Celtics fans are spoiled. Or at the very least, have been spoiled by the rich history and 17 championship titles. Hall-of-Famers Bill Russell, Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Red Auerbach all walked the halls of the infamous Boston Garden.
The franchise, overrun with history and talent also carries the crown to be the first professional franchise to draft an African American player in Chuck Cooper, then followed that up by being the first pro sport to appoint an African American coach in Bill Russell. Remarkable milestones for a franchise that has endured its share of bad press.
The Celtics stand on one side of the most storied rivalry in the history of the NBA. The Lakers on the other side. The rivalry reached its peak during the Johnson/Bird days and gained momentum again under the uber-competitive superstars Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant in 2008. The Celtics have faced the Lakers 12 times in the finals, both teams combining for 33 of the NBA’s 67 championships.
However, the Celtics have had their downs too. Tragedies and bad luck plagued the Celtics for quite sometime. In the 1986 draft, the Celtics chose highly touted University of Maryland forward Len Bias 2nd overall, only to lose him tragically two days later when the troubled talent died from a cocaine overdose. Len Bias was projected to go down as being one of the greatest players to ever play the game. The tragic circumstamces surrounding his death still haunt sports fans today. Just seven year later, SF Reggie Lewis suffered a heart attack on the court at on off-season practice in July of 1993. Just 27-years-old, Reggie’s heart attack was caused by a structural heart defect. The organization was at a low point.
The Celtics boasted a long championship drought from 1986-2008, leaving fans in Boston disgruntled and antsy. That drought ended when Celtics GM Danny Ainge made pivotal moves to construct a team that would ultimately bring number 17 to Boston. Let’s look at a quick recap of those moves:
- Traded Jeff Green, Delonte West and Wally Szczerbiak to Seattle for Ray Allen and a 2nd round pick (which ended up being “Big Baby” Davis.
- To acquire “Big Ticket” Kevin Garnett from Minnesota, the Celtics traded Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, Gerald Green, Sebastian Telfair, Theo Ratliff and swapped 2009 draft picks.
Joining Celtic great Paul Pierce, Garnett and Allen would help revitalize a town that was starving for another banner. The “Big Three” along with newcomer Rajon Rondo brought an energy back to a Garden that was lacking fire. It’s been 8 years since the Celtics last championship, the franchise is long overdue and there is no better time than the present to be a Celtic fan.
The Celtics have 3 first round picks and 5 second round picks in the 2016 draft. There are a couple of factors in positioning for the first round picks, but, nevertheless, the Celtics are in a good spot. Led by PG Isaiah Thomas and 6’6 SF Jae Crowder, the Celtics are chock full of talent. In fact, they are just a couple of pieces away from being a serious contender. The salary cap is projected to escalate upwards of $92 million for the 2016/2017 season. It is realistic to believe that Danny Ainge will free up some cap space and work his magic once again to bring the Celtics back up to serious contention.
There have been Kevin Durant rumors. Durant would fit in marvelously in Boston. The diehard fans at TD Bank North Garden let Durant know how much they want him in Celtic green during a recent chant with OKC in town. The feeling appears mutual. In a recent interview with ESPN, Durant spoke about his respect for the Celtics franchise,
“You can feel the tradition walking in here, you see all the [Celtics legends] plastered on the walls as you walk into the locker room. The tradition of being a Boston Celtic is second to none. So it’s amazing playing here. The fans, they’re very energetic and they cheer for their team. It’s amazing to see as a player, to have fans that care about the game so much. It’s an amazing sports town and they have a great team to cheer for.”
Whether the Celtics land Durant or not, they will make a splash this offseason. Love or Hate the Celtics, it is only a matter of time before they are back on top.
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