1962-1963 Boston Celtics: Championship #6

The 1962-1963 Boston Celtics went 58-22 on their way to the franchise’s fifth straight championship season. For the season, the Celtics outscored their opponents by an average 7.2 points per game, scoring 118.8 themselves while allowing 111.6 for the other teams.

A young rookie from Ohio State named John Havlicek cracked the starting lineup in place of the aging Frank Ramsey, joining Bob Cousy, Tom Heinsohn, Sam Jones and Bill Russell. Ramsey and Tom “Satch” Sanders came off the bench to provide double-digit scoring and solid minutes, giving the 1962-1962 Boston Celtics seven players in double digit scoring.

In 1962-1963, Bill Russell won his third straight NBA MVP, averaging 16.8 points and 23.6 rebounds. Showing the great balance and talent the Celtics possessed, Russell won the MVP as only the team’s third leading scorer. He provided everything else the 1962-1963 Boston Celtics needed, from shot-blocking to rebounding to outlet passes to even assists.

The 1962-1963 season also marks Bob Cousy’s last season with the Celtics. He would later return to play seven games as the Cincinatti Royals’ player-coach, but he will forever remain a Celtic in the eyes of Boston fans. During his last campaign with the Boston Celtics, the 34 year-old Cousy averaged 13.2 points and 6.8 assists, and was named to the All-NBA Second Team.

In the playoffs, the 1962-1963 Celtics once again struggled in the Eastern Conference Finals, barely edging Oscar Robertson’s Cincinnati Royals in seven games. In the Finals, playing against the Los Angeles Lakers, the 1962-1963 Boston Celtics prevailed against a very talented Lakers team starring Elgin Baylor and Jerry West for their fifth straight NBA title.