Celtics' 1957 Championship: A Dynasty's Birth

0:00On April 13th, on April 24th, 1957, the Boston Celtics grabbed their first NBA championship and a nail-biter at the Boston Garden. They edged the St. Louis Hawks 125-123 in double overtime during Game 7 of the Finals. Rookie Bill Russell dominated with 32 rebounds, a record for any first-year player in the Finals, while Tommy Heinz in Drop 37 points and hauled in 23 boards. The victory kicked off a dynasty and sparked a quick rivalry with the Hawks that faded by the early 60s as the Lakers took center stage. Jim Laskadoff drafted third overall by Boston out of Oregon on this same date in 1955, became a key enforcer. Over nine seasons he averaged 6.2 points and 5.6 rebounds, helping the team to six titles with his tough defense. He even asked for his nickname, Lossi, to be honored instead of retiring his number 18. Today also marks birthdays for a few Celtics legends and journeymen, Tony Kappin, born

1:02in 1919, suited up for the team's first season in 1946-47. Dermio Connell came along in 1928, playing two years after going undrafted from Holy Cross. Jim, bad news. Barnes arrived in 1941 and won a ring with Boston in 1968, while Michael Olawakandi, born in 1919. In 1975 in Nigeria, wrapped up his career here after Stints elsewhere. Moments like these remind us why Celtic Green runs deep in Hoops history. Stay locked in with Boston Celtics News today, AI-powered updates. I'm Corey with The Story.