlanta Hawks and 3 other teams), and head coach, 1999-present (Orlando Magic (NBA Coach of the Year, 2000); Boston Celtics; LA Clippers; Philadelphia 76ers), born in Chicago, Illinois
- 1962-01-04 Joe Kleine, American NBA center, 1985-2000 (Olympic gold, 1984; Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns, Chicago Bulls, and 4 other teams), born in Colorado Springs, Colorado
- 1963-11-18 Len Bias, American basketball player (Boston Celtics pick for 1986 draft), born in Landover, Maryland (d. 1986)
- 1967-04-03 Pervis Ellison, American NBA basketball forward and center, 1989-2000 (Boston Celtics), born in Savannah, Georgia
- 1967-04-13 Dana Barros, American basketball guard (NBA All-Star & Most Improved Player 1995: Boston Celtics), born in Boston, Massachusetts
- 1967-04-24 Dino Radja, Croatian basketball player (Boston Celtics), born in Split, Croatia
- 1968-11-29 Dee Brown, American NBA guard (Boston Celtics), born in Jacksonville, Florida
- 1969-07-24 Rick Fox, Canadian actor and NBA player (LA Lakers, Boston Celtics), born in Toronto, Ontario
- 1971-06-14 Bruce Bowen, American NBA guard (Boston Celtics), born in Merced, California
- 1971-09-08 Greg Minor, American NBA guard (Boston Celtics), born in Sandersville, Georgia
- 1972-07-17 Eric Williams, American NBA forward (Denver Nuggets, Boston Celtics), born in Newark, New Jersey
- 1973-02-14 Tyus Edney, American basketball player (Boston Celtics, Sacramento Kings), born in Gardena, California
- 1973-08-19 Roy Rogers, American NBA player and coach (Boston Celtics), born in Linden, Alabama
- 1975-04-03 Thomas Hamilton, American NBA center (Boston Celtics), born in Chicago, Illinois
- 1975-06-02 Dontae' Jones, NBA forward (Boston Celtics)
- 1975-09-08 John Thomas, American NBA forward (Boston Celtics), born in Minneapolis, Minnesota
- 1976-08-12 Antoine Walker, American NBA forward (Boston Celtics), born in Chicago, Illinois
- 1976-09-25 Chauncey Billups, American NBA guard, played for 17 seasons for 7 teams (5x All-Star; Finals MVP, 2004 - Detroit), born in Denver, Colorado
- 1976-10-22 Brad Stevens, American basketball coach (Boston Celtics 2013-21; NBA All-Star Game 2017), born in Zionsville, Indiana
- 1977-01-13 James Posey, American basketball small forward (NBA C'ship 2006 Miami Heat, 2008 Boston Celtics, 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers [assistant coach]), born in Cleveland, Ohio
- 1984-11-10 Kendrick Perkins, American basketball player (Boston Celtics), born in Nederland, Texas
- 1986-01-26 Gerald Green, American basketball guard (NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion 2007, Minnesota Timberwolves; Boston Celtics, Houston Rockets), born in Houston, Texas
- 1986-06-03 Al Horford, Dominican basketball player (Boston Celtics), born in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic
- 1989-03-16 Blake Griffin, American basketball forward (6 x NBA All-Star; 5 x All-NBA: NBA Rookie of the Year 2011; LA Clippers, Detroit Pistons, Brooklyn Nets, Boston Celtics), born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Kyrie Irving (32 years old)
1992-03-23 American basketball guard (2011 NBA Draft: #1 pick Cleveland Cavaliers), born in Melbourne, Australia
- 1996-10-24 Jaylen Brown, American NBA player (Boston Celtics), born in Atlanta, Georgia
Weddings in Sport
- 2010-07-17 Boston Celtics star player Paul Pierce (32) weds interior-designer Julie Landrum (27) at Pelican Hill Resort in Newport Coast, California
Deaths in Sport
