Celtics Commemorate Bill Russell With Special NBA Cup Court

The Celtics are paying tribute to one of the greatest players in basketball history.

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Boston Celtics are unveiling a new court design for the 2024 NBA Cup this season. The 2024 NBA Cup, the second edition of the league’s annual in-season tournament, begins on Tuesday.

The special court has been painted in the Celtics’ classic Kelly green, with the NBA Cup trophy in the center of the court. “Celtics” is painted over the trophy, taking the place of “Lucky the Leprechaun” in the center of the court.

This court is different from the re-design the Celtics did during the 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament. That court featured less green, and an entire row of gold through its middle. That court did feature the NBA Cup trophy, but with “Boston” instead of “Celtics” painted over the trophy.

The court notably pays special homage to franchise legend Bill Russell, with Russell’s No. 6 donning the side of the court. Russell, considered by many to be the greatest player in Celtics history, epitomized the championship culture of Boston. The Hall of Famer brought 11 championships back to Boston during his 13-year NBA career, all with the Celtics, a record for an individual player. He was also the club’s coach for those last two titles, in 1968 and 1969. Russell’s No. 6 has been retired by both the Celtics and the entire NBA.

The current Celtics, the league’s reigning champions, do have the best odds to win the 2024 NBA Cup at +400. They are heavily favored over every other team in the NBA, as the New York Knicks have the second-best odds at +950.

The Celtics, who are part of Group C, begin the tournament on Tuesday with a game against the Atlanta Hawks. The Celtics have other NBA Cup games scheduled on Nov. 19 against the undefeated Cleveland Cavaliers, on Nov. 22 against the Washington Wizards, and Nov. 29 versus the Chicago Bulls. If the Celtics move past the group stage, they will advance to the quarterfinals.

Last season, the Celtics advanced to the quarterfinals but lost 122-112 to the Indiana Pacers, the runner-ups of the tournament. The Celtics will look to become the second team to win the Cup, after the Los Angeles Lakers did so in 2023.