Top 10 moments from the Boston Celtics NBA Finals victory
Alongside the LA Lakers, the Boston Celtics are the obvious royalty of the NBA. The Celtics have now won a total of 18 NBA Championships, one more than the LA Lakers, as Jaylen Brown emerged as the 2024 Finals MVP.
Brown ended up edging past his teammate Jayson Tatum 7-4 in the voting. The Celtics won their first championship since 2008, in what was their second finals appearance in three years.
Regardless, as one would expect, the franchise has given its fans a range of memorable moments across the montage of NBA Finals that it has appeared in.
Boston Celtics NBA Finals history: 10 most iconic moments
#10 1969 NBA Finals Game 4
The Celtics have seen a range of illustrious moments that helped them maintain a legacy during the 1960s. During the 1969 NBA FiInals, a team led by John Havlicek and Sam Jones found itself up against the Lakers.
Jones came up with a game-winner with seven seconds remaining during Game 4 to tie the series 2-2. The Celtics were down 2-0, thus the win gave them a chance to compete further for their 10th title in 11 years. They eventually succeeded, winning the series 4-3.
#9 1984 NBA Finals Game 7
Larry Bird, during his years of competing with the Lakers and Magic Johnson, was not known for his dunking skills. However, as the Celtics found themselves against the Lakers competing for their 15th title, a fast-break saw Bird produce one of the most memorable highlights of his career.
The Celtics clinched the title with the Game 7 victory, which included Bird’s dunk in the first half. While the Lakers made a big run in the second half, Bird’s team held them off for a comfortable 111-102 victory.
#8 1986 NBA Finals Game 6
The Boston Celtics, led by Larry Bird, Danny Ainge and Kevin McHale, saw Bird produce a performance still remembered as one of the best in his career. Against the Houston Rockets, Bird put on a clinic in Game 6, which included a highlight 3-pointer which came after a behind-the-back pass from Bill Walton.
Bird finished with a triple-double of 29 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds, and led his team to their third championship in six seasons.
#7 1969 NBA Finals Game 7
In 1969, the Celtics found themselves tied 3-3 against the Lakers. In what was Bill Russell’s last NBA Finals, the Celtics competed until the end for a 108-106 victory.
In the fourth quarter, with the game poised in the Celtics’ favor at 103-102, Don Nelson produced a ridiculous shot which hit the back of the rim before rising up, and eventually dropping in. With less than a minute to go, the Celtics were up by three points, and held on for the win.
#6 2008 NBA Finals Game 6
When the Celtics won the championship in 2008, it was with a roster that featured Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo. It resulted in the end of a 22-year drought and the win came against arch-rivals LA Lakers.
However, the most iconic moment came during the second quarter of Game 6, as Garnett scored an incredible 2-pointer despite being fouled on his way up. This was followed by a post-match interview where he said, "Anything is possible."
The moment was copied by Jayson Tatum and ranks high amongst the most iconic ones from the franchise’s history.
#5 1984 NBA Finals Game 2
The 1984 NBA Finals also saw the Celtics up against the LA Lakers, who were led by James Worthy, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson. However, it was the Celtics who emerged victorious 4-3, but not before fighting it out every game.
Down 1-0, the Celtics saw Bird and Robert Parish lead the charge in Game 2 with 27 and 18 points, respectively. However, had it not been for Geral Henderson’s famous steal in off James Worthy in the final quarter, things would have wrapped up before the overtime.
The Celtics eventually won 124-121, as Henderson’s steal and subsequent layup allowed them to tie the game and send the game to overtime.
#4 1962 NBA Finals Game 7
The Celtics were looking for their fourth consecutive title in 1962, once again against the LA Lakers. The series was tied 3-3, and the Lakers, led by Jerry West and Elgin Baylor, kept the Celtics at their toes right till the very end.
Despite featuring great performances from West and Baylor, the game went to overtime, which was down to a one-man wrecking ball called Bill Russell. Russell was a big presence on both ends of the court. He played 53 minutes, scored 30 points, and had 40 rebounds along with four assists.
While winning four championships in a row was a great achievement, Russell’s Celtics went on to win it a further four times.
#3 2008 NBA Finals Game 4
The 2008 Championship run pitted a talented Celtics roster against a Lakers team led by the late Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol. The Lakers ended up losing 4-2, but the series was closer than the numbers show.
Game 4 saw the Lakers build a 24-point lead in the second quarter, and all signs pointed to Bryant and company edging toward tying the series 2-2. However, an incredible comeback orchestrated by the Celtics stars Pierce, Garnett and Ray Allen set up a commanding 97-91 win, as the Celtics went 57-33 in the second half.
The victory effectively proved that the Celtics were in no mood to let go off the chance to win their first championship since 1986.
#2 1976 NBA Finals Game 5
Often called the greatest game ever played, the Boston Celtics were looking for their second championship in three years, and were up against a Phoenix Suns team featuring Ricky Sobers and Curtis Perry.
Led by John Havlicek, the game went to three overtimes, as Havlicek produced the famous bank shot in the second half, while Glenn McDonald scored six points in the third overtime to set up a 128-126 victory. The two teams went toe-to-toe right till the very end, as Jo Jo White’s 33-point rampage set the Celtics up for a 3-2 lead. They finished the job in Game 6.
# 1 1981 NBA Finals Game 1
There is no doubt that Larry Bird is the Celtics legend who produced the most iconic moment for the franchise in NBA Finals. During Game 1 of a series against the Houston Rockets that Boston eventually won 4-2, Bird produced his famous self-assist which saw him grab the rebound from his missed shot.
Bird finished with 18 points, 21 rebounds, and nine assists, setting up his team for a memorable Finals victory. The moment ranks among the greatest ones produced in the NBA and certainly deserves to be at the top of the ranking in this list as well.
The Celtics, over the years, have produced a rich montage of memorable moments, with the latest championship adding to a legendary collection.