The Boston Celtics are the most successful team in NBA history, having won 18 titles, one more than the LA Lakers.
Years of Boston dominance has inevitably led to some big individual player legacies, and as a mark of respect, the Celtics have retired several of their biggest stars’ jersey numbers.
Here, we have looked into all 24 jersey numbers retired by the Celtics.
#00 – Robert Parish
Parish won three NBA titles with the Celtics in 14 years on the roster. During that time, he played over 1,000 games and was an All Star in nine seasons.
His 00 jersey was retired in 1998, a year after he had retired from the league.
#1 – Walter Brown
Brown was the founder and first owner of the Celtics, controlling them for almost 20 years between 1946 until his death in 1964.
As a mark of respect after his death, the Celtics retired the No.1 jersey for him.
#2 – Red Auerbach
Auerbach won the most titles as head coach in Celtics history, with nine.
He won just shy of 800 games as their coach and had the No.2 jersey retired for him in 1985.
#3 – Dennis Johnson
Johnson played for the Celtics for seven seasons, frequently being one of the frontrunners for the Defensive Player of the Year award, though he never won it.
Johnson won two titles with the Celtics and had his No.3 jersey retired as a result.
#5 – Kevin Garnett
One of the most recent jersey retirements, Garnett’s No.5 was retired in 2022, six years after his own retirement from the game.
He won the 2008 championship with the Celtics, their first in 22 years.
#6 – Bill Russell
One of the most deserving of having a jersey retired, Russell won five MVP titles during his 13 years with the Celtics.
Those accounted for all of his years in the league, and the center won 11 championships on the way to becoming one of the best players in the history of the league.
His No.6 jersey was retired by the Celtics in 1972, and shortly after he died in 2022, it was retired league-wide as a mark of his legendary status.
#10 – Jo Jo White
White played for the Celtics for nine and a half seasons, during which he was named an All-Star on seven occasions.
He played over 700 games as a Celtic, averaging over 18 points in them, and won two championships before having his No.10 jersey retired in 1982.
#14 – Bob Cousy
Cousy won the NBA MVP award in 1957, the year of the Celtics’ first title.
Overall, he won six championships with them, and he also led the league in assists eight times. His accolades were worthy of having his number – 14 – retired.
#15 – Tommy Heinsohn
Heinsohn’s No.15 jersey was retired in honor of him winning eight championships as a player and then two as a coach.
He won eight NBA titles as a player and was an All-Star on six occasions.
#16 – Tom Sanders
Sanders spent the entirety of his career with the Celtics and won eight championships with them.
As coach, he took over from Heinsohn, who had the jersey number directly before his No.16 retired.
#17 – John Havlicek
Havlicek was an icon for the Celtics, winning eight championships and making the All-Star team on 13 occasions in his 16-year career.
He averaged over 20 points over the course of that, and his No.17 jersey was retired in 1978, following his retirement at the end of that season.
#18 – Dave Cowens
Cowens had a 10-year career with the Celtics and won the MVP award in 1972.
He was also an eight-time All-Star and won two championships – and those accolades saw his No.18 jersey retired in 1981.
#19 – Don Nelson
Nelson played for the Celtics for 11 seasons, and in that time won five championships while playing over 850 games.
In 1978, his No.19 jersey was retired, and he also had his high school jersey retired, a rare honor.
#21 – Bill Sharman
In 10 years as a Celtic, Sharman made the All-Star team eight times and won a championship on four separate occasions.
As a result, in 1966, his No.21 jersey was retired – one of the earliest to be retired by the Celtics.
#22 – Ed Macauley
In his six seasons as a Celtic, Macauley was named an All-Star every single year.
He played just before a period of title dominance, moving on before 1956-57, when the Celtics won their first title – but his exploits were enough for his No.22 jersey to be retired.
#23 – Frank Ramsey
Ramsey began his career before the Celtics won their first NBA title, but was there for seven championships in nine years.
Unsurprisingly, then, he had his No.23 jersey retired after his career had finished.
#24 – Sam Jones
Jones won 10 championships during his time with the Celtics, which is one shy of Bill Russell’s record for the most by a player in a career.
Jones was also named an All-Star on five occasions and had his No.24 jersey retired when his career ended.
The No.24 is the third most-retired jersey in the NBA, with the Celtics one of eight teams to hang it up.
#25 – KC Jones
In nine years with the Celtics, Jones won eight championships as a player.
He then became coach and added another two in that role, having his No.25 jersey retired as a result of his efforts to the organisation.
#31 – Cedric Maxwell
Maxwell played eight seasons with the Celtics, and though there was little in the way of personal accolades, he helped them to two NBA titles, in 1981 and 1984.
He played over 600 games for the Celtics and had his No.31 jersey retired in 2003.
#32 – Kevin McHale
Over a 13-year Celtics career, McHale was a two-time Sixth Man of the Year, while he also won three NBA championships.
In 1994, his No.32 jersey was retired, and he’s one of 13 players to have the number retired by an NBA team.
#33 – Larry Bird
Bird is one of the greatest players to have represented the Celtics, averaging over 24 points per game with them for 13 years.
He won Rookie of the Year and three MVP titles during his career, as well as winning three championships.
He retired in 1992 and had his No.33 jersey retired the following year.
#34 – Paul Pierce
Of his 19 years playing in the league, Pierce spent 15 of them in Boston, being named an All-Star on 10 occasions.
Prior to 2007-08 season, the Celtics had not won the NBA championship for 22 years, but Pierce and his star teammate brought it home. His exploits saw his jersey retired in 2018.
#35 – Reggie Lewis
Lewis played just six seasons in the NBA, all for the Celtics, and he was named an All-Star in 1991-92.
Just over a year later, at the age of just 27, Lewis died of a heart condition, and the Celtics honoured his memory by retiring his No.35 jersey.
LOSCY – Jim Loscutoff
Loscutoff played for the Celtics for nine years, winning seven championships with them.
He reportedly did not want his jersey, No.18, to be retired, so the Celtics instead retired his nickname, Loscy.
The No.18 jersey has since been retired in honour of 1972 MVP winner Dave Cowens.
