What is your favorite Celtics team of all time?

Tricky Ricky · Post #1 » by **Tricky Ricky** » Mon Feb 8, 2010 1:49 pm

Mine is without a question the 2001/02 Celtics Eastern Conference Finals team. I started to really watch the C's around 96 after we got Walker then in 97 miss out on TD then get PP in 98 which was the first real big thing for me because other than that all I had seen was losing.

The 01 season started with us getting Joe Johnson, Brown, and Forte!!!! THREE FUTURE HOFS!!! Ummm maybe not but JJ looked promising then we traded him for Rogers and Delk which I am still fine with because without them we never make it as far as we did.

Of course we ended up beating the 76ers in 5! (someone posted PPs huge game 5 the other day, it is amazing) then the Pistons and then we finally lost to the Nets but we also had the greatest comeback in NBA playoff history!!!

The team was full of great Cs such as Eric Williams, Tony Battie, Kenny A, Walker, Pierce, E Strickland, Rogers, Delk etc. It was just fun for me to see a team that honestly shouldnt be contenders make it two games away from the NBA Finals, it was also nice to finally see the C's in the playoffs. (Only other time was when we lost to Shaqs Magic and I was a Magic fan at the time...)

So which years Cs team was your favorite?

irie · Post #2 » by **irie** » Mon Feb 8, 2010 5:46 pm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MI3sj3XKrQ

^ there's the comeback.. it's in 5 parts the next parts are in the related videos. awesome game.

That was probably my favorite team too. I'm only 22 so that was the first time I really ever saw the Celtics do something significant where I was old enough to really grasp what was happening.

cfan79 · Post #3 » by **cfan79** » Mon Feb 8, 2010 5:56 pm

My favorite team is the Next title team and my least favorite is this one

1996-97

11 Dana Barros G
34 Frank Brickowski F-C
7 Dee Brown G 6-1
30 Marty Conlon F-C
13 Todd Day G-F
27 Nate Driggers
29 Pervis Ellison
44 Rick Fox
42 Steve Hamer
5 Michael Hawkins
41 Stacey King
53 Alton Lister
9 Greg Minor
40 Dino Radja
43 Brett Szabo
8 Antoine Walker
4 David Wesley
55 Eric Williams

Post #4 » by **Celtics_Champs** » Mon Feb 8, 2010 6:07 pm

07-08 team.

but the OP's team was awesome too.

1.07-08 -- lost lottery, oh no..., ray allen..yay, summer league...we'll be alright this year, KG..OMG!!!!, ECF champs!, Lakers-celtics!, NBA CHAMPS!!!
2. 01-02 -- loved that team, got me into basketball
3. I can't get the year correct, but the year when all the young guns, west and jeff improved, and we traded for antoine and made that run. Got me hooked on basketball, addicted.

Kefa461 · Post #5 » by **Kefa461** » Mon Feb 8, 2010 7:42 pm

1st.......1985-86.......Bird's boys beat the Rockets

2nd......1983-84.......Cornbread and Larry did the Lakers up

3rd.......1973-74.......Big Red beating the Bucks

4th.......2007-08.......KG and anything is possible and after waiting so long.

There were so many.....it's hard to pick the best but 85-86 is my fav.

8-)

FeedReed · Post #6 » by **FeedReed** » Mon Feb 8, 2010 7:47 pm

i loved watching the early 90's teams as a young kid, gamble being my favorite. then the toine days were fun. i'd have to say 07 though.

Tricky Ricky · Post #7 » by **Tricky Ricky** » Mon Feb 8, 2010 8:00 pm

Kefa461 wrote:1st.......1985-86.......Bird's boys beat the Rockets

2nd......1983-84.......Cornbread and Larry did the Lakers up

3rd.......1973-74.......Big Red beating the Bucks

4th.......2007-08.......KG and anything is possible and after waiting so long.

There were so many.....it's hard to pick the best but 85-86 is my fav.

NOT FAIR lol, I wish I couldve watched the 60-80s Cs teams!

Tricky Ricky · Post #8 » by **Tricky Ricky** » Mon Feb 8, 2010 8:01 pm

Celtics_Champs wrote:07-08 team.

but the OP's team was awesome too.

1.07-08 -- lost lottery, oh no..., ray allen..yay, summer league...we'll be alright this year, KG..OMG!!!!, ECF champs!, Lakers-celtics!, NBA CHAMPS!!!
2. 01-02 -- loved that team, got me into basketball
3. I can't get the year correct, but the year when all the young guns, west and jeff improved, and we traded for antoine and made that run. Got me hooked on basketball, addicted.

That was 04/05 Big Als rookie year, I remember before the deadline I was like we need a trade we need a trade then no trade came then 5 mins later we traded for employee #88...8 what an awsome year...well til game 7 of the first round

tombattor · Post #9 » by **tombattor** » Mon Feb 8, 2010 8:12 pm

I'm with you Tricky Ricky! 01-02 team probably is my favorite too. That was the first year I purchased NBA League Pass and was able to watch every game, since moving to NYC. And the fact that they blew away all my expectations for the season probably did it for me. I remember sending one of my friends an email after their season opener against the Cavs saying something like, "We're over .500. Can you say playoffs?"

