The 1956-57 Boston Celtics season marked a significant milestone in NBA history, as the team secured their first NBA Championship. The season was highlighted by the acquisition of rookie Bill Russell, who would go on to become one of the most dominant figures in basketball history. Russell, alongside fellow Hall of Famer Bob Cousy, formed a formidable duo that propelled the Celtics to the top of the league.
Under the guidance of head coach Red Auerbach, the Celtics finished the regular season with a 44-28 record, earning the top seed in the Eastern Division. The team’s success was largely attributed to their high-paced offense and defensive prowess, with Russell’s rebounding and shot-blocking capabilities proving to be game-changing.
In the playoffs, the Celtics faced the Syracuse Nationals in the Eastern Division Finals, prevailing in a closely contested series that went to a decisive Game 5. The Celtics’ victory set the stage for their NBA Finals matchup against the St. Louis Hawks. The finals series proved to be a nail-biter, extending to a full seven games. The Celtics ultimately clinched the championship with a 125-123 double-overtime victory in Game 7, with Tom Heinsohn playing a pivotal role by scoring 37 points.
The 1956-57 season not only established the Celtics as a powerhouse in the league but also laid the foundation for their future dynasty. The integration of Bill Russell’s defensive skills and Auerbach’s strategic acumen set the tone for Boston’s success in the ensuing years.
- Regular Season Record: 44-28
- Playoff Result: Division Finals: 3-0, NBA Finals: 4-3
Boston Celtics Roster and Stats for 1956-57 Season
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| Bill Sharman | 67 | 21.1 | 1.3 | 2.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 10 | 21.1 | 3.5 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Bob Cousy | 64 | 20.6 | 1.5 | 5.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 10 | 20.2 | 6.1 | 9.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Tom Heinsohn | 72 | 16.2 | 5.0 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 10 | 22.9 | 11.7 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Bill Russell | 48 | 14.7 | 19.1 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 10 | 13.9 | 24.4 | 2.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Frank Ramsey | 35 | 11.9 | 2.8 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 10 | 12.2 | 4.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Jim Loscutoff | 70 | 10.7 | 6.2 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 10 | 8.0 | 8.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Jack Nichols | 62 | 8.0 | 2.9 | 1.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 10 | 3.5 | 1.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Arnie Risen | 43 | 8.0 | 2.8 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 10 | 7.5 | 5.8 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Dick Hemric | 67 | 5.4 | 1.9 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2 | 1.0 | 4.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Togo Palazzi | 20 | 5.3 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Andy Phillip | 68 | 4.4 | 0.8 | 1.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 10 | 2.2 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Lou Tsioropoulos | 52 | 4.4 | 1.4 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
Boston Celtics in the 1957 NBA Playoffs
1957 Conference Championship vs. Syracuse Nationals
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 21, 1957 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | W 108-90 | |
| Mar 23, 1957 | @ Syracuse Nationals | W 120-105 | |
| Mar 24, 1957 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | W 83-80 |
1957 NBA Finals vs. St. Louis Hawks
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 30, 1957 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | L 125-123 | |
| Mar 31, 1957 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | W 119-99 | |
| Apr 06, 1957 | @ St. Louis Hawks | L 100-98 | |
| Apr 07, 1957 | @ St. Louis Hawks | W 123-118 | |
| Apr 09, 1957 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | W 124-109 | |
| Apr 11, 1957 | @ St. Louis Hawks | L 96-94 | |
| Apr 13, 1957 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | W 125-123 |
Boston Celtics 1956-57 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 1956-57 season for the Boston Celtics.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 27, 1956 | @ New York Knicks | W 115-112 | |