- 1964-09-07 Walter Brown, American basketball and ice hockey executive (founded and owned Boston Celtics, bought Boston Bruins), dies at 59
- 1986-06-19 Len Bias, American basketball player (Boston Celtics pick for 1986 draft), dies of a cocaine-induced seizure at 22
- 1992-11-10 Chuck Connors, American author, actor (The Rifleman, Branded, Cowboy in Africa), professional basketball and baseball player, dies at 71
- 1993-07-27 Reggie Lewis, American NBA star (Boston Celtics), dies of heart failure at 27
Red Auerbach (1917-2006)
2006-10-28 American Basketball HOF coach (9xNBA C'ship; NBA Coach of the Year 1965 Boston Celtics; 11×NBA All-Star Game HC) and executive (President Boston Celtics 7× NBA C'ship), dies of a heart attack at 89
- 2012-08-04 Arnie Risen, Basketball Hall of Fame center (NBA All-Star 1952-55; NBA C'ship 1951, 57; Rochester Royals, Boston Celtics), dies at 87
Bill Sharman (1926-2013)
2013-10-25 American Basketball HOF guard (8 × NBA All-Star; 4 x NBA C'ship; Boston Celtics) and coach (NBA C'ship 1972 LA Lakers), dies from stroke complications at 87
- 2015-12-01 Jim Loscutoff, American basketball forward (NBA champion: 1957, 59–64; Boston Celtics), dies from Parkinson's disease and pneumonia at 85
- 2017-07-04 Gene Conley, American baseball pitcher (4 x MLB All Star; Boston/Milwaukee Braves, Philadelphia Phillies) and basketball forward (NBA C'ship 1959–1961; Boston Celtics), dies at 86
- 2018-11-22 Willie Naulls, American basketball small forward (NBA C'ship 1964, 65, 66 Boston Celtics; 4 × NBA All-Star; NY Knicks), dies from respiratory failure at 84
John Havlicek (1940-2019)
2019-04-25 American College/Basketball Hall of Fame small forward (8 x NBA C'ship Boston Celtics; 13 x NBA All Star; 4 x All-NBA First Team), dies of Parkinson's disease at 79
- 2020-08-30 John Thompson Jr., American Basketball HOF coach (Georgetown Uni 1972–99, NCAA Division I tournament 1984) and center (NBA C'ship 1965, 66 Boston Celtics), dies at 78
- 2020-11-09 Tom Heinsohn, American NBA star, coach (Boston Celtics) and broadcaster, dies at 86
- 2020-12-25 K. C. Jones, American Basketball Hall of Fame point guard (Olympic gold 1956; NBA C'ship 1959–66, Boston Celtics) and coach (NBA C'ship 1984, 86; Boston Celtics), dies from Alzheimer's disease at 88
- 2021-01-02 Paul Westphal, American Basketball Hall of Fame guard (NBA C'ship 1974; NBA All-Star 1977–81; Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns) and coach (NBA: Phoenix, Seattle, Sacramento), dies from glioblastoma at 70
- 2021-12-30 Sam Jones, American College/Basketball HOF guard (North Carolina Central Uni; 10 × NBA C'ships; NBA All-Star 1962, 64–66, 68; Boston Celtics), dies at 88
- 2022-02-02 Bill Fitch, American Basketball HOF coach (NBA C'ship 1981, Boston Celtics; NBA Coach of the Year 1976, 80; NBA All-Star coach 1982; Cleveland Cavaliers; NJ Nets, Houston Rockets, LA Clippers), dies at 89
Bill Russell (1934-2022)
2022-07-31 American Basketball HOF center (11 × NBA C'ship; 5 x NBA MVP; 12 x NBA All-Star; Boston Celtics; Olympic gold 1956) and coach (NBA C'ship 1968, 69 Boston Celtics), dies at 88 [1]
- 2022-12-10 Paul Silas, American College Basketball HOF forward (NBA C'ship 1974, 76 Boston Celtics, 1979 Seattle SuperSonics; 2 x NBA All-Star) and coach (Charlotte/NO Hornets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Charlotte Bobcats), dies from a heart attack at 79
- 2023-01-17 Chris Ford, American basketball guard (NBA C'ship 1971 Detroit Pistons; Boston Celtics) and coach (Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, LA Clippers), dies from a heart attack at 74