The calendar year of 2023 was … eventful … for the Celtics, to say the very least.

From another deep postseason run to a few franchise-altering moves this summer, there was no shortage of headlines for the Celtics this year. As the calendar turns to an exciting 2024, let’s take a look back at the year that was.

Jan. 1 – Ringing in a dud

The Celtics did not exactly have a happy new year to begin 2023, which started with a double-digit loss to the eventual champion in Nuggets that included a bizarre scene. In the fourth quarter, a powerful Robert Williams dunk bent the rim, which caused a 35-minute delay to repair it. Two nights later, the C’s suffered one of their worst losses of the season, a 33-point defeat at Oklahoma City.

Jan. 28 – Game of the year

A nationally-televised Saturday night matchup between the Celtics and Lakers produced another epic in the sport’s most storied rivalry. Jaylen Brown scored 37 as the C’s won in overtime, but it was what happened at the end of regulation that everyone will remember. With the game tied in the final seconds, LeBron James missed a layup but replays clearly showed Jayson Tatum fouled him on the arm, which the officials missed. James lost his mind in an epic meltdown on the court, and teammate Patrick Beverley hilariously grabbed a courtside camera to show a referee what he had missed. Anthony Davis said afterward the Lakers were cheated. The C’s escaped.

Feb. 8 – Friendly fire

As they both chased a rebound in a game against the 76ers, Tatum and Brown collided, and the latter received the brunt of the damage. Brown caught an inadvertent elbow from Tatum to his cheek, and immediately left for the locker room. Brown missed four games due to a facial fracture and returned for the All-Star Game with a face mask, which he wore on and off throughout the rest of the season.

Feb. 16 – Interim tag removed

Joe Mazzulla assumed the Celtics’ head-coaching job under less than ideal circumstances after the sudden and shocking suspension of Ime Udoka, but it was on an interim basis. That changed just before the All-Star break, when the Celtics removed the interim tag after Mazzulla led the team to a 42-16 start. It made him the youngest full-time head coach in the NBA at 34 years old.

Feb. 19 – Historic day for Tatum

On the same day he dropped his first signature shoe, Tatum broke an All-Star Game record with 55 points on 22-for-31 shooting to lead Team Giannis to a 184-175 victory. He won the game’s MVP award that’s named after his idol Kobe Bryant, becoming the first Celtic to win it since Larry Bird in 1982.

May 14 – Tatum’s 51 sends C’s to ECF

The Celtics needed their superstar when things looked grim in the second round against the 76ers. They trailed the series 3-2 in Philadelphia when Tatum shook off an awful shooting night. He missed 14 of his first 15 shots before erupting for 16 fourth-quarter points to win Game 6. He used that momentum to fuel his next performance in Boston, where he scored an NBA Game 7 record 51 points to push the Celtics to the Eastern Conference Finals.

May 27 – White’s miracle saves season

The Celtics faced an impossible task when they lost the first three games of the Eastern Conference Finals to the Heat, as no team in NBA history had ever overcome that deficit to win a playoff series. But a miracle performed by Derrick White put the Celtics on the doorstep of history. Trailing by one with three seconds left in Game 6, Marcus Smart’s go-ahead attempt rimmed out, but White crashed the glass. His tip-in beat the buzzer and stunned the crowd in Miami, sending the series to Game 7.

Ultimately, though, the buzzer-beater served as a cliff note. On the first play of Game 7, Tatum injured his ankle and the Celtics didn’t recover as they were routed, 103-84, to end their season.

June 24 – A seismic shift

Three weeks after the season ended, Brad Stevens made his first move of the offseason in his effort to get the Celtics over the hump – and it was a stunner. The C’s initially agreed to a trade for Kristaps Porzingis that would have dealt Malcolm Brogdon to the Clippers, but it reportedly fell through due to medical concerns. Instead, as midnight struck and with Porzingis’ opt-in deadline looming, Stevens changed course and traded franchise backbone Marcus Smart to acquire Porzingis, ending the guard’s memorable nine-year run in Boston. It was the most difficult move of Stevens’ tenure as C’s president of basketball operations, but he felt change was necessary after Boston’s title pursuits over the last few years all fell short.

July 5 – C’s trade Williams

The writing was on the wall for Grant Williams, who was seeking a contract in restricted free agency beyond what the Celtics were willing to offer him with salary cap restrictions looming. They ultimately sent him to the Mavericks in a three-team sign-and-trade deal where he received a four-year, $54 million deal. The C’s received a pair of second-round picks and a traded player exception worth about $6.2 million. It ended an up-and-down four-year run in Boston for Williams, who was a valuable contributor off the bench but seemed to fall out of favor with Mazzulla last season.

July 26 – Brown signs richest deal in league history

All eyes were on Brown after he was named a member of the All-NBA team last season, which gave him the opportunity to sign a supermax contract extension with the Celtics. There was rampant speculation about Brown’s future throughout last season that only intensified after a few delays in contract negotiations, but the C’s ultimately came to terms with their homegrown star, who signed a five-year, $304 million extension that was the largest in NBA history.

Oct. 1 – One more trade

Stevens certainly did not expect to make another big shakeup as training camp approached, but after Damian Lillard was suddenly traded to the Bucks for Jrue Holiday, he didn’t pass up a chance to acquire a player he had long coveted. One day before camp started, the Celtics acquired Holiday in a shocking trade that sent Brogdon and Robert Williams to the Blazers, giving the Celtics the most lethal starting five in the league.

Oct. 25 – Porzingis shines in debut

The new-look Celtics didn’t need much time to gel together and Porzingis showed the different dimension he gave his new team right away. Facing the team that drafted him, at Madison Square Garden, Porzingis poured in 30 points and recorded four blocks as the Celtics edged the Knicks on opening night. It set a record for the highest scoring Celtics debut.

It marked the beginning of what’s been a torrid start for the Celtics, who had a league-best 23-6 record after their Christmas Day win over the Lakers and were 15-1 when their starting lineup is fully healthy and playing, which sets up an exciting 2024 as the calendar turns to the new year.