The Celtics have played the Lakers a record 12 times in the Finals, including their most recent appearances in 2008 and 2010, where the Celtics have won nine meetings (but only two since 1980). Four Celtics (Bob Cousy, Bill Russell, Dave Cowens and Larry Bird) have won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award for an NBA record total of 10 MVP awards.[3] Their mascot Lucky the Leprechaun is a nod to the teams Irish heritage and to Bostons historically large Irish population.
History
The Boston Celtics (/ˈsɛltɪks/) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member club of the leagues Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 and one of eight NBA teams (out of 23 total teams) to survive the leagues first decade, the team is owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which they share with the National Hockey League (NHL)s Boston Bruins. The franchises 17 championships are the most of any NBA franchise, and account for 24.6% of all NBA championships since the leagues founding in 1946.[2] As a percentage of championships won, the Celtics are the most successful franchise to date in the major four traditional North American professional sports leagues