when did the boston celtics win their first championship
Boston Celtics With Bill Russell, the Celtics advanced to the 1957 NBA Finals and defeated the St. Louis Hawks in seven games, giving the Celtics the first of their record 17 championships. Russell went on to win 11 championships, making him the most decorated player in NBA history.[15] In 1958, the Celtics again advanced to the NBA Finals, this time losing to the Hawks in 6 games.[16] However, with the acquisition of K.C. Jones that year, the Celtics began a dynasty that would last for more than a decade.[17] In 1959, the Celtics won the NBA Championship after sweeping the Minneapolis Lakers, the first of their record eight consecutive championships.[18] During that time, the Celtics met the Lakers in the Finals five times, starting an intense and often bitter rivalry that has spanned generations. In 1964, the Celtics became the first NBA team to have an all African-American starting lineup. On December 26, 1964, Willie Naulls replaced an injured Tommy Heinsohn, joining Tom 'Satch' Sanders, K.C. Jones, Sam Jones, and Bill Russell in the starting lineup. The Celtics defeated St. Louis 97–84. Boston won its next 11 games with Naulls starting in place of Heinsohn.[19] The Celtics of the late-1950s–1960s are widely considered as one of the most dominant teams of all time.[20]