In 1984, Boston Celtics fan Donnie Beardsley boldly proclaimed the Celtics would win their 15th NBA title in true Masshole fashion: “Who’s gonna win it? The Celtics. Because there’s no other reason why. The Celtics are the balls.”
That video clips lives in infamy now online and can be seen posted across various social media channels on game days. More so on playoff game days. Ridiculously more so on NBA Finals game days, which the Celtics have been great enough to compete in fairly regularly.
All this to lead up to the point that the Celtics just won their now-18th NBA title and sit atop the League with more championship banners than any other NBA franchise. The Lakers were tied with 17. Judging by the Lakers’ recent performance, and subsequent recent firing of their coach, it would appear that the Celtics 19th banner might be closer to reality than the Lakers’ 18th.
The games were won, the confetti fell, the duck boats paraded their way through the streets of Boston among a reported 1.5 million Celtics fans. No NBA team has experienced as much success as the Boston Celtics, and no NBA team is more loved and revered and celebrated than the Celtics. Based on attendance at other teams’ parades after winning, I’ll tell you it’s not even close.
How did the Celtics win this year? Teamwork, sacrifice, and talent. That’s a tough combination to beat. They were the best team in the NBA all year and winning the title for some may feel like more of a relief than a victory. No one wants to be the best team all year during the regular season, only to fail in the playoffs. If we wanted that we could watch the Bruins. (Sorry, B’s fans, it’s true. I’m one of you too. I’m allowed to say it.)
The Celtics’ roster was stacked with a couple great players – all NBA level guys in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown who combined to carry the team all year and through the playoffs. Tatum and Brown are among the NBA’s best one-two punches, and it hasn’t come easy. The two have played together for 7 years now since the 2017-2018 season. Brown was a #3 overall draft pick in 2016, and Tatum was the #3 overall pick a year later. They have grown together, matured together, battled together, experienced tough losses together, and now finally they have won an NBA title together.
In addition to two world-class superstars, “max contract guys” in NBA language, the Celtics also have four very good players as the supporting cast: Jrue Holiday, acquired last summer via trade with Milwaukee; Derrick White, acquired during the 2021-2022 season via trade with San Antonio; Kristaps Porzingis, picked up in a summertime 3-team trade with Washington and Memphis; and Al Horford, the 17-year veteran on his second stint with the Celtics. On any given day, if called upon, each of those guys could step up and lead the team to victory.
The good news is that above is a list of six guys. You can only play five. Not many NBA teams can boast SIX players all capable of being #1 guys on any given night. Some are lucky to even have ONE legit #1 guy.
The Celtics have a couple more guys who played specific roles as backups but important roles. Payton Pritchard, a feisty backup point guard who brings grit and energy off the bench. Celtics fans have enjoyed his immediate injection of hustle and drive, but now most NBA fans know him as the “special teams guy” who hits half-court buzzer beaters in the playoffs. And then there’s Sam Hauser, a 3-point specialist who can heat up faster than a microwave. When he’s cooking he can launch the Celtics onto a 16-2 run at a moment’s notice.
Luke Kornet, Xavier Tillman, Oshae Brissett and a host of end-of-the-bench guys also contributed to the Celtics success this year. If it wasn’t during game time, it was pushing the other guys during practice and workouts for 200+ days, doing whatever was asked of them to stay focused and be ready for when their number is called. The NBA season can be a long, grueling marathon over 82 regular season games plus playoffs. Eventually, at some point, every player’s number is going be called to step in and step up.
It takes hard work and consistency and ultimately sacrifice to win at the highest level in the NBA. If you have one guy who is an all-world talent, all your other players are sacrificing to get him the ball. They are deferring to the star and hoping that one player can lead them all to the promised land. This is an unlikely scenario in today’s NBA. More likely, you need two or more superstars to win a title, and if that’s the case both of them need to sacrifice a little bit in order to help each other flourish. And when you have superstars like that, all the supporting guys need to sacrifice something.
Jrue Holiday took fewer shots and scored less points this year than he did with Milwaukee. His scoring wasn’t needed in order to win. What was needed was his ball distribution, his defense, his leadership, his experience, his poise and consistency. Porzingis also wasn’t needed to be the main scoring threat; he could focus on spreading the court as a 7-3 outside shooter, and then when needed hit the paint and get a high-percentage bucket. White and Horford both made sacrifices in their personal games and skill sets in order to contribute to a winning cause. Without that mentality and commitment, teams can’t win championships.
