The Boston Celtics are one of the most historic and accomplished teams not just in the NBA but in all of professional sports. Unsurprisingly, they’ve had plenty of dominant teams. With the Celtics recently winning a record breaking 18th NBA championship it’s time to count down the franchise’s best teams of all time.
Ranking The 5 Greatest Boston Celtics Teams Of All Time
Honorable Mentions: 1961-62, 1973-74, 1980-81
5. 1983-84 Celtics
Led by Larry Bird the Celtics had an incredible stretch of dominance in the 1980s which included three NBA titles in six seasons. While not the best team from this era the ‘84 Celtics were extremely impressive they notably posted 62 wins. This was also the first season of Bird’s three straight regular-season MVPs. Kevin McHale and Robert Parish were essential co-stars in the frontcourt next to Bird. In the 1983-94 season, McHale won Sixth Man of the Year for his contributions. Additionally, Dennis Johnson’s elite perimeter defense and playmaking were central to the Celtics’ success as was Cedric Maxwell’s all-around play. The Celtics beat their arch-rival Lakers in a classic seven-game NBA Finals.
4. 1964-65 Celtics
No team dominated their era as much as the 1960s Celtics. They won the championship in all but one season in the ’60s. Impressively the core led by Bill Russell won 11 championships in 13 seasons. There was no single team from this era better than the 1964-65 Celtics. The ‘65 Celtics won 62 games the most of any team in that era. The roster featured six hall-of-famers Bill Russell, John Havlicek, Sam Jones, K.C. Jones, Tom Sanders, and Tom Heinsohn. Boston’s six hall-of-farmers are among the most on a roster of all time. During Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals, Havlicek made a game-clinching leading to one of the most famous plays in NBA history. Ultimately the ’65 Celtics are the best team from an unmatched stretch of dominance.
3. 2007-08 Celtics
It’s somewhat hard to believe that the big three of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen only resulted in one championship. The big three was highly anticipated after being assembled in the 2007 offseason and they delivered a championship in their first season together. Rajon Rondo was also an important part of this group although he was only a rookie in the 2007-08 season his playmaking was crucial to the Celtics’ success. Nevertheless, the Celtics had an incredible and memorable 2008 championship run.
The ‘08 Celtics will always be remembered for their dominant defense which is considered one of the best of all time; they had the league’s best defense and Garnett was named Defensive Player of the Year. Notably, the ‘08 Celtics also posted the sixth-best net rating of all time. Ultimately the Celtics won the NBA Finals over the Lakers in seven games and Pierce was named Finals MVP.
2. 2023-24 Celtics
The recent NBA champs are the runner-up on our list of the best Celtics teams of all time. The 2023-24 Celtics were a dominant team by several measurements. They won 64 games and had an incredible 16-3 record in the playoffs en route to the franchise’s 18th championship. Impressively, the Celtics ranked top five all time for both net rating and point differential. This team will always be defined by elite two-way balance; they posted the league’s best offense and second-best defense. Notably, the ‘24 Celtics are one of three teams to win a title with a top-three offense and defense. The star wing duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown winning their first NBA title after seven years together will always be memorable. As will the all-around contributions from Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, Kristaps Porzingis, and Al Horford.
1. 1985-86 Celtics
The 1986 Celtics are widely considered a top-three team of all time. They won 67 wins which is tied for the seventh most single-season win totals. The ‘86 Celtics featured the greatest frontcourt trio of all time (Bird, McHale, and Parish) at the peak of their powers. Off the bench, Boston had former MVP center and that year’s Sixth Man of the Year Bill Walton. The Celtics’ backcourt of Dennis Johnson and Danny Ainge complemented each other nicely. Notably, Bird won his third straight MVP in the 1985-96 season. Overall the ’86 Celtics were one of the most talented and complete squads in league history. This culminated in a dominant playoff run where the Celtics went 16-3 to win their third championship of the Bird era and their 16th in franchise history.
