After the Boston Celtics received their special championship rings and before their 18th banner was raised, Jayson Tatum took the microphone to speak to the excited crowd.
“Enjoy this moment together,” he told the fans who filled the TD Garden for the first important game since their victory over Dallas in the NBA Finals. “Let’s do it again.”
“I had something planned to say, but I got caught up in the moment,” Tatum explained after the Celtics defeated the New York Knicks 132-109. “I was overwhelmed, and my emotions took over. I know we’re not supposed to talk about repeating, but the fans were so excited, I just said, ‘(expletive) it. Let’s do it again.’”
The Celtics then gathered to raise the “2024 World Champions” banner to the rafters. Moments later, they played against the Knicks and showed they were still eager to be the first Celtics team to win back-to-back titles since Bill Russell and John Havlicek did it in 1969.
Tatum scored a 3-pointer right away, and Boston tied an NBA record by making 29 three-pointers while building a 35-point lead against a team expected to be their main rival in the Eastern Conference.
“It was impressive to go from that, to that,” coach Joe Mazzulla said. “I was proud of the way they responded, from the ring ceremony to the game. The biggest thing I’m proud of was the mindset of the guys: They weren’t stuck in the past.”
The pregame ceremony honored the history of the league’s most successful team, featuring 96-year-old Bob Cousy, a six-time NBA champion, and 1981 Finals MVP Cedric Maxwell, who received applause. Paul Pierce, along with fellow 2008 champions Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, brought out the 2024 trophy, which was placed on a table surrounded by the championship rings.
“It’s like a full-circle moment for them to come back, and share that moment with us, and pass the torch,” Tatum said. “I’m still a fan of those guys. I remember they’re part of my childhood. That was an incredible moment, dapping it up with them.
“KG was screaming in my ear, and it was like, ‘Man, I’m really talking to Kevin Garnett right now,’” he said. “I’ll never take those moments for granted. I think that is still cool, to be part of moments like that.”
Owner Wyc