when did the celtics win championship?
1969 NBA Finals 1986 NBA Finals 2008 NBA Finals 1974 NBA Finals 1984 NBA Finals 1965 NBA Finals 1966 NBA Finals 1976 NBA Finals 1981 NBA Finals 1968 NBA Finals
contradiction
 The following year , the Lakers and three other NBL franchises jumped to the fledgling Basketball Association of America . Mikan led his new league in scoring , and again set a single @-@ season scoring record . The Lakers defeated the Washington Capitols in the 1949 BAA Finals . 

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 The rivalry between the Boston Celtics and the Lakers involves the two most storied basketball franchises in National Basketball Association ( NBA ) history . It has been called the best rivalry in the NBA . The two teams have met a record 12 times in the NBA Finals , starting with their first Finals meeting in 1959 . They would go on to dominate the league in the 1960s and the 1980s , facing each other six times in the 60s and three times in the 80s . 

entailment
 Anchored by defensive stalwart Russell , the tough Celtics forced their opponents to take low @-@ percentage shots from farther distances ( there was no three @-@ point arc at the time ) ; misses were then often grabbed by perennial rebounding champion Russell , who then either passed it on to elite fast @-@ break distributor Cousy or made the outlet pass himself , providing their sprinting colleagues opportunities for an easy slam dunk or layup . Auerbach also emphasized the need for role players like Frank Ramsey and John Havlicek , who became two of the first legitimate sixth men in NBA history , a role later succeeded in by Don Nelson . Auerbach 's recipe proved devastating to the opposition . From 1957 to 1966 , the Celtics won nine of ten NBA championships . This included eight consecutive championships — which is the longest championship streak in North American sports — and six victories over the Los Angeles Lakers of Hall @-@ of @-@ Famers Elgin Baylor and Jerry West in the NBA Finals . The streak also denied perennial scoring and rebounding champion Wilt Chamberlain a title during Auerbach 's coaching reign . 

contradiction
 The game featured two future National Players of the Year in Michael Jordan and Ewing . Sporting News named Jordan Player of the Year for the 1982 – 83 season . The following year , Jordan was the consensus National Player of the Year for the 1983 – 84 season , winning each of the player of the year awards that were given out . Ewing won four National Player of the Year awards for his efforts during the 1984 – 85 season . In addition , Worthy , Ewing , and Jordan were all enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame after illustrious professional careers , in 2003 , 2008 , and 2009 , respectively . 

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 The Celtics franchise has retired Johnson 's # 3 jersey , which hangs from the rafters of the TD Garden , the home arena of the team . On April 5 , 2010 , the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame officially announced that Johnson had been posthumously elected to the Hall . He was formally inducted on August 13 . He is considered by several sports journalists to be one of the most underrated players of all time . 
