On this day: Celtics icon Red Auerbach retires as coach, 1966 championship won

On this day in Boston Celtics history, legendary head coach Red Auerbach retired after taking the Celtics to their ninth championship with a 95-93 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 7 of the 1966 NBA Finals the day prior.

Auerbach coached Boston for all nine of its championships up to that point — eight of them consecutive between 1959-66 — before passing the baton to player-coach Bill Russell. His 16 seasons as head coach produced a 795-397 regular-season record (a .667 winning percentage) and a 90-58 postseason record (.608), the winningest in league history to that point, a record that would hold for many years.

Auerbach would remain with the team in an executive capacity until his death in 2006.