Glenn “Doc” Rivers, the Boston Celtics head coach, called on the black community to work together to achieve “team accomplishments” in his keynote address Tuesday at the 31st Annual Black Achievers Recognition Awards.

The yearly event sponsored by the YMCA of Greater Boston gives individuals, who are nominated by their corporation, Black Achievers awards. The winners then participate in a community service program that gives education and leadership to African-American youth, said Fred Wang, YMCA chairman for the Greater Boston area.

Giving the keynote address on a rare day off from coaching his basketball team, Rivers referenced the sport, civil rights and the importance of teamwork and living life in collaboration with others.

Rivers spoke of the necessity of teamwork between these appointees.

“You have individual accomplishments, and that’s nice. But you have to turn that into team accomplishments … I’m trying to teach my team that right now,” he said, jokingly lamenting the Celtics’ performance this season.

“Let’s take this room as a quilt and each table as a patch. Working individually, all you have is a patch, but you can stitch those patches together to make a quilt,” he continued.

The speakers echoed Rivers, reiterating the message of forward-looking teamwork.

Kadizha Irving, a graduate of the College Path portion of the Black Achievers program, said she wished that “we as a people never stop achieving,” and deflected attention from her own personal accomplishments.

Rivers also referred to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in his speech, praising the civil rights leader while also highlighting advice King gave about life.

“In Hollywood you need three dimensions to complete a movie,” Rivers said. “King said the same thing about life: you need length, height and breadth.”

Other speakers spoke about civil rights more generally, including Minister Harold Sparrow, who delivered the invocation.

Sparrow spoke of “the work of service, dedication and preparation” as a task for the newly inducted Black Achievers.

The dinner and awards ceremony was preceded by a smaller, informal VIP reception for corporate sponsors who contributed $10,000 or more. The reception featured two shorter speeches, one from Jeff Davis, the co-chairperson of the YMCA Black Achievers Board of Commissioners Davis and another from the Black Achievers program’s Executive Director Willie Shellman.

Shellman pointed out some notables from among the crowd in the reception, among them Rivers, City Councilor-At-Large Felix Arroyo, State Treasurer Tim Cahill and Sen. Diane Wilkerson (D-Boston).

According to supporters, the Black Achievers program — and its associated social programs such as the College Path Leadership Institute and the Annual Black College Fair, all administered by the Greater Boston YMCA — has not lost its popularity or efficacy.

However, according to Marcia Bowen, a Black Achievers alumnus and employee, the total number of nominees for the program was down this year to 47 from a usual 55.

But any evidence of a downturn in participation was not apparent at the gala dinner, where spirits were lighthearted and optimistic. Total attendance for the event was approximately 300, with about 70 at the reception.