The Boston Celtics are taking one last moment to celebrate their recent NBA championship before shifting focus to a new season and another shot at glory.
The team will raise its 18th championship banner to the TD Garden rafters on Tuesday night, right before they kick off the season against the New York Knicks (7:30 ET, TNT). The players will also receive their championship rings during the pregame ceremony.
“It’s a huge accomplishment for us to be able to do this. It’s going to be one heck of a night,” said guard Payton Pritchard after Monday’s practice. “But we’ve already talked about it—we’ve got to aim for it again. After we get the rings, it’s back to proving we’re ready to make another run.”
The Celtics were dominant last season, finishing the regular season with the best record in the Eastern Conference by a comfortable 14-game margin. They continued their strong play into the postseason, going 16-3 in the playoffs. With stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown leading the way, the team is bringing back its entire starting lineup and most of the bench, setting them up as favorites to contend for the title once more.
Coach Joe Mazzulla doesn’t see it as pressure to repeat.
“We’re all just here for a moment, and at the end of the day, it doesn’t add any pressure,” he said. “This is about carrying the tradition of this organization forward and doubling down on the history we’re part of. When you’re a Celtic, people expect you to win. It’s not about pressure—it’s just the standard.”
He added, “Whatever happens, happens. Whether we win or don’t, 40 years from now, none of you are coming to my funeral anyway. It’s about focusing on who we are as a team and staying true to that.”
The Celtics’ history is packed with success: they won 16 titles between 1957 and 1986, including 11 in 13 years with Bill Russell. The 1970s squads led by Dave Cowens and John Havlicek grabbed two more, while the 1980s saw Larry Bird, Robert Parish, and Kevin McHale deliver three championships. When the Big Three of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen lifted the trophy in 2008, it ended the longest championship drought in the franchise’s history. Though they made it back to the Finals in 2010, they fell short against the Lakers. (The stretch from 2008 to 2024 now stands as the second-longest gap without a title.)
Pritchard believes that to truly be considered among the Celtics greats, the current team needs to win again.
“Winning it once is hard, but a lot of people have done it,” he said. “Doing it multiple times, building something close to a dynasty—that’s what sets you apart. That’s what greatness is, and that’s what we’re aiming for.”
The quest begins with the Knicks, who made big moves over the summer by adding Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges, positioning themselves as a top contender in the East.
Mazzulla feels confident about his team’s readiness.
“I trust our guys. They know what we achieved, and they know what’s ahead of us,” the coach said. “All the things that helped us win last year—those need to carry over into this season.”
He added, “You’ve got to appreciate where you’ve been, but you also need to remember what got you there. If you lose sight of that, getting back will be tough.”
Now, it’s time for the Celtics to take the next step and start chasing banner number 19.