| Team: | Boston Celtics |
| Championshipwin: | yes |
| End Year: | 1966 |
| Wins: | 54 |
| Losses: | 26 |
| Division: | Eastern |
| Division Place: | 2 |
| Coach: | Red Auerbach |
| Arena: | Boston Garden |
| Television: | WHDH-TV |
| Radio: | WHDH |
| Playoffs: | NBA Champions (Defeated Lakers 4–3) |
| Bbr Team: | BOS |
The 1965–66 Boston Celtics season was their 20th in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
On October 29, 1965, Sam Jones set a Celtics single-game scoring record with 51, against the Detroit Pistons. His record would last until Larry Bird's 53 in 1983. The Celtics won their 8th title in a row, which still stands as a record for the most titles in a row. The Celtics defeated the Lakers 4 games to 3.
This also marked the final season Red Auerbach coached the Celtics, though his duties with the team only expanded as general manager in the following seasons; he would remain involved with the team in some form until his death 40 years later.
The 1965-1966 NBA Finals was a thrilling seven-game series between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers. The Celtics entered the series as the favorites, having won the championship the previous year and boasting a roster of talented players led by Bill Russell, John Havlicek, and Sam Jones. The Lakers, on the other hand, were led by Jerry West and Elgin Baylor, two of the most dominant players in the league.
The series began with a closely contested game one, which the Lakers won by a score of 133-129 in overtime.[1] The Celtics bounced back in game two, with a 129-123 victory that featured standout performances from Russell and Jones. The series continued in this back-and-forth fashion, with each team trading wins and delivering memorable moments.
In game five, Russell had one of the greatest performances in NBA Finals history, recording 32 points and 30 rebounds to lead the Celtics to a 129-96 victory. The Lakers responded in game six, with Baylor scoring 41 points in a 120-118 win that forced a decisive game seven.
Game seven was a tightly contested affair, with both teams trading baskets and neither able to pull away. In the end, it was the Celtics who emerged victorious, thanks in large part to the heroics of Havlicek. With the score tied at 100-100 and just seconds remaining, Havlicek stole an inbound pass from the Lakers and scored the game-winning basket with five seconds left on the clock. The Celtics won the game 95-93 and secured their eighth championship in ten years.
The 1965-1966 NBA Finals will always be remembered as a classic series between two of the greatest teams in basketball history. The Celtics and Lakers would meet again in the Finals several times over the years, but this series remains one of the most memorable and significant in the history of the NBA.