Boston Celtics Quiz
Auerbach's cigar, eight straight titles, The Truth and Banner 18: 15 questions on the most decorated NBA team.
What is the name of the arena the Celtics share with the NHL's Boston Bruins?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
TD Garden
TD Garden opened in 1995 next door to the original Boston Garden as the FleetCenter and took its current name in 2009 under a sponsorship deal with TD Bank.
The building sits directly above North Station, so fans can take a commuter train straight into the arena.
What is the name of the Celtics' leprechaun mascot?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Lucky
Lucky the Leprechaun takes his look from the winking logo drawn by Red Auerbach's brother Zang in the 1950s, and a costumed Lucky performs acrobatic trampoline dunks during timeouts at TD Garden.
The logo leprechaun spins a basketball on one finger and leans on a shillelagh, a nod to Boston's Irish heritage.
Which team did the Celtics beat in the 2008 NBA Finals to win their 17th championship?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Los Angeles Lakers
Boston beat the Los Angeles Lakers in six games, closing the series with a 131 to 92 rout at home that remains the most lopsided clinching win in Finals history.
The 2008 title came one season after the Celtics had won only 24 games, the biggest single season turnaround in NBA history at the time.
Which Celtics forward was nicknamed The Truth?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Paul Pierce
Shaquille O'Neal gave Paul Pierce the nickname in March 2001 after Pierce scored 42 points against the Lakers, telling a reporter to write down that Pierce was the truth.
Pierce was stabbed 11 times in a nightclub attack in September 2000 and still played all 82 games that season.
Who was named Finals MVP when the Celtics won the 2024 championship?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Jaylen Brown
Jaylen Brown won the 2024 Finals MVP after averaging about 21 points in the five game win over Dallas, weeks after he was also named MVP of the Eastern Conference finals.
Brown and Tatum had played seven seasons together before finally winning a title as a duo.
The 2024 title over the Dallas Mavericks was which championship in Celtics history?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
18th
The 2024 championship was Boston's 18th, breaking a tie with the Lakers and giving the Celtics sole possession of the most titles in NBA history.
Boston went 16 and 3 in the 2024 playoffs, one of the most dominant postseason runs ever.
Which Celtics coach was famous for lighting a cigar on the bench once a win was secure?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Red Auerbach
Red Auerbach coached Boston to nine championships between 1957 and 1966, and his victory cigar became a symbol of Celtics confidence that infuriated opposing fans.
Auerbach added seven more titles as general manager and team president, for 16 in all.
The old Boston Garden was famous for what type of court surface?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Parquet
The Garden's parquet floor, assembled from short oak panels because long boards were scarce after World War II, had dead spots the Celtics knew and visiting teams did not.
When the Garden closed, the floor was cut up and sold as souvenirs, and pieces of it were worked into the new arena's court.
In which year did Bill Russell become the first Black head coach in NBA history?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
1966
Russell succeeded Red Auerbach as player-coach in April 1966, the first Black head coach in any major American sport, and won two more championships in the role in 1968 and 1969 before retiring.
Russell played in 11 championship seasons out of 13, a winning ratio no athlete in a major American team sport has matched.
Who coached the Celtics to the 2008 NBA championship?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Doc Rivers
Doc Rivers coached the Big Three of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen to the 2008 title, adopting the Bantu word ubuntu as the team's motto for unselfish play.
Rivers returned to the Finals with Boston in 2010 but lost a seventh game to the Lakers in Los Angeles.
Which Celtics jersey number was retired across the entire NBA in 2022?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
6
The NBA retired Bill Russell's number 6 league wide in August 2022 after his death, the first time the league had retired a number for every team, as Major League Baseball did for Jackie Robinson.
Players already wearing number 6, including LeBron James, were allowed to keep it until they changed teams.
Which Celtics point guard of the 1950s was nicknamed the Houdini of the Hardwood?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Bob Cousy
Bob Cousy earned the nickname for his behind the back dribbles and no look passes, leading the NBA in assists for eight straight seasons and winning six titles with Boston.
