Already possessing a terrific frontcourt with Larry Bird, Robert Parish, and Kevin McHale, the Celtics’ frontcourt got even better with the addition of Bill Walton. Walton, though injury prone, was an incredible passer, a great rebounder, and a good scorer, as well. His talents meshed almost perfectly with the rest of the team, as his selfless play allowed the Celtics to move the ball as crisply as any team in NBA history.

The team was still led, of course, by Larry Bird. Bird won his third straight MVP in 1986, averaging 25.8 points, 9.8 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game to become just the third player in NBA history to win three straight (the other two were Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell).

Besides the powerful frontcourt (which also included Scott Wedman off the bench), the Celtics also featured Danny Ainge, a deadly shooter and fiery competitor, and Dennis Johnson, a solid player best known for his terrific defense.

In the playoffs, the Celtics dismantled the Chicago Bulls, Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks to get to the finals, where they beat the Houston Rockets in six games to win the franchise’s 16th championship.