When was the last time the Celtics won the NBA Finals?

The Boston Celtics are one of the NBA's most storied franchises.

Led by Hall of Fame players like Bill Russell, John Havlicek, Larry Bird and Paul Pierce, the Celtics are tied for the most championships in league history with 17. But that deadlock with the rival Los Angeles Lakers could soon be broken.

The Celtics are currently battling Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks in the 2024 NBA Finals, looking to win their first title in nearly two decades. After its Game 3 win on Wednesday, Boston is on the brink of clinching the title.

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Here's a deep dive into the franchise's championship-winning history:

When was the last time the Celtics won the NBA Finals?

The Celtics last won the NBA Finals in 2008, when they defeated the Lakers for a ninth time and handed Kobe Bryant his first loss on the championship stage.

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Pierce was named Finals MVP after averaging 21.8 points, 6.3 assists and 4.5 rebounds over the six-game series. Head coach Doc Rivers also won his first title that year and Danny Ainge was named Executive of the Year thanks to his offseason trades for Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen.

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Celtics championship history: Records, Finals MVPs, coaches

Here's a year-by-year look at all 17 championships in Celtics history:

1. 1957

Regular season record: 44-28
Playoff record: 7-3
Finals result: 4-3 vs. St. Louis Hawks
Finals MVP: Award not yet created (Tom Heinsohn averaged 24.0 points, 12.6 assists)
Coach: Red Auerbach

2. 1959

Regular season record: 52-20
Playoff record: 8-3
Finals result: 4-0 vs. Minneapolis Lakers
Finals MVP: Award not yet created (Bill Russell averaged 9.3 points, 29.5 rebounds, 5.3 assists)
Coach: Red Auerbach

3. 1960

Regular season record: 59-16
Playoff record: 8-5
Finals result: 4-3 vs. St. Louis Hawks
Finals MVP: Award not yet created (Bill Russell averaged 16.7 points, 24.9 rebounds, 3.0 assists)
Coach: Red Auerbach

4. 1961

Regular season record: 57-22
Playoff record: 8-2
Finals result: 4-1 vs. St. Louis Hawks
Finals MVP: Award not yet created (Bill Russell averaged 17.6 points, 28.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists)
Coach: Red Auerbach

5. 1962

Regular season record: 60-20
Playoff record: 8-6
Finals result: 4-3 vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Finals MVP: Award not yet created (Bill Russell averaged 22.9 points, 27.0 rebounds, 5.7 assists)
Coach: Red Auerbach

6. 1963

Regular season record: 58-22
Playoff record: 8-5
Finals result: 4-2 vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Finals MVP: Award not yet created (Bill Russell averaged 20.0 points, 26.0 rebounds, 5.3 assists)
Coach: Red Auerbach

7. 1964

Regular season record: 59-21
Playoff record: 8-2
Finals result: 4-1 vs. San Francisco Warriors
Finals MVP: Award not yet created (Bill Russell averaged 11.2 points, 25.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists)
Coach: Red Auerbach

8. 1965

Regular season record: 62-18
Playoff record: 8-4
Finals result: 4-1 vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Finals MVP: Award not yet created (Bill Russell averaged 17.8 points, 25.0 rebounds, 5.8 assists)
Coach: Red Auerbach

9. 1966

Regular season record: 54-26
Playoff record: 11-6
Finals result: 4-3 vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Finals MVP: Award not yet created (Bill Russell averaged 23.6 points, 24.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists)
Coach: Red Auerbach

10. 1968

Regular season record: 54-28
Playoff record: 12-7
Finals result: 4-2 vs. Los Angeles Lakers (John Havlicek averaged 27.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, 6.7 assists)
Finals MVP: Award not yet created
Coach: Bill Russell (player-coach)

11. 1969

Regular season record: 48-34
Playoff record: 12-6
Finals result: 4-3 vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Finals MVP: Jerry West (first and only time a player from the losing team has won the award)
Coach: Bill Russell (player-coach)

12. 1974