The Celtics did not want Cousy and only acquired him when his name was drawn from a hat after another team folded.
Who made the famous steal in the final seconds of the 1965 Eastern finals that announcer Johnny Most immortalized?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
John Havlicek
John Havlicek tipped Hal Greer's inbounds pass with five seconds left to preserve a 110 to 109 Game 7 win over Philadelphia, and Most's hoarse cry of Havlicek stole the ball became legend.
Havlicek won eight championships in 16 seasons and retired in 1978 as the Celtics' all time leading scorer.
How many consecutive championships did the Celtics win from 1959 to 1966?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Eight
Boston won eight straight titles from 1959 to 1966, the longest championship streak in any major North American sport, with Bill Russell anchoring the defense throughout.
The streak ended in 1967 when Wilt Chamberlain's Philadelphia 76ers beat the Celtics in the Eastern finals.
In which year did the Celtics draft Larry Bird, a full season before he played for them?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
1978
Red Auerbach took Bird sixth overall in 1978 under a rule that allowed teams to draft players whose original class had graduated, then waited while Bird played his senior year at Indiana State.
Bird's rookie contract of about 650,000 dollars a year made him the highest paid rookie in NBA history at the time.
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All Sports quizzes →About the Boston Celtics Quiz
The Boston Celtics have hung 18 championship banners, more than any other NBA franchise, including eight in a row from 1959 to 1966. Red Auerbach lit a cigar when games were won, Bill Russell broke the league's coaching color barrier, and the parquet floor became the most famous surface in basketball.
These 15 questions move from TD Garden and Lucky the Leprechaun through the 2008 Big Three to the 2024 title run, with stops for Bob Cousy, John Havlicek and Larry Bird's unusual draft. Casual fans will get the first few, and the final questions reward anyone who knows what Johnny Most screamed in 1965.
You will find 15 multiple choice questions here, each with four options. Difficulty: Medium. Most people finish in about 6 minutes, and every answer comes with a short explanation and one extra fact worth keeping.
How to play
Read the question and pick one of the four answers. The correct answer is revealed straight away with a short explanation, then press Next question to keep going. At the end you get your score out of 15 and a full review of your round. Play again any time and the questions arrive in a fresh order. There is no timer and no account.
Good to know before you play
How many championships have the Boston Celtics won?
Eighteen, the most in NBA history, with the latest coming in 2024 against the Dallas Mavericks.
Who are the greatest Celtics of all time?
Bill Russell, Larry Bird, Bob Cousy, John Havlicek and Paul Pierce are the names most fans list, with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown adding Banner 18.
Is this quiz about the current Celtics or team history?
Both. It covers the franchise from its 1946 founding through the 2024 championship.
Answer key: all 15 questions with explanations
- What is the name of the arena the Celtics share with the NHL's Boston Bruins?
TD Garden TD Garden opened in 1995 next door to the original Boston Garden as the FleetCenter and took its current name in 2009 under a sponsorship deal with TD Bank. The building sits directly above North Station, so fans can take a commuter train straight into the arena. - What is the name of the Celtics' leprechaun mascot?
Lucky Lucky the Leprechaun takes his look from the winking logo drawn by Red Auerbach's brother Zang in the 1950s, and a costumed Lucky performs acrobatic trampoline dunks during timeouts at TD Garden. The logo leprechaun spins a basketball on one finger and leans on a shillelagh, a nod to Boston's Irish heritage. - Which team did the Celtics beat in the 2008 NBA Finals to win their 17th championship?
Los Angeles Lakers Boston beat the Los Angeles Lakers in six games, closing the series with a 131 to 92 rout at home that remains the most lopsided clinching win in Finals history. The 2008 title came one season after the Celtics had won only 24 games, the biggest single season turnaround in NBA history at the time. - Which Celtics forward was nicknamed The Truth?
