How many championships do the Celtics have?

The Boston Celtics have claimed 17 championships since their creation in 1946. They are tied with their rivals, the LA Lakers, for the most titles in league history, with both franchises seeking a record 18th championship. It has been 15 years since the franchise last won a title, while they lost to the Golden State Warriors in six games in the 2022 NBA Finals.

Boston won its first championship in 1957, 11 years after the franchise was founded. With NBA legends Bob Cousy and the late Bill Russell leading the way and the legendary Red Auerbach as head coach, the Celtics won eight straight championships from 1959 to 1966.

From 1957 to 1969, when Russell announced his retirement from the league, the franchise claimed 11 championships. In the 1970s, Boston earned the title twice only (1974 and 1976), but the Celtics came back in the 1980s when the rivalry with the Lakers intensified.

The Celtics collided with their rivals multiple times in the NBA Finals and won the title three times (1981, 1984 and 1986). This rivalry was highlighted by the on-court battle between two of the greatest players of all time in the league, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird.

After that period, it took Boston 22 years to return to the top. In 2008, coached by Doc Rivers and led by Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, the Celtics defeated the Lakers in six games and went on to claim their 17th championship.

Two years later, they had the chance to claim their record 18th, but Pau Gasol and the late Kobe Bryant were unstoppable and helped Los Angeles survive a seven-game series and repeat. This was the last time the two rivals faced each other in the NBA Finals.

Jayson Tatum says leading the Celtics to the 18th NBA championship will be an 'incredible feeling'

Jayson Tatum has become Boston's undisputed leader since joining the franchise in 2016. The All-Star guard has reached the Eastern Conference Finals with the team in consecutive years (2022 and 2023), while he has played in the NBA Finals in 2022.

During a recent appearance in the Point Forward podcast with Andre Iguodala and Evan Turner, Tatum called Boston a 'special place' for him and admitted that leading the Celtics to a record 18th championship would be an 'incredible feeling.'

"Honestly, I didn't understand how special of a place Boston was until I got here. I didn't like Boston. But this is a special place. They love their sports teams, they love their guys. And I feel like I've been embraced, I feel like they've accepted me as one of their guys," Jayson Tatum said, via CBS News.

"There's a sense of pride, there's an edge you have to have to play here. I can only imagine the love -- I know how much love I get now. I can only imagine the love, the reception, if you hung one of those banners up. It would be incredible. It's going to be incredible. I know it."

Jayson Tatum is averaging 27.6 ppg, 8.9 rpg and 4.2 apg for a Boston team that has won 15 of its first 20 games and is on top of the Eastern Conference.