CELTICS 1986 : The height of dominance

Published on February 13, 2026 4 min. reading

The NBA is a land of dynasties, but some teams transcend mere success to achieve greatness. The Boston Celtics of the 1985–1986 season were not just champions. They embodied the pinnacle of an era, the purest expression of team basketball ever played on the court of Boston Garden. Their domination was cold, clinical and relentless. A look back at a season that has become legendary.

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Context : Reconquest as an obsession

1985 was a traumatic year. Defeated in the finals by their arch-rivals, the Lakers, on the legendary court of the Garden, the Celtics’ pride was wounded. The goal for the 85-86 season was not to win, but to take back what belonged to them. Revenge was not an option, it was an obligation.

While the roster was already bordering on science fiction — Larry Bird at the top of his game, Kevin McHale and his unstoppable footwork in the post, Robert Parish in control — the offseason would turn the team upside down. The front office pulled off the coup of the century by acquiring Bill Walton. The former MVP, finally free of his physical problems, accepted a role as a luxury sixth man. With such depth on the bench and perfect chemistry under K.C. Jones, the green machine was ready to crush the league.

Regular season: The Garden stronghold

The tone was set in the autumn: Boston was in a league of its own. The regular season turned into a long triumphal procession, with the team crushing the competition with frightening efficiency.

The final tally is dizzying: 67 wins, 15 losses and an average point differential of +9.4. The offence is a symphony of passes, the defence a vice. Larry Bird, the conductor of this armada, wins his third consecutive MVP title (25.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, 6.8 assists).

But history will remember above all the invincibility of their home court. The Boston Garden became a death trap for visitors. The Celtics set an NBA record that defied belief: 40 wins and only one loss. At home, Boston’s victory was not a probability, it was a mathematical certainty.

Playoffs: An imperial march

The 1986 Playoffs were not a competition, but a demonstration of brute force and technique.

First Round: Bulls (3-0)

The young Michael Jordan dazzles the world (63 points in Game 2), but he is too alone. The collective power of the Celtics extinguishes the fire and sweeps Chicago without losing a single game. The future belongs to Jordan, but the present is the exclusive property of Boston.

Semi-Finals : Hawks (4-1)

Faced with Dominique Wilkins’ explosive play, Boston imposed its dominance. Despite a hiccup in Game 4, the experience of the Big Three stifled Atlanta’s ambitions.

Conference Finals : Bucks (4-0)

A clean sweep with no mistakes. Milwaukee, despite being a stronghold in the East, is disintegrated. The Garden is buzzing, the Celtics are on a mission.

NBA Finales : Rockets (4-2)

The final match pits the old guard against Houston’s young ‘Twin Towers’, Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson. Despite the physical challenge posed by the young Texans, the Celtics’ skill prevails. Bird, McHale and Parish handle the pressure with surgical precision. Larry Bird is logically named MVP of the Finals. The throne is reclaimed.

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The legacy: The gold standard of basketball

Why, forty years later, does this team remain the gold standard?

Because the 1986 Celtics represent the perfection of 1980s basketball: a miraculous balance of individual talent, highly developed basketball IQ and total selflessness. Their 40-1 home record remains one of the most intimidating achievements in the history of American professional sport.

Often cited alongside the 1996 Bulls and the 2017 Warriors in the debate over the ‘Greatest Team of All Time’, this team had an extra spark, symbolised by Bill Walton, who was voted Sixth Man of the Year. The 1986 title was the culmination, the last great masterpiece of this generation before injuries caught up with the legend. They didn’t just win; they elevated basketball to an art form.