1959 Boston Celtics

Boston ran away with the East at 52-20. Russell was now in full command of the defense and the boards, grabbing 30 rebounds in two of the four Finals games. Auerbach's backcourt had grown to include Sam Jones and K.C. Jones, two guards from small colleges who would define the next decade in Boston.

The Celtics nearly didn't reach the Finals. Syracuse pushed them to seven games in the Eastern Division final before Boston survived. Cousy, Sharman, and Heinsohn handled the scoring, with Frank Ramsey adding points off the bench.

Minneapolis had upset St. Louis to get there, but they had no answer for Boston. The Celtics won all four games, the closest by five points. It was the first time any team had swept the Finals.

The win opened a streak of eight straight championships, still the longest in the history of North American team sports. Vern Mikkelsen, one of the original Lakers big men, played his last game in the clincher.

The starting five was Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, Bill Sharman, Tom Heinsohn, and Jim Loscutoff. Red Auerbach coached the group with Frank Ramsey as the primary bench scorer.

This was title number 4 in a Boston Celtics run that stretched across consecutive or near-consecutive seasons. Repeat winners carried continuity from one year to the next.

The full roster ran deeper than the headline names. Role players who mattered included K.C. Jones (rookie defensive guard); Gene Conley (also pitched in the majors, won a 1957 World Series with the Braves).

The 1959 playoffs ran through divisional rounds before the Finals. The Boston Celtics still needed four series wins in many years, but the league had fewer teams than the 30-franchise map used today.

The Boston Celtics share a lineage with other banners from 1957, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1974, 1976, 1981, 1984, 1986, 2008, 2024. Compare those seasons on the franchise hub to see how the roster and style changed between title runs.

Looking back, the 1958-59 Celtics produced the first sweep in NBA Finals history, brushing aside the Minneapolis Lakers in four straight. Boston went 52-20 with Bill Russell controlling the glass and Bob Cousy setting the table. The Lakers they swept were carried by a rookie named Elgin Baylor.

For the full roster beyond the featured starters, see the table on this page. For other Boston Celtics titles, use the franchise hub linked below.