The 2007–08 Boston Celtics season was the 62nd season of the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Powered by the offseason blockbuster acquisitions of perennial All-Stars Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to join with established star Paul Pierce, known as the Big Three, the trade enabled the Celtics to finish the season with a record of 66–16 in addition to posting the best single-season turnaround in NBA history. The team also finished first in both the Atlantic Division and the Eastern Conference, and achieved the league's best record. The 66 wins were also the third-most in franchise history, behind the 1972–73 Celtics’ 68 wins and the famous 1985–86 Celtics’ 67 wins including 40 at home. Kevin Garnett was named NBA Defensive Player of the Year, while Danny Ainge, who executed "the most dramatic NBA turnaround ever", was named NBA Executive of the Year. The Celtics also sold out all 41 regular-season home games. The Celtics had the tenth best team offensive rating and the best team defensive rating in the NBA.
Their two-year absence from the playoffs came to an end as they met the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the 2008 NBA Playoffs. Eventually, they advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1987, where they met the Los Angeles Lakers, reigniting their storied rivalry. The Celtics won 4–2, capturing their first championship since , and seventeenth in franchise history, the most in NBA history. However, they had a far more difficult path to this championship, playing 26 games, the most any team had ever played in a post-season; the Celtics surpassed the previous record of 25 games which was held by the 2004-2005 Detroit Pistons and 1993-1994 New York Knicks.
This was the last time the Celtics won an NBA championship until the 2023–24 season.
Key dates June 28: The 2007 NBA draft took place in New York City; acquired perennial All-Star Ray Allen. July 1: The free agency period started. July 31: Acquired perennial All-Star Kevin Garnett. October 6: The pre-season started with a game against the Toronto Raptors in Rome as part of the 2007 NBA Europe Live Tour. November 2: The regular season started with a game against the Washington Wizards. December 27: Matched their victory total of the previous season with a win against the Seattle SuperSonics. March 5: First team to clinch a playoff berth for the 2008 NBA Playoffs.Celtics first team in playoffs after beating up Pistons, Associated Press, March 5, 2008. March 10: Won 50 games in a season for the first time since 1991–92 with a win against the Philadelphia 76ers. March 14: Clinched the Atlantic Division title despite a loss to the Utah Jazz.Jeff Horigan, For Celtics, division title a nice consolation prize, Boston Herald, March 15, 2012. March 18: Ended the 3rd longest winning streak in NBA history with a win against the Houston Rockets. March 28: Matched the number of wins of the previous two season combined (57) with a win against the New Orleans Hornets. April 2: Won sixty games in a season for the first time since 1985–86 with a win against the Indiana Pacers.Mark Murphy, History by the numbers – 60th win takes you back, Boston Herald, April 3, 2008.Marc J. Spears, Pacesetters – Celtics zero in on best record, home advantage, The Boston Globe, April 3, 2012. April 5: Clinched the best record in the Eastern Conference, and simultaneously home-court advantage throughout the 2008 Playoffs, with a win against the New Orleans Hornets.No Big Three, but Celts still get top seed, complete NBA's biggest turnaround, Associated Press, April 5, 2008.Marc J. Spears, Celtics shine without stars – Easy win clinches playoff advantage, The Boston Globe, April 6, 2008.Mark Murphy, C's can do as they please – Stars sit, but team still clinches homecourt, Boston Herald, April 6, 2008. April 16: The regular season concluded with a game against the New Jersey Nets. May 4: Advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals with a win in Game 7 of the First round against the Atlanta Hawks. May 18: Advanced to the Eastern Conference finals with a win in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Cleveland Cavaliers. May 30: Advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1987 with a win in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Detroit Pistons. June 17: Captured their 17th NBA Championship with a win in Game 6 of the NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers. Paul Pierce was named the Finals MVP.
