Perhaps no other team in professional sports is as respected, revered, and successful as the Boston Celtics. The Celtics controlled the ranks of professional basketball in the late 1950s and during the 1960s, overshadowing the entire league. Not until the Chicago Bulls of the 1990s has a team even come close to the heights the Boston Celtics reached at the peak of their success. The team produced some of the most memorable moments in sports history on its way to a record 16 NBA World Championships.

Created as one of the original members of the Basketball Association of America (BAA) on June 6, 1946, the Celtics found hard times in their initial years because Bostonians were much more interested in baseball and hockey in the early years of the franchise. However, their opening home game on November 5, 1946, proved exciting. Future actor and star of The Rifleman Chuck...