How did the Boston Celtics get their name? Origin and history

The Boston Celtics won the NBA title back in June – their 18th crown – surpassing the Lakers to become the winningest franchise in league history. The Cs are also one of the oldest teams in the competition. Founded June 6, 1946on the same day as that New York Knicksthey belong to the 'Original 11′ – the first teams to compete in the newly formed league tournament.

Boston owes its nickname to its founder, Walter Brownwho chose the nickname when he founded the franchise in the summer of 1946.

The managing director of the Boston Garden (the sports arena that was the Celtics' home field until 1995), Brown founded the franchise as one of the eight founding members of the American Basketball Association – a competition that merged with the National Basketball League to form the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 1949.

Boston's Irish Influence

Brown's decision to name his team Celtics was a nod to Boston's large Irish-American populationmainly caused by a wave of immigration from Ireland in the 19th century. The choice was too inspired by the original Celticsa well-known basketball team founded by Irish immigrants in New York in the early 1900s before folding in 1930.

According to the NBA's official history of the Boston Celtics: During a conversation with Howie McHugh, Brown decided on the team's nicknamewho was part of the Boston Garden publicity team. Names like that HurricanesThe Unicorns and the Olympia had been put forward before Brown said: “Wait, I got it – the Celtics. We call them the Boston Celtics!”

Brown continued: “The name has a great basketball tradition of the old original Celtics in New York. And Boston is full of Irish people. We're going to put green uniforms on them and call them the Boston Celtics!” McHugh was said to be unenthusiastic about the nickname, but couldn't convince Brown not to accept it.

The Celtics mascot, Lucky the goblinand the team's use of logos depicting a leprechaun and shamrock are further references to Boston's significant Irish connections.

Banner night in Boston

According to the latest data compiled by the US Census Bureau 13.6% of the city's just over 675,000 residents claim to have Irish ancestry. In the entire state of Massachusetts with seven million inhabitants Boston is the capitalthe percentage of people who say they have Irish roots rises to 19.7.

Today is Banner night in Boston – the franchise warms up for the new season by hoisting banner No. 18 to the rafters as a host of special guests including former players Bob Cousy, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, will be invited to the TD Garden for the event.

It will also be the moment when Last year's team receives their rings – The ceremony will take place half an hour before the meeting point Opening the 2024-25 regular season against the New York Knicks.