| Nov 03, 1956 | vs. New York Knicks | L 113-107 | |
| Nov 10, 1956 | vs. Minneapolis Lakers | W 117-110 | |
| Nov 11, 1956 | @ Syracuse Nationals | W 94-83 | |
| Nov 14, 1956 | vs. Minneapolis Lakers | L 113-97 | |
| Nov 15, 1956 | @ Fort Wayne Pistons | L 98-95 | |
| Nov 17, 1956 | vs. Rochester Royals | W 108-86 | |
| Nov 18, 1956 | @ Rochester Royals | W 101-87 | |
| Nov 21, 1956 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | W 95-83 | |
| Nov 22, 1956 | @ Philadelphia Warriors | W 101-78 | |
| Nov 24, 1956 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | W 114-99 | |
| Nov 27, 1956 | @ St. Louis Hawks | W 102-90 | |
| Nov 28, 1956 | vs. Minneapolis Lakers | W 105-93 | |
| Nov 30, 1956 | vs. Fort Wayne Pistons | W 104-102 | |
| Dec 01, 1956 | vs. Fort Wayne Pistons | W 108-93 | |
| Dec 04, 1956 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | W 108-107 | |
| Dec 06, 1956 | @ Philadelphia Warriors | L 113-111 | |
| Dec 07, 1956 | vs. Minneapolis Lakers | W 121-114 | |
| Dec 09, 1956 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 116-110 | |
| Dec 11, 1956 | vs. Fort Wayne Pistons | W 113-97 | |
| Dec 12, 1956 | vs. Rochester Royals | L 103-93 | |
| Dec 15, 1956 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | W 102-99 | |
| Dec 16, 1956 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | L 116-104 | |
| Dec 18, 1956 | @ New York Knicks | L 110-99 | |
| Dec 22, 1956 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | W 95-93 | |
| Dec 23, 1956 | @ Fort Wayne Pistons | L 95-87 | |
| Dec 25, 1956 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | L 89-82 | |
| Dec 26, 1956 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | W 120-97 | |
| Dec 27, 1956 | vs. Rochester Royals | W 97-92 | |
| Dec 30, 1956 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | W 105-92 | |
| Jan 01, 1957 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | W 100-87 | |
| Jan 04, 1957 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | L 116-106 | |
| Jan 06, 1957 | vs. Fort Wayne Pistons | W 118-92 | |
| Jan 08, 1957 | @ New York Knicks | L 113-102 | |
| Jan 10, 1957 | @ Fort Wayne Pistons | W 98-81 | |
| Jan 12, 1957 | @ St. Louis Hawks | L 100-98 | |
| Jan 13, 1957 | @ Minneapolis Lakers | L 104-87 | |
| Jan 18, 1957 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | W 126-117 | |
| Jan 19, 1957 | @ Rochester Royals | W 97-83 | |
| Jan 20, 1957 | vs. New York Knicks | W 114-78 | |
| Jan 23, 1957 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | W 140-108 | |
| Jan 25, 1957 | vs. Minneapolis Lakers | W 115-106 | |
| Jan 27, 1957 | @ Philadelphia Warriors | W 107-87 | |
| Jan 28, 1957 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | W 105-95 | |
| Jan 29, 1957 | vs. Minneapolis Lakers | W 103-91 | |
| Jan 30, 1957 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | L 119-116 | |
| Jan 31, 1957 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 105-104 | |
| Feb 02, 1957 | @ New York Knicks | W 114-111 | |
| Feb 03, 1957 | vs. New York Knicks | W 116-98 | |
| Feb 05, 1957 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | W 105-101 | |
| Feb 06, 1957 | vs. Fort Wayne Pistons | W 108-93 | |
| Feb 08, 1957 | vs. New York Knicks | L 92-90 | |
| Feb 09, 1957 | @ Rochester Royals | L 103-102 | |
| Feb 10, 1957 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | W 103-98 | |
| Feb 13, 1957 | @ Minneapolis Lakers | L 115-114 | |
| Feb 14, 1957 | @ Fort Wayne Pistons | L 112-106 | |
| Feb 15, 1957 | @ St. Louis Hawks | W 123-116 | |
| Feb 17, 1957 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 116-106 | |
| Feb 19, 1957 | @ New York Knicks | W 112-110 | |
| Feb 21, 1957 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | W 125-112 | |
| Feb 22, 1957 | @ Philadelphia Warriors | L 117-109 | |
| Feb 24, 1957 | vs. New York Knicks | W 97-85 | |
| Feb 26, 1957 | vs. Rochester Royals | W 92-77 | |
| Feb 28, 1957 | vs. New York Knicks | L 122-121 | |
| Mar 01, 1957 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | W 90-80 | |
| Mar 02, 1957 | @ Rochester Royals | L 96-87 | |
| Mar 03, 1957 | vs. Rochester Royals | W 111-102 | |
| Mar 05, 1957 | @ St. Louis Hawks | L 104-102 | |
| Mar 07, 1957 | @ Minneapolis Lakers | L 109-104 | |
| Mar 09, 1957 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 104-102 | |
| Mar 10, 1957 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | L 94-92 | |
| Mar 13, 1957 | vs. New York Knicks | W 122-91 |