Summary
NBA draft 2007: The Ray Allen trade
On May 22, the Celtics were assigned the 5th overall selection in the NBA draft lottery, essentially losing their chance of drafting either Greg Oden or Kevin Durant, who both were considered to go 1st and 2nd in the draft. The 5th pick was the worst-case scenario for the Celtics, who had a 19.9% chance of obtaining the 1st overall selection. However, on June 28, the day of the 2007 NBA draft, the Celtics traded the 5th pick along with Wally Szczerbiak and Delonte West to the Seattle SuperSonics in exchange for All-Star 3-point specialist Ray Allen and the 35th overall selection prior to the event, and with the 5th pick selected forward Jeff Green for Seattle.Shira Springer, Celtics land Ray Allen, The Boston Globe In the second round of the draft, the Celtics selected guard Gabe Pruitt with the 32nd pick, which was their own, and forward Glen "Big Baby" Davis with the 35th pick, previously obtained from Seattle.Peter May and Shira Springer, Pruitt, Davis second choices, The Boston Globe
Kevin Garnett trade
On July 31, the Celtics traded for 10-time All-Star and 2004 MVP Kevin Garnett in the single largest trade for one player in NBA history.ESPN – Five players, two picks sent to Wolves for Garnett – NBA He was acquired from the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, Theo Ratliff, Gerald Green, Sebastian Telfair, Boston's 2009 first-round draft pick (top three protected), the return of Minnesota's conditional first-round draft pick previously obtained in the 2006 Ricky Davis–Wally Szczerbiak trade and cash considerations.Celtics Acquire 10-Time All-Star Kevin Garnett | Celtics.com By adding Garnett to Celtics veteran Paul Pierce and perennial All-Star Ray Allen, the trade brought a new era of relevance to the long-struggling franchise, but it also left the roster short-handed.C's now a favorite topic: KG deal alters standing in East – BostonHerald.comMove is just the ticket for once-proud team, The Boston Globe, July 31, 2007.
Free agency The Garnett trade left the roster depleted and depth became an immediate concern. Eventually, the Celtics signed guards Eddie House and Jackie Manuel on August 1,Celts sign Eddie House, Boston HeraldChris Sheridan, Boston starts to rebuild roster, signs House to one-year deal, ESPN.com just two days after the Garnett trade, and center Scot Pollard on August 9.Pollard solidifies bench, Boston Herald Later, Ainge called and asked 5-time All-Star Reggie Miller to return from his 2-year retirement and join the roster in a reserve role. Miller strongly considered the possibility of playing alongside Garnett, but ultimately announced on August 23 that he would not join the Celtics.ESPN – Miller's comeback shot snuffed by lengthy season – NBA On August 27, forward James Posey signed with the team and was considered a decisive signing which instantly gave the Celtics a drastic improvement to their bench.ESPN – Posey agrees to two-year contract with revamped Celtics – NBA
On September 26, center Esteban Batista and guard Dahntay Jones signed non-guaranteed contracts with the Celtics, two days before the beginning of training camp and the team's departure to Rome for the 2007 NBA Europe Live Tour.Peter May, Camp Roster Set, The Boston Globe Curiously, Jones was involved in a trade back in the 2003 NBA draft, in which the Celtics drafted him with the 20th overall selection, but immediately traded him with the 16th pick, Troy Bell, to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for the 13th pick, Marcus Banks, and the 27th pick, Kendrick Perkins. Ultimately, the Celtics waived Batista on October 16, and Manuel and Jones on October 25, bringing the roster down to 14 players, one shy of the league maximum of 15 players, in order to have roster flexibility and be able to sign another player midway through the season.Marc J. Spears, Wallace in, Jones and Manuel out, The Boston Globe
Later in the season, on December 18, the Celtics released yet another player, Brandon Wallace, in order to have even more roster flexibility that coach Doc Rivers said they needed. This move brought the roster down to only 13 players, which is the league minimum for players allowed on a team's roster.Peter May, Rookie Wallace gets cut loose, The Boston Globe, December 19, 2007 On February 27, the Celtics signed center P.J. Brown for the remainder of the season, in order to bolster their front court.Mark Murphy, Celtics ink Brown, Boston Herald, February 27, 2008.Celtics Sign P.J. Brown, Celtics.com. His decision to come to Boston was strongly aided by a conversation with future teammates Ray Allen and Paul Pierce, who convinced him to sign with the Celtics during the 2008 NBA All-Star Weekend.Marc J. Spears, Brown in town to lend depth, The Boston Globe, February 28, 2008. On March 4, 2008, the Celtics officially announced that they had signed guard Sam Cassell.Celtics Sign Guard Sam Cassell, Celtics.com, March 4, 2008. After the signing, Cassell immediately flew back to his hometown of Baltimore to attend funeral services for a deceased family member.Celtics Insider, Cassell here and gone, Boston Herald, March 4, 2008.Marc J. Spears, Cassell update, The Boston Globe, March 4, 2008. This signing ultimately put the roster up to the league maximum of 15 players.
