The NBA Belt · reign 555
Boston Celtics
Took the belt from St. Louis Hawks, 119–104, on April 9, 1961. Lost it to Detroit Pistons, 116–110, on November 9, 1961.
5Defenses
214Days
70thReign for the franchise
+9Closest call · Apr 11, 1961
21.6Average winning margin
7thLongest of 3,250 reigns, by days
148thMost defenses of 3,250 reigns
Defended against
St. Louis HawksPistonsKnicksPhiladelphia WarriorsSyracuse Nationals
The seasons
- 1960–61: Boston Celtics finished 57–22–0, 1st of 8 by record; they won the NBA title while holding the belt; 2 belt games of this reign; the belt changed hands 36 times that season.
- 1961–62: Boston Celtics finished 60–20–0, 1st of 9 by record; they won the NBA title while holding the belt; 5 belt games of this reign; the belt changed hands 42 times that season.
Reign leaders
Most points for Boston Celtics across the 7 belt games of this reign with a box score.
| Player | PTS | Games | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bill Russell | 138 | 7 |
| 2 | Tom Heinsohn | 137 | 7 |
| 3 | Bob Cousy | 127 | 7 |
| 4 | Sam Jones | 103 | 7 |
| 5 | Thomas Sanders | 90 | 7 |
Every game of the reign
margins from Boston Celtics’ side| Belt game | Date | Result | Margin | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,212 | Apr 9, 1961 | Boston Celtics beat St. Louis Hawks 119–104 Playoffs Game → | +15 | Title change |
| 1,213 | Apr 11, 1961 | Boston Celtics beat St. Louis Hawks 121–112 Playoffs | +9 | Defense |
| 1,214 | Oct 21, 1961 | Boston Celtics beat Detroit Pistons 137–102 | +35 | Defense |
| 1,215 | Oct 28, 1961 | Boston Celtics beat New York Knicks 132–102 | +30 | Defense |
| 1,216 | Nov 3, 1961 | Boston Celtics beat Philadelphia Warriors 112–98 | +14 | Defense |
| 1,217 | Nov 4, 1961 | Boston Celtics beat Syracuse Nationals 127–107 | +20 | Defense |
| 1,218 | Nov 9, 1961 | Detroit Pistons beat Boston Celtics 116–110 Game → | −6 | Title change |