THE NICKNAMES
Behind The Name
Bobcats
Bucks
Bulls
Cavaliers
Celtics
Clippers
Grizzlies
Hawks
Heat
Hornets
 Jazz
Kings
Knicks
Lakers
Magic
Mavericks
Nets
Nuggets
Pacers
Pistons
 Raptors
Rockets
Sixers
Sonics
Spurs
Suns
Timberwolves
Trail Blazers
Warriors
Wizards
The birth of the Boston Celtics in 1946 coincided with the beginning of the Basketball Association of America, the forefather of the NBA. Walter Brown headed the Boston Garden Arena Corporation and named the new basketball team. Various nicknames were batted around, including Whirlwinds, Olympians and Unicorns.

But Brown wanted Celtics, explaining, “The name has a great basketball tradition from the old Original Celtics in New York (1914-1939). And Boston is full of Irishmen.”








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