On Monday, November 4, 2013, the Boston Celtics lost 95-88 to the Memphis Grizzlies. In turn, the Celtics fell to 0-4 for the first time since 1969-70.
For the franchise with the most championships in NBA history, this is an unfamiliar situation. Not only has it consistently produced contenders and champions, but the Celtics have bought into the rich history of Boston sports by avoiding extended periods of failure—until now.
So how rare is this 0-4 start? How uncommon is it for the Celtics to begin a season this poorly?
Well, since Boston was last 0-4, the Celtics have…
- Won six NBA championships.
- Made nine NBA Finals appearances.
- Drafted the likes of Dave Cowens, Paul Westphal, Cedric Maxwell, Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Danny Ainge, Rick Carlisle, Len Bias, Reggie Lewis, Paul Pierce, Tony Allen, Al Jefferson and Jeff Green.
- Hired 12 different head coaches.
- Experienced just 13 losing seasons.
As for the rest of the Boston sports community…
- The Boston Patriots became the New England Patriots. The Foxboro crew has won three Super Bowl titles.
- The Boston Red Sox ended the, “Curse of the Bambino,” and won three World Series titles.
- The Boston Bruins won three Stanley Cup trophies.
What else has happened since Boston was 0-4?
- Current Celtics head coach Brad Stevens was born.
- The United States of America elected six presidents: Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George Bush and Barack Obama.
- The Beatles broke up.
- Kurtis Blow became the first rap artist to receive a record deal.
- The Jackson 5 released hits such as: “I Want You Back” and “ABC.”
- Rick Astley released, “Never Gonna Give You Up.” It needed to be said.
- Francis Ford Coppola made the The Godfather trilogy.
- George Lucas made all six Star Wars movies.
- Jack Nicholson appeared in Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, The Shining and Terms of Endearment.
- Johnny Carson stepped down as the host of The Tonight Show, Jay Leno took over, Conan O’Brien replaced him and Leno… Well, he took the show back.
If you still don’t get it, it’s been a long, long time since the Boston Celtics were 0-4.
Maxwell Ogden is a regular contributor to Sheridan Hoops. Make sure to follow him on Twitter.