On this day in Boston Celtics history, Boston big man luminary Bill Russell won his first NBA championship in 1968 serving as player-coach of his Celtics squad when Boston dispatched their longtime rival Los Angeles Lakers 124-109 on the road in Game 6 of the NBA Finals.
Celtics forward John Havlicek led all players with 40 points and 10 rebounds, forward Bailey Howard added 30 points and 11 boards, and point guard Larry Siegfried chipped in another 22 points and 6 assists in the win. It was the Celtics’ 10th banner hung as a franchise, the first won in Russell’s rookie season and his penultimate overall.
It was also the first championship won without legendary general manager Red Auerbach serving in the role of head coach. It was the first time NBA play had taken place in the month of May, and the first of the four major U.S. sports to see a Black head coach win a championship in the modern era.