Every NBA franchise has something that makes it unique, a story that connects generations who live and breathe their team’s colors. For the Boston Celtics, that story may be the most distinctive of all. This is a team remembered as a dominant force throughout much of the NBA’s 80-year history and it boasts one of the most interesting courts in the league.
Generations from the Red Auerbach and Bill Russell era to Larry Bird’s Celtics, from the “Big Three” of Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett, to today’s Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, all share a common connection – the Boston Garden floor.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement16 NBA championship banners haning over
The court was home to a then-record 16 NBA championship banners, before the franchise moved to TD Garden in 1995, as countless dynasties have left their blood, sweat and tears on it. Its story dates back to 1946 and is distinguished by the red oak planks of varying widths and lengths.
“What Walter Brown, the original owner of the Celtics, did in order to I guess attract fans and attract good players maybe back then — an early selling point — was to get a good, quality floor made. The only way they could do that was getting scraps of wood at lumber yards throughout Boston and put together a floor,” Jeff Twiss told NBC Sports Boston.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"There was also kind of wood shavings and also like strips that were part of holding all these panels together and, in that, if you happen to look down every so often, you’d see a little bit of a space in between those panels, so they wouldn’t be flush up against each other. That’s maybe adding to the mystique of the dead spots” the Celtics vice president of media services and alumni relations added.
Boston Garden quickly became a nightmare for every opponen
Post-World War II, funds were tight, and Boston ownership had to improvise. For $11,000, the team built the floor using the French parquet technique, cutting and fitting small pieces of wood into geometric patterns.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementSix years later, in 1952, the court moved from the Boston Arena to the Boston Garden and the rest is history. The wood grain alternated in direction, giving the floor its distinctive patterned look. The floor consisted of 247 panels, each five feet by five feet, held together with wood planks, brass screws and 988 bolts.
Twiss later noted that the 1946 floor was replaced less than 10 times until 1999, remarkable considering modern NBA courts are typically replaced every two seasons.
To opponents, the Boston Garden was everything but an enjoyable experience. Joe Dumars from the Detroit Pistons explained why playing Bird’s Celtics in the Garden was a nightmare.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“Because of the air conditioner they turn on in the winter and the heat on in the summer,” Dumars said.
Over the years, countless myths have grown around the legendary floor. Some claimed the Celtics’ players used “dead spots” on the court to their advantage and the temperature story only added to the mystique of the Boston Garden.
One thing is certain – the Boston Garden court will forever remain a part of NBA lore, a place where iconic moments defining the league, the franchise and its players took place. For Boston players, it was a church and for visiting teams, it was the gates of hell.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementRelated: Larry Bird had no doubt who was the toughest opponent he had ever faced: "I used to think it was Moses Malone"
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Dec 1, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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