The Boston Celtics are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of the league's original eight teams, the Celtics play their home games at TD Garden, which is also the home of the National Hockey League's Boston Bruins. The Celtics are one of the most successful basketball teams in NBA history. The franchise's 17 NBA championships are the joint most of any team, alongside the Los Angeles Lakers. The Celtics currently hold the record for the most recorded wins of any NBA team.
The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games at Madison Square Garden, an arena they share with the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL). They are one of two NBA teams located in New York City; the other team is the Brooklyn Nets. Alongside the Boston Celtics, the Knicks are one of two original NBA teams still located in its original city.
The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division.
Daniel Ray Ainge is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and professional baseball player who serves as an executive for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA). During his 18-year career as general manager for the Celtics, he was known for making bold moves to help the team rebuild, clearing cap space and tanking for picks. Ainge served as the Celtics' president of basketball operations from 2003 until his retirement in 2021, when he was succeeded by incumbent head coach Brad Stevens.
Chauncey Ray Billups is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played 17 seasons in the NBA. After playing college basketball with the Colorado Buffaloes, he was selected third overall in the 1997 NBA draft by the Boston Celtics. A five-time NBA All-Star, a three-time All-NBA selection and two-time NBA All-Defensive selection, Billups played for the Celtics, Toronto Raptors, Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks, and Los Angeles Clippers during his NBA career. He won the NBA Finals MVP in 2004 after helping the Pistons beat the Los Angeles Lakers in the Finals, and was given the nickname "Mr. Big Shot" for making late-game shots with Detroit. The Pistons retired his No. 1 jersey in 2016.
Antoine Devon Walker is an American former professional basketball player. He was drafted with the sixth overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft out of the University of Kentucky and played in the NBA from 1996 to 2008. Walker played for the Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, Atlanta Hawks, Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves, the BSN's Mets de Guaynabo and the NBA D-League's Idaho Stampede before retiring from basketball in 2012. Walker, a three-time NBA All-Star, won an NCAA championship with Kentucky in 1996 and an NBA championship with the Heat in 2006.
Bradley Alan Miller is an American former professional basketball player. The two-time NBA All-Star played for six National Basketball Association (NBA) teams.
Keith Ramon Bogans is an American former basketball player who last served as an assistant coach for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for Kentucky.
The 1997 NBA draft took place on June 25, 1997, at Charlotte Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Vancouver Grizzlies had the highest probability to win the NBA draft lottery, but since they were an expansion team along with the Toronto Raptors they were not allowed to select first in this draft. Although the Boston Celtics had the second-worst record in the 1996–97 season and the best odds of winning the lottery with two picks, the Spurs lost David Robinson and Sean Elliott to injury early in the season, finished with the third-worst record, and subsequently won the lottery. Leading up to the draft, there was no doubt that Tim Duncan would be selected at No. 1 by the Spurs as he was considered to be far and away the best prospect. After Duncan, the rest of the draft was regarded with some skepticism. The Celtics had the third and sixth picks, selecting Chauncey Billups and Ron Mercer, both of whom were traded in the next two years.
James Mikely Mantell Posey Jr. is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is an assistant coach for the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played the small forward position for the Denver Nuggets, the Memphis Grizzlies, the Miami Heat, the Boston Celtics, the New Orleans Hornets, and the Indiana Pacers. Posey won NBA championships as a member of the 2006 Miami Heat and the 2008 Boston Celtics.
Eric C. Williams is an American former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1995 to 2007. He played for seven teams during his career, including two stints with the Boston Celtics.
Rajon Pierre Rondo is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A point guard, Rondo played two years of college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats before being drafted 21st overall by the Phoenix Suns in the 2006 NBA draft and subsequently traded to the Celtics in a draft-day trade. Rondo is a two-time NBA champion, four-time NBA All-Star, has earned four NBA All-Defensive Team honors including two First Team honors, and was named to the All-NBA Third Team in 2012.
Terrence Deshon Williams is an American former professional basketball player. Williams was drafted 11th overall in the 2009 NBA draft by the New Jersey Nets. He was the senior co-captain for Rick Pitino's 2008–09 University of Louisville Cardinals.