The Celtics are in great position to compete for Banner #19 next season as well. All six of their top guys are under contract to return, as is Pritchard. Sam Hauser has a team option, which I suspect will be picked up. Only Kornet, Brissett, and Tillman are at risk of walking, and to be honest, as much I appreciate their contributions, they can be replaced by other guys. Especially now that the Celtics are in a position to compete again, lots of veteran free agents would be willing to take those lower contracts for a chance to win. Again, it’s all about guys making sacrifices to win. Hopefully all three will be back on new contracts.
Tradition of winning
The Celtics have a basketball tradition unlike any other city, and maybe that’s fair since basketball was invented in Massachusetts. The dynasty of the 1950s/60s, when they won 8 titles in a row and 11 in 13 years between 1956-57 and 1968-69, may never be replicated by another professional team in any sport. It was before my time, but I’ve studied the team’s history and its players and “magic moments” enough to feel like I was there sometimes.
The 1970s brought two more titles to Boston in 1974 and 76, nestled within a run of six consecutive “final four” appearances between 1972 and 77.
The 1980s were the NBA era of “Bird and Magic” and this was the time when I was a young, impressionable, soon-to-be-die-hard NBA fan. The Celtics won titles in 1981, 84 and 86, and lost in the NBA finals twice during that span (to the fu#%@’n Lakers). This was when our friend, Donnie Beardsley, may he rest in peace on the great parquet floor in the sky, made it known to all that the Celtics are the balls. He was right.
The Celtics didn’t claim another title until 2008, when Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen were brought in to help our lone all-star Paul Pierce get over the hump. Again, one man alone can’t win a title, but with a great cast of guys who all sacrifice for one another, it can happen. This was the case with the 2008 team.
And finally, 16 years later, the magical 2023-2024 Celtics team climbed the ladder again, claiming that 18th ring.
Brad Stevens joined the team in 2013, and after one tough season the Celtics have made 10 consecutive trips to the playoffs, made the Eastern Conference Finals (the “final four” of the NBA) six times, and made it to the NBA Finals twice – they lost in 2021-2022 and won in 23-24.
It’s an incredible run of success for any professional sports franchise. You’d be hard-pressed to convince me of any team that’s had more success over a 78-year span than the Boston Celtics.
And I’m lucky enough to call them mine.
Actually, fun fact, in 1987 I really did call them mine. I was a Shareholder in the Boston Celtics Limited Partnership with a whopping ten shares in a custodial account (I was only 16 at the time). Eventually the Limited Partnership was split up after the team was sold to Wyc Grousbeck, Steve Pagliuca and Co. in 2002 for $360 million. I assure you I never saw any of that money. But I’ll always have the memories.
Of course, I share my fond Celtics memories with millions of other adoring and die-hard fans, and I’m ok with that. It’s the shared experience that makes it so special. Everyone is welcome to share in the Celtics’ continued success.
Whether you’re Donnie Beardsley, Donnie Wahlberg, Donnie Nelson, Donny and Marie, Donny Most, Johnny Most, Johnny Damon, Matt Damon, Matty in the Morning, my cousin Matty, the cast of My Cousin Vinny, my Uncle Vinnie, Uncle Phil, Uncle Sam, Sam “Mayday” Malone, or any one of the millions of basketball fans around the world, the Celtics have a history, a tradition, a present, and a future you can love.
And as much as we love to win – and we do LOOOOOOVE to win here in Boston, aka “The City of Champions” – the Celtics have incredibly high expectations.
We don’t celebrate playoff appearances here. Won’t don’t raise banners for division or conference championships, and definitely not “in-season tournaments”. We raise banners for winning championships, and they live forever in the rafters of the Boston Garden alongside the retired numbers of the players who gave blood, sweat, tears and even teeth to bring those titles home to us.
I’m looking forward to the ceremony on Opening Night of the upcoming 2024-2025 season when they raise banner #18 to the rafters, and I’m sure they will have a spotlight on the open space where banner #19 is destined to go, hopefully sooner than later.
Yep, those are the expectations here in Boston. And fortunately the Celtics have been able to live up to them like no other team.
