Boston Celtics fans are having a bit of a rough start to the 2021-22 NBA season, and given their favorite team has started off the Ime Udoka era off to the tune of precisely zero wins in the first two games, it is understandable why they are.
But it is not necessarily a death sentence to drop the home and away opener both, either. After all, the 2017-18 Boston Celtics also lost their first two regular-season games only to win their next 16, and end up losing the Eastern Conference Finals in 7 games to the Cleveland Cavaliers and one of the best to ever play the game.
But there have been some seriously bad starts in Boston’s history as well; where does this one rank so far?
Can you name all of the top ten rebounders for the Celtics in playoff history? Better yet, can you do it in order? https://t.co/ke6nRjuwRz
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) October 5, 2023
1949-50: 3 - 7 (tie)
12/22/1949: In 13th game for #Celtics, Tony Lavelli scored 26 points. At halftime he treated the 5,206 fans at Boston Garden to an accordion mini-concert, one of about two dozen performances he gave around the league for which he was paid $125 per concert by the #NBA. pic.twitter.com/BiwkZhH0Il
— Roundball Ramblings (@RoundballRamble) December 22, 2020
Boston had a tough time to start their history in what would soon become the NBA as we’ll see later, but even this bad start would pale in the face of the team’s first season.
1969-70: 3 - 7 (tie)
The end of the Celtics’ golden age was signaled quite loudly by this awful start that saw just three wins in the first 10 games.
1977-78: 2 - 8 (tie)
Another shot across the bow signaling a rebuilding period for Boston, this season’s squad dropped all but two of their first 10 contests.
1996-97: 2 - 8 (tie)
For anyone in denial about the decline of the Celtics since the end of the Larry Bird era, winning but two of the team’s first 10 games was about as clear as the basketball gods could make it.
1946-47: 1 - 9
The 1946-47 Boston Celtics team photograph.
This was the first year of existence of the Celtics. They went 22-38 and finished 5th in the East.#NBA #Celtics @celtics #NBATwitter pic.twitter.com/bje1V2fg6X
— NBA Hoops Online (@NBABoards) November 29, 2020
Oddly enough, it was Boston’s very first season that they started off the worst, winning just one of their first 10 games.
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