Draft picks
Round Pick Player Position Nationality College 1 5 SF Georgetown 2 31 Gabe Pruitt PG Southern California
The Celtics entered the draft with one first-round selection and one second-round selection. They used their first-round selection to draft Jeff Green, but soon traded his draft rights to the Seattle SuperSonics as an exchange for Ray Allen.
Roster
Regular season
Standings
Game log
|- bgcolor="bbffbb" | 1 || November 2 || Washington || 103–83 || Pierce (28) || Garnett (20) || Garnett (5) ||TD Banknorth Garden18,624 || 1–0 |- bgcolor="bbffbb" | 2 || November 4 || @ Toronto || 98–95 (OT) || Allen (33) || Garnett (13) || Garnett, Pierce (6) ||Air Canada Centre19,800 || 2–0 |- bgcolor="bbffbb" | 3 || November 7 || Denver || 119–93 || Pierce (26) || Garnett (13) || Garnett (7) ||TD Banknorth Garden18,624 || 3–0 |- bgcolor="bbffbb" | 4 || November 9 || Atlanta || 106–83 || Garnett (27) || Garnett (19) || Rondo (7) ||TD Banknorth Garden18,624 || 4–0 |- bgcolor="bbffbb" | 5 || November 10 || @ New Jersey || 112–101 || Pierce (28) || Garnett (14) || Garnett (6) ||Izod Center18,171 || 5–0 |- bgcolor="bbffbb" | 6 || November 13 || @ Indiana || 101–86 || Pierce (31) || Garnett, Pierce (11) || Pierce (6) ||Conseco Fieldhouse12,143 || 6–0 |- bgcolor="bbffbb" | 7 || November 14 || New Jersey || 91–69 || Garnett (16) || Garnett, Perkins (8) || Allen (6) ||TD Banknorth Garden18,624 || 7–0 |- bgcolor="bbffbb" | 8 || November 16 || Miami || 92–91 || Garnett (26) || Garnett (11) || Rondo (10) ||TD Banknorth Garden18,624 || 8–0 |- bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 9 || November 18 || @ Orlando || 102–104 || Pierce (28) || Garnett (11) || Pierce (6) ||Amway Arena17,519 || 8–1 |- bgcolor="bbffbb" | 10 || November 21 || Golden State || 105–82 || Allen (21) || Garnett, Pierce (10) || Rondo (6) ||TD Banknorth Garden18,624 || 9–1 |- bgcolor="bbffbb" | 11 || November 23 || L. A. Lakers || 107–94 || Garnett, Perkins (21) || Garnett (11) || Rondo (10) ||TD Banknorth Garden18,624 || 10–1 |- bgcolor="bbffbb" | 12 || November 24 || @ Charlotte || 96–95 || Garnett, Pierce (23) || Garnett (11) || Pierce (7) ||Charlotte Bobcats Arena19,201 || 11–1 |- bgcolor="ffbbbb"