The Boston Celtics are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. Founded in 1946 as a charter member of the Basketball Association of America, the Celtics then moved into the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 1949, as said league was formed by the merger of the BAA and the National Basketball League. Currently playing in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference, the Celtics are tied with the Lakers with the most NBA titles with 17 championships. Eleven of those occurred between 1957 and 1969, with a dynasty led by center Bill Russell and coach/general manager Red Auerbach. The Celtics won two more titles in the 1970s under coach Tom Heinsohn, and three more in the 1980s under the leadership of forward Larry Bird. After a 22-year drought, the Celtics got their latest title in 2008.
The 1999–00 NBA season was the 54th season for the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association. During the off-season, the Celtics acquired Danny Fortson, and former Celtics forward Eric Williams from the Denver Nuggets, and signed free agents Calbert Cheaney, and undrafted rookie guard Adrian Griffin. In their third season under head coach Rick Pitino, the Celtics won their first three games, but played below .500 for the first few months, holding a 21–28 record at the All-Star break. At midseason, the team traded Fortson to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Alvin Williams, but the trade was voided due to Williams failing his physical exam; Fortson only played 55 games this season due to a stress fracture in his right foot. The Celtics struggled and suffered a ten-game losing streak between March and April, but managed to win five of their final six games. Fans and the media began to show their impatience with the struggling franchise, who finished out of the playoffs again with a 35–47 record, fifth in the Atlantic Division.
The 1997–98 NBA season was the 52nd season for the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association. In the 1997 NBA draft, the Celtics selected Chauncey Billups from the University of Colorado with the third overall pick, and selected Ron Mercer from the University of Kentucky with the sixth overall pick. Despite finishing with the NBA's second worst record in 1996–97, the Celtics were back in the headlines after hiring University of Kentucky head coach Rick Pitino as their new coach. In the off-season, the team signed free agent Chris Mills, but then sent him to the New York Knicks in exchange for second-year forward Walter McCarty in October, and also signed second-year center Travis Knight, Andrew DeClercq, Bruce Bowen and Tyus Edney.
Courtney Lee is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball at Western Kentucky University.
The 2000–01 NBA season was the Bulls' 35th season in the National Basketball Association. In the 2000 NBA draft, the Bulls selected Marcus Fizer from Iowa State with the fourth overall pick, and selected Chris Mihm from the University of Texas at Austin with the seventh pick, but soon traded Mihm to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for top draft pick Jamal Crawford. During the off-season, the team signed free agents Ron Mercer, and Brad Miller. The Bulls continued to struggle losing 24 of their first 27 games, then later holding a 6–42 record at the All-Star break, as they finished with 15 wins and 67 losses, the worst record in the Central Division and the worst league record. Second-year star Elton Brand led the team with 20.1 points, 10.1 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game, while Mercer finished second on the team in scoring with 19.7 points per game, and Fizer was selected to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. Following the season, Brand was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers.
The 1999–2000 NBA season was the Nuggets' 24th season in the National Basketball Association, and 33rd season as a franchise. It was also their first season playing at the Pepsi Center. The Nuggets had the 18th overall pick in the 1999 NBA draft, and selected James Posey out of Xavier University. During the off-season, the team acquired Ron Mercer and Popeye Jones from the Boston Celtics, and signed free agent George McCloud. With Dan Issel back as head coach, the Nuggets had a solid nucleus of second-year star Raef LaFrentz, Antonio McDyess and Nick Van Exel with a 17–15 record to start the season. However, the Nuggets would struggle and slip below .500, holding a 21–27 record at the All-Star break.
The 2016 NBA draft was held on June 23, 2016, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. It was televised nationally in the U.S. by ESPN, and was live streamed for the first time in NBA draft history by The Vertical. National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players. The draft lottery took place during the playoffs, on May 17, 2016. This was the first time since the lottery system was introduced in 1985 that all NBA teams that missed out on the playoffs remained in the exact spots they were designated, meaning the 10-win/72-loss Philadelphia 76ers received the No. 1 pick, the Los Angeles Lakers kept the No. 2 pick, the Boston Celtics via the Brooklyn Nets got the No. 3 pick, and everyone else stayed in their same spots based on the regular season standings from the 2015–16 season.
