Most kids develop a love of sports early and forever bond to their favorite teams from their childhood. I was born in the perfect time and place. The Patriots came into existence when I was 5. They were never the favorites, always the underdogs, but had colorful personnel (offensive lineman Lenny St. Jean owned a seedy bar in Hanson back in the day). The Sox had the Impossible Dream team when I was 12 and went from lovable losers to colorful lovable underdog World Series losers. The Big Bad Bruins - always underdogs to les Canadiens - had Orr and Espo and a working-class team of lesser known under-rated players in my prime teen years. But it was the Celtic's who taught Boston how to be winners. They were built to win, expected to win, and they did - in historic fashion. Red Auerbach mastered the concept of "role players" blending with stars who didn't act or think like stars. Everyone knew their role and knew that success depended on them accepting and fulfilling their roles. And succeed they did - when I was 2,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11, 13 & 14 (and more again later). "THEY" (the opponents) always had the nationally recognized prima dona superstar. They liked Wilt better than Russell, Magic better than Bird, Anyone better than Havlicek (heck - he wasn't even a starter half the time but invented the "6th Player" concept and turned it into an annual award) We always had the "defense first, just doin' my part" stars who understood that the guy coming off the bench and doing his job was equally important as the starter doing his job. The 2007-2008 Celtics "got it". They had the stars who didn't care about being "stars" and they had the role players who played their roles with pride and tenacity. Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen and House and Posey et al became champions last night. Paul Pierce became a series MVP and a "Celtic Legend" last night while being his teams 4th highest scorer of the game. He was happy with the points he scored but was proud of how he minimized Kobe's impact -totally not the thoughts of a typical superstar, but totally the thoughts of a "Celtic Champion". Garnett and Allen will someday be "Hall-of-Famers" and be forever associated with a great Celtic's championship. Pierce became "rafter-worthy", earning an undeniable place alongside Russell & Cousey & Havlicek & Bird & all the others.
Congratulations to the Celtic's on becoming Champ's (again).
Congratulations to Paul Pierce on becoming one of the "All Time Celtic Greats".
1 comment:
John Havelicek will always be my favorite basketball player of all time. I saw him play several times.I also saw Bird play and I was even there the day he was introduced to the crowd at the old Garden. The savior of the Celtics with Bill Fitch.
Anyways, three cheers for the Celts. Watch out for King Jamrs and the Cavs next year!!!
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