1961 Boston Celtics

Boston kept rolling at 57-22, with Russell winning the MVP. This was a team that beat opponents with defense and the fast break. Auerbach added rookie forward Tom Sanders, a long defender who would guard the other team's best scorer for years.

Cousy still ran the show, with Heinsohn and Sam Jones scoring and Frank Ramsey leading the bench. Sharman, an eight-time All-Star and one of the best free-throw shooters of the era, was in his final season.

The fourth and last Finals meeting between Boston and St. Louis was not close. The Celtics won the first two by a combined 42 points and finished the Hawks in five. Russell dominated the glass throughout, pulling 38 rebounds in the close-out.

St. Louis has not returned to the Finals since. Boston's run was only getting started.

The league was smaller than it is today, but the 1961 playoffs still required beating the best teams in the division and then the other side of the bracket. Title paths from this era are shorter on paper than a modern run, yet the Finals still decided the champion.

The starting five was Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, Tom Heinsohn, Sam Jones, and Tom Sanders. 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 Bill Sharman (in his final NBA season).

The 1961 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, 1959, 1960, 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 1960-61 Celtics went 57-22 and won their third straight title, beating the St. Louis Hawks in five. It was Bill Sharman's last NBA game, and Boston closed the series with him on the floor. Russell finished the clincher with 30 points and 38 rebounds.

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.