The trade that helped build the 1986 Celtics wasn’t simply about adding another star. It was about finding the perfect piece for an already great team.
When Boston acquired Bill Walton in 1985, Larry Bird immediately saw what Walton could bring. His passing, basketball IQ and experience gave the Celtics something they didn’t have before.
Bird also understood the biggest challenge: keeping Walton healthy.
Walton accepted his role, became the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year and gave Boston another elite passer, a reliable big man and a veteran presence that made an already dangerous team even harder to stop.
And in 1986, it all came together.
The Celtics won the NBA championship, while Walton proved that he didn’t need to be a starter to become one of the most valuable pieces of a championship team. 🏆