Celtics Aiming To Bring NBA All-Star Game To Boston: ‘We’re On It’

The Boston Celtics haven’t hosted the NBA All-Star Game in quite some time — 54 years in fact.

Back in 1964, at the old Boston Garden, Bill Russell, Tom Heinsohn and Sam Jones represented the Celtics before proceeding to defeat the then-San Francisco Warriors in the NBA Finals. That’s pre-Michael Jordan, pre-Larry Bird and back when the Boston had hung just six championship banners.

Yeah… long story, short, it was a long time ago.

However, Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck revealed that the organization is working toward ending the five-plus-long-decade drought — having submitted an application to host the 2026 All-Star Game.

“We’re on it,” Grousbeck said, according to Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. “It’s taking up planning time. The wheels are in motion. We’re definitely going for it.”

It’s been a while since Boston hosted an All-Star Game of any kind, having last done so in 1999 when Pedro Martínez and Nomar Garciaparra represented the Red Sox at Fenway Park. Three years before that, the NHL All-Star Game was played at TD Garden (known as the FleetCenter in 1996).

The Celtics, who have hosted five All-Star Games in total, aren’t the only ones looking to do so once again in Boston.

Labeled a “candidate” by Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred, the Red Sox have campaigned to bring the MidSummer Classic back to Fenway Park.