I got to see some of the 80s teams as a child living in Cambridge, but I was way too young to really understand what it all meant and just assumed the Celtics and the Lakers always played for championships.

tfmiii · Post #10 » by **tfmiii** » Tue Feb 9, 2010 12:14 am

'81 champs - no matter WHAT Moses Malone says lol

coming back from being down 1-3 to Dr J and the Sixers,

Tiny, Cedric, the Chief, Ford (who hit the first 3-pt shot in NBA history) Gerald Henderson, Wick Wobey (lol), M. L., a very young McHale and of course Bird

lots of athleticism, lots of bench play, fast breaks helter skelter, rebounds rebounds rebounds

what a fun ride!

darthkiller · Post #11 » by **darthkiller** » Tue Feb 9, 2010 12:17 am

86 celtcis. the ball movement on that team is the best of all time, everyone on that team can pass and is unselfish.

Jammer · Post #12 » by **Jammer** » Tue Feb 9, 2010 12:52 am

I liked the 1968 and 1969 teams the best. They were the end of the Championship run,
#'s 10 and 11 in a 13 year period.

It's amazing the way those teams won.

Bill Russell was the cornerstone. Even at age 35, the 1956 #2 pick was lightning in a 6'10" body.
KG plays in slow motion by comparison. Russell was basically injury free his entire career.
Russell high jumped 6' 11.5" at age 21, and decided to not jump at 7" to let two other
guys make the Olympic team. Russell miraculously averaged his career average during
both the 1968 and 1969 playoffs, which was 15 ppg, 22 rpg and 4 apg. I've never seen
anyone with the anticipation Russell had.

SG Sam Jones was 36. Jones, like Russell, would have to rank among the quickest players to
ever play the game, but Jones had the size and body of Ray Allen. Sam Jones was the
Celtics designated Mr. Last Shot for 10 seasons, and didn't disappoint in 1969, winning
playoff games against the Knicks and Lakers with last second shots. Earlier in his career
Sam had back to back games of 51 and 49 points, before the 3 point shot, averaged
over 25 ppg during his best Celtic season, and was 2nd Team All NBA 3 times. Not bad
for a guy on teams that often had 7 players in double figures.

29 year old Havlicek was the young stud who was now the main man.
Havlicek opened the 1969 FINALS with a 43 point game. Two Years later Havlicek would average
during the regular season 28.9 ppg, 9 rpg and 7.5 apg. Pretty amazing season.
Havlicek followed that season up with a 27 ppg, 9 rpg and 7.5 apg year,
and then the next year scored 54 points in a playoff game against the Atlanta Hawks.
The Celtics were very lucky to be able to switch Havlicek between SF/SG and PG;
as needed.

Bailey Howell was the Celtic savior, extending their Championship run.
The 6 time All-Star and 1 time All-NBA
1959 #2 pick continued to put up his career average of
21 ppg @ 50% and 9 rpg his first 3 seasons in Boston while playing alongside
Bill Russell, Sam Jones and John Havlicek. Imagine Antoine Walker with
Wally 's jump shot and Carlos Boozer's rebounding ferocity and low post game
and Mike Miller's ball handling ability. Great complimentary player to Russell, Jones and Havlicek.

6' 3" Larry Siefgried was the 5th starter, and he never should have been a Celtic, but the
Celtics were lucky to get him.
Siegried was well known for averaging 38 ppg his senior year of high school and for
winning an NCAA Championship at Ohio State. The Lakers used their1961 #3 pick on Siegfried,
but Siegfried went to a rival league (the NBL)
to a Cleveland team owned by 25 year old George Steinbrenner
(of later Yankees notoriety). Steinbrenner offered Siegfried twice his Laker contract offer, up front.
Siegfried's Cleveland team won the NBL championship.
When the League disbanded during January of Siegfried's second season,
somehow he never signed with the Lakers. Siegfrie ended up essentially becoming a free agent by sitting out till January 1964.
Then he signed with the Celtics, playing backup PG and backup SG to Sam and KC Jones.
Siegfried's style resembled Jason's Kidd's, and Siegfried twice led the NBA in free throw percentage.

Tom "Satch" Sanders, the 1960 #8 pick, had a body like Scottie Pippen's.
Sanders played 30 mg for his first 8 seasons, averaging 10 ppg and 8 rpg, at either forward spot.

Don Nelson was a backup PF who had a sweet jump shot out to 19 feet and very high
basketball IQ who was crafty using either hand around the rim.
A very good backup PF who set great picks.

That team did not play that great during the regular season, although Coach Russell
played a 10 man rotation during the regular season, and they lost all their games when
Russell or Sam Jones were out for injury.

But they stepped up tremendously in the playoffs, able to close out games with the best of them.

Post #13 » by **canman1971** » Tue Feb 9, 2010 12:52 am

85-86 for many reason one of which that is the greatest of all time. But, also in my early HS years, so it brings back quite fond memories.
After that, pretty much any year Bird was on the team. I feel very fortunate to have grown up watching him. He may not be tops for those who are "NBA" basketball fans. But, as a true fan, student of the game, there is only one Legend.