The Boston Celtics from 1957 to 1969 were the most successful, if not dominant, dynasty in professional sports history. Eleven championships in 13 seasons testifies to the lofty stature they achieved.
These surface numbers deceivingly paper over how difficult it was for the Celtics to maintain their dynasty. There were seasons where Boston smashed the playoff competition and many others where they barely survived a challenge from teams that were their equals or perhaps even better.
MORE: Classic photos of Bill Russell | Greatest Celtics ever
Taking a deeper look at some of the close calls that Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, John Havlicek, Sam Jones and the rest of the Celtics gang survived brings to light many of the other great players of the period who, although denied a championship by Boston in the most heartbreaking fashions, still deserve to be regarded as championship-caliber players.