The 1996–97 NBA season was the 51st season for the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association.[1] Celebrating its 50th anniversary as one of the NBA's original franchises, the Celtics selected Antoine Walker from the University of Kentucky with the sixth pick in the 1996 NBA draft.[2] However, after a 4–8 start to the season, the Celtics lost 13 of their next 14 games as players like Dino Radja, Dana Barros, Dee Brown, Greg Minor and Pervis Ellison were all out for long stretches of the season with injuries. The team suffered through their worst season posting a 13-game losing streak between February and March, then losing ten straight games near the end of the season. The Celtics lost 34 of their final 38 games finishing last place in the Atlantic Division with a dreadful 15–67 record, which is the team's worst record in franchise history.[3] Walker led the team with 17.5 points and 9.0 rebounds per game, and was selected to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. David Wesley averaged 16.8 points, 7.3 assists and 2.2 steals per game, while Rick Fox provided the team with 15.4 points per game, second-year forward Eric Williams contributed 15.0 points per game, and Todd Day provided with 14.5 points per game.[4]
Following the season, head coach M.L. Carr was fired, Fox signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Lakers,[5] Wesley signed with the Charlotte Hornets, Williams was traded to the Denver Nuggets, Day signed with the Miami Heat and Alton Lister retired. This was also the final season for Radja, who only played just 25 games this season due to a left knee injury, averaging 14.0 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game. After failing his physical exam voiding an off-season trade that would have sent him to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Clarence Weatherspoon and Michael Cage, he returned to play in Europe, ending his four-year career in the NBA.[6]
For the season, the Celtics added gold, black and mahogany colors to their primary logo, which is still present as of 2021.[7]