They play ... basketball — and not just any basketball, but the kind that built NBA history. The Celtics are the most successful franchise in NBA history with 18 championships, including their most recent title in 2024.
I support them because ... they represent tradition, toughness, and team-first basketball. I started following them because of the legends — Larry Bird, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett — and stuck with them through every rebuild, comeback and championship run. I also have a personal connection: I became friends with Kenny Perkins, who is the father of Kendrick Perkins, a former Celtics big man and 2008 NBA champion. That made my support for the Celtics even stronger. I have also named my son Boston after the Celtics.
You should also be a Celtics fan ... because they’re everything that’s great about the NBA: history, loyalty and pride in the green. Their fans are passionate, the Garden atmosphere is electric, and the team plays the right way — unselfish and relentless. There is also a recent New Zealand connection — Kiwi Ross McMains is one of the assistant coaches and a great guy who showed me and Boston around their practice facility and TD Garden recently.
My favourite moment ... was the 2008 NBA finals, when the Celtics crushed the Lakers in game six to win their first championship in 22 years. Watching Kevin Garnett scream "Anything is possible!" still gives me chills every time I see it.
My all-time favourite player is ... Paul Pierce. "The Truth." He stuck with the team through the tough years, led them back to glory, and always delivered when it mattered most. Tough, clutch, and loyal — everything a Celtic should be.
My favourite current player is ... Jayson Tatum. A smooth scorer, hard worker and true leader who’s still only getting better. Should have been finals MVP in 2024 and the face of the franchise for the next decade.
The future for my team is ... bright. With Tatum and Jaylen Brown leading the way, a smart front office, and one of the best cultures in the NBA, the Celtics are built to contend for years. More banners are coming to the TD Garden — and that’s not just optimism, that’s belief.
