Boston Garden
Introduction
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Images
Boston Garden during a game in full color taken in the later years of the building's lifetime.
Bill Russell blocking a defenders shot in Boston Garden, very symbolical of how his career went.
Bill Russell's greatest rival of Wilt Chamberlain, showing how dominant Russell was defensively.
Starting lineup for the Celtics on the home court.
Backstory and Context
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Bill Russell was the primary reason that the Celtics dynasty is considered by most basketball fans to be the premier team in NBA history. He was the first and perhaps only player to truly be recognized as great for his defense and team play. His contributions to defense are similar in scope to Jordan's contributions on offense. He was probably the greatest rebounder and shot blocker ever to play the game. He is synonymous with the old Boston Garden and its famous parquet floor.
The floor of was famous for its wooden look and just felt like a winners floor. Many photos were taken and you can tell when they were in the Garden or not due to the floor since it was so different to other teams. While the parquet floor was an important part of the history of the Celtics, it was not originally part of the Garden. The parquet floor was built and installed in the Boston Arena and moved to the Garden in 1952. It is said the Celtics knew which way the basketball would bounce off any section of the floor; this was one contributing factor to the Celtics' many NBA championships. The floor became as much a part of Boston sports lore as the Green Monster at Fenway Park.
The Garden had no air conditioning, resulting in fog forming over the ice during some Bruins' playoff games. During Game 5 of the 1984 NBA Finals, the 97 °F (36 °C) heat in the facility was so intense that oxygen tanks were provided to exhausted players. Boston Garden was the first arena to host the Stanley Cup Final and NBA Finals at the same time in 1957. It occurred again in 1958 and 1974.
Sources
Golen, Jimmy. “Everything New At Celtics' Arena - Except The Floor -- Boston Won't Part With Famous Parquet.” The Seattle Times. The Seattle Times Company. Accessed March 23, 2020. https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=19950917&slug=2142094.
Lindsay, Jay, and Associated Press. “Fans Bid Goodbye to Celtics Parquet Floor.” southcoasttoday.com. southcoasttoday.com, January 11, 2011. https://www.southcoasttoday.com/article/19991223/news/312239997.
Munsey, and Suppes. “The Boston Garden.” The Boston Garden. Accessed March 23, 2020. http://basketball.ballparks.com/NBA/BostonCeltics/oldindex.htm.
Staff, Boston.com. “Looking at the Old Boston Garden.” Boston.com. The Boston Globe, June 19, 2015. https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2015/06/19/looking-at-the-old-boston-garden.