1988–89 Boston Celtics season

The 1988–89 NBA season was the 43rd season for the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association. This was the first season for Jimmy Rodgers as head coach; Rodgers had been a Celtics assistant coach prior to this season. This season was severely hindered by the loss of All-Star forward Larry Bird to a heel injury, which required surgery to have bone spurs removed from both heels; Bird only played just six early-regular season games for the Celtics before being lost to injury, averaging 19.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game, without any three-point field goal attempts. Initially, Bird was expected to be back in March, but it was delayed and ultimately became a season-ending injury.

Without Bird, the Celtics struggled and played .500 basketball, holding a 23–23 record at the All-Star break. At mid-season, the team traded Danny Ainge, and second-year forward Brad Lohaus to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for Ed Pinckney, and Joe Kleine. The results were dramatic as the Celtics, who had averaged over 60 wins per season thus far in the 1980s, finished in third place in the Atlantic Division with a mediocre 42–40 record. Coming into the season, the Celtics had been the Eastern Conference's #1 seed for five consecutive seasons; this season, they were the #8 seed, clinching an NBA playoff spot in the final game of the regular season.

Kevin McHale averaged 22.5 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, and was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team, and selected for the 1989 NBA All-Star Game in Houston, Texas, while Robert Parish averaged 18.6 points, 12.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game, and was named to the All-NBA Third Team, and second-year guard Reggie Lewis showed improvement becoming the Celtics' starting small forward in Bird's absence, as he provided the team with 18.5 points and 1.5 steals per game. In addition, Dennis Johnson contributed 10.0 points, 6.6 assists and 1.3 steals per game, while first-round draft pick Brian Shaw from the University of California, Santa Barbara, provided with 8.6 points and 5.8 assists per game, and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team, and Jim Paxson also contributed 8.6 points per game off the bench.

Parish also finished tied in eleventh place in Most Valuable Player voting, and Lewis finished in second place in Most Improved Player voting. The Celtics were still dangerous at the Boston Garden, posting a 32–9 home record, but struggled on the road, failing to record a road win over a team above .500 in winning percentage.

In the 1989 NBA playoffs, the Celtics faced off against the Detroit Pistons for the fourth time in five seasons, but this time much earlier, in the Eastern Conference First Round. The Pistons were heavily favored, but hope arose for a competitive series when the Celtics activated Bird for their playoff roster; however, Bird never suited for a game and the Pistons easily dispatched the Celtics in a three-game sweep. This was the first time since 1956 that the Celtics lost their opening round playoff series; the Celtics had won their previous 28 opening round playoff series dating back to 1957.

The Pistons would reach the NBA Finals for the second consecutive year, and defeat the 2-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers in four straight games, winning their first ever championship.