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The Boston Celtics are in the 2022 NBA Finals after defeating the Miami Heat 4-3 in the Eastern conference finals. Most basketball fans have heard the Celtics being referred to as the league’s “most storied” franchise and there’s a good reason for that.
Boston has won 17 NBA titles in 21 NBA Finals appearances, but those gaudy numbers are a bit misleading when it comes to how successful the franchise has been of late. The last time the Celtics made the Finals was in 2010, where they lost to the Lakers in seven games. Prior to that, Boston beat LA in 2008 to win the franchise’s first championship since 1985-86.
The Celtics won eight straight titles from 1958-59 to 1965-66 behind the likes of Bob Cousy, Bill Russell, John Havlicek and head coach Red Auerbach. Boston won 13 titles overall from 1956-57 to 1975-76.
The Larry Bird era netted Boston three more titles in five Finals appearances during the 1980s. Since then, Boston has struggled to make the last series of each season. Let’s see if this current Celtics roster can start its own legacy in 2022.