The term “single-season turnaround” is used in professional sports to describe the improvements a team or athlete makes from one season to the next. In many instances, the improvements made are relatively minor, such as acquiring a new coach or a talented rookie, which can contribute a few extra wins to a struggling team's record. However, achieving championship success typically requires franchises to undergo a gradual building process over multiple seasons. This is not always the case, however, as exemplified by the Boston Celtics during the 2007-08 National Basketball Association (NBA) season.
Along with the Los Angeles Lakers, the Celtics are the most decorated franchise in NBA history, with 60 playoff appearances in 78 seasons and 17 championships. The team has experienced several periods of dominance over the rest of the league, highlighted by 11 championships in 13 seasons between 1956 and 1969. The Celtics and Lakers battled throughout the 1980s, with Boston adding three titles and appearing in two additional NBA Finals series during the decade.
The franchise experienced a championship drought following their 1986 championship and the premature retirement of star player Larry Bird. The team failed to reach the playoffs for six consecutive seasons between 1995 and 2001. Before this stretch, the Celtics had never failed to reach the postseason for more than two consecutive years.
Boston’s fortunes began to change following the 1998 NBA Draft. The Celtics took Paul Pierce with the 10th overall selection. Pierce developed into one of the league’s most consistent scorers, and by the 2001-02 season, he was capable of leading the team to multiple playoff berths. The rest of the Celtics roster, however, lacked the star power needed to advance to the finals and win a championship.
Pierce was injured at the start of the 2006-07 season and the team suffered an 18-game losing streak, the longest in franchise history. They ended the year with a record of 24-58. The silver lining appeared to be a shot at top draft prospects Kevin Durant and Greg Oden, but the draft lottery saw Boston fall to the No. 5 selection.
Boston’s general manager Danny Ainge spent the following summer working several complex trades, first bringing in storied sharpshooter Ray Allen, then acquiring Kevin Garnett in a trade that holds the record for the most players (seven) traded in exchange for a single player. The result was a core of three-star players ready to lead Boston back to championship contention.
The Celtics opened the 2007-08 campaign with an eight-game winning streak and a 20-2 record to start the season. The team did not incur consecutive losses until their 35th and 36th games. They ended the year by winning 11 of their final 12 games for a 66-16 record. The 42-game increase in wins is the largest single-season turnaround in league history, but the Celtics still had work to do.
Boston set two notable records during the 2008 NBA Playoffs. To start, the Celtics played 26 playoff games, more than any team in league history. The postseason began with a seven-game series against the Atlanta Hawks and Cleveland Cavaliers, followed by a six-game series against the Detroit Pistons and Lakers.
Boston began Game 4 of the NBA Finals in Los Angeles with a 2-1 series lead. The Lakers built a large first-half lead over their rivals, leading 35-14 after one quarter and trailing by 24 early in the second half. A bench tandem of Eddie House and James Posey helped shoot the Celtics back into the game, ultimately closing out the win on a 23-3 run and taking a 3-1 series lead with one of the largest comebacks in NBA Finals history.
The Celtics ended the historic season with a 131-92 victory in Game 6, three points shy of the largest margin of victory in an NBA Finals game.
