NBA
How did the Boston Celtics get their name? Origin and history
The Celtics, one of the oldest NBA franchises were given their name by team founder Walter Brown, who opted for the Celtics over other suggestions such as the Unicorns and the Olympics.
The Boston Celtics clinched the NBA title back in June - their 18th crown, surpassing the Lakers to become the most successful franchise in the history of the league. The Cs are also one of the oldest teams in the competition. Founded on 6 June 1946, the same day as the New York Knicks, they are one of the ‘Original 11′ - the first teams to compete in the newly-founded league tournament.
Boston owe their nickname to founder Walter Brown, who chose the moniker when he established the franchise in the summer of 1946.
The general manager of the Boston Garden (the sports arena that would go on to be the Celtics’ home court until 1995), Brown created the franchise as one of the eight founding members of the American Basketball Association - a competition that then merged with the National Basketball League in 1949, to form the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Boston’s Irish influence
Brown’s decision to call his team the Celtics was a nod to Boston’s large Irish-American population, caused chiefly by a wave of immigration from Ireland in the 19th Century. The choice was also inspired by the Original Celtics, a well-known basketball team that had been created by Irish immigrants in New York earlier in the 20th century, before folding in 1930.
According to the NBA’s official history of the Boston Celtics, Brown settled on the team’s nickname during a conversation with Howie McHugh, who was part of the Boston Garden’s publicity team. Names such as the Whirlwinds, the Unicorns and the Olympics had been put forward, before Brown said: “Wait, I’ve got it - the Celtics. We’ll call them the Boston Celtics!”
Brown continued: “The name has a great basketball tradition from the old Original Celtics in New York. And Boston is full of Irishmen. We’ll put them in green uniforms and call them the Boston Celtics!” McHugh is said to have been less than enthused by the nickname, but proved unable to persuade Brown not to adopt it.
The Celtics’ mascot, Lucky the Leprechaun, and the team’s use of logos depicting a leprechaun and a shamrock, are further references to Boston’s significant Irish connections.
Banner Night in Boston
According to the most recent data compiled by the US Census Bureau, 13.6.% of the just over 675,000 residents of the city claim Irish ancestry. Throughout the seven-million-strong state of Massachusetts, of which Boston is the capital, the percentage of people who report having Irish roots rises to 19.7.
Today is Banner Night in Boston - the franchise warm up for the new season by raising banner No. 18 to the rafters with a host of special guests, including former players Bob Cousy, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver invited to TD Garden for the event.
It will also be the moment when last year’s team receive their rings - the ceremony will be held half an hour before tip-off ahead of their 2024-25 regular season opener against the New York Knicks.