Boston Celtics Win 7th Straight Banner in 1965
The Boston Celtics won their 7th consecutive NBA championship in 1965, a testament to the team's dominance under the leadership of Bill Russell. The Celtics posted a 62-18 record, the best in league history, while no other team reached 50 wins. They won the first 11 games on the schedule, then added win streaks of seven and 16 games.
Russell won the Most Valuable Player award for the fifth time, averaging 14.1 points per game and leading the NBA in rebounding average at 24.1. Unfortunately, Russell played before blocked shots were tracked as an official statistic and also before the introduction of the Defensive Player of the Year award. His overall status as arguably the greatest player in NBA history is shortchanged as a result.
Sam Jones, Tommy Heinsohn, and Russell all played in the All-Star game. This would be Heinsohn's last hurrah, retiring after nine seasons. Among those new to the team were draft picks Mel Counts, taken in the first round with overall pick no. 9, and in the third round with pick 27, John Thompson. Counts would play 12 seasons in the NBA, win two rings with the Celtics, then be traded in a significant deal, and cross paths again with Boston in the 1969 Finals. Thompson played just two seasons as a backup big, but also won two rings. He made the Hall of Fame too, in the role he's most known for, coach of the Georgetown Hoyas.
The First All-Black Starting Five
The Celtics also made on-court history once again in the realm of civil rights. In the 1964 installment of this series, we reviewed how coach Red Auerbach and the Celtics ignored the unwritten 'quota rule' and put five black players on the court at the same time. On December 27, 1964, they took it to the next step. Tommy Heinsohn was injured and Willie Naulls replaced him in the starting lineup, along with regulars Bill Russell, Satch Sanders, Sam Jones, and K.C. Jones. The first all-black starting five. It was a major breakthrough in professional sports at a contentious time and bleak period in American history.
What Comes Next?
The Celtics continued to make history, and their legacy lives on. Last result: Boston Celtics 100-109 Philadelphia 76ers (2026-05-02). Recent form (last 5): 0W-0D-5L (LLLLL, most recent first); lost the last 5.