Paul Pierce Shaquille O'Neal gave Paul Pierce the nickname in March 2001 after Pierce scored 42 points against the Lakers, telling a reporter to write down that Pierce was the truth. Pierce was stabbed 11 times in a nightclub attack in September 2000 and still played all 82 games that season. - Who was named Finals MVP when the Celtics won the 2024 championship?
Jaylen Brown Jaylen Brown won the 2024 Finals MVP after averaging about 21 points in the five game win over Dallas, weeks after he was also named MVP of the Eastern Conference finals. Brown and Tatum had played seven seasons together before finally winning a title as a duo. - The 2024 title over the Dallas Mavericks was which championship in Celtics history?
18th The 2024 championship was Boston's 18th, breaking a tie with the Lakers and giving the Celtics sole possession of the most titles in NBA history. Boston went 16 and 3 in the 2024 playoffs, one of the most dominant postseason runs ever. - Which Celtics coach was famous for lighting a cigar on the bench once a win was secure?
Red Auerbach Red Auerbach coached Boston to nine championships between 1957 and 1966, and his victory cigar became a symbol of Celtics confidence that infuriated opposing fans. Auerbach added seven more titles as general manager and team president, for 16 in all. - The old Boston Garden was famous for what type of court surface?
Parquet The Garden's parquet floor, assembled from short oak panels because long boards were scarce after World War II, had dead spots the Celtics knew and visiting teams did not. When the Garden closed, the floor was cut up and sold as souvenirs, and pieces of it were worked into the new arena's court. - In which year did Bill Russell become the first Black head coach in NBA history?
1966 Russell succeeded Red Auerbach as player-coach in April 1966, the first Black head coach in any major American sport, and won two more championships in the role in 1968 and 1969 before retiring. Russell played in 11 championship seasons out of 13, a winning ratio no athlete in a major American team sport has matched. - Who coached the Celtics to the 2008 NBA championship?
Doc Rivers Doc Rivers coached the Big Three of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen to the 2008 title, adopting the Bantu word ubuntu as the team's motto for unselfish play. Rivers returned to the Finals with Boston in 2010 but lost a seventh game to the Lakers in Los Angeles. - Which Celtics jersey number was retired across the entire NBA in 2022?
6 The NBA retired Bill Russell's number 6 league wide in August 2022 after his death, the first time the league had retired a number for every team, as Major League Baseball did for Jackie Robinson. Players already wearing number 6, including LeBron James, were allowed to keep it until they changed teams. - Which Celtics point guard of the 1950s was nicknamed the Houdini of the Hardwood?
Bob Cousy Bob Cousy earned the nickname for his behind the back dribbles and no look passes, leading the NBA in assists for eight straight seasons and winning six titles with Boston. The Celtics did not want Cousy and only acquired him when his name was drawn from a hat after another team folded. - Who made the famous steal in the final seconds of the 1965 Eastern finals that announcer Johnny Most immortalized?
John Havlicek John Havlicek tipped Hal Greer's inbounds pass with five seconds left to preserve a 110 to 109 Game 7 win over Philadelphia, and Most's hoarse cry of Havlicek stole the ball became legend. Havlicek won eight championships in 16 seasons and retired in 1978 as the Celtics' all time leading scorer. - How many consecutive championships did the Celtics win from 1959 to 1966?
Eight Boston won eight straight titles from 1959 to 1966, the longest championship streak in any major North American sport, with Bill Russell anchoring the defense throughout. The streak ended in 1967 when Wilt Chamberlain's Philadelphia 76ers beat the Celtics in the Eastern finals. - In which year did the Celtics draft Larry Bird, a full season before he played for them?
1978 Red Auerbach took Bird sixth overall in 1978 under a rule that allowed teams to draft players whose original class had graduated, then waited while Bird played his senior year at Indiana State. Bird's rookie contract of about 650,000 dollars a year made him the highest paid rookie in NBA history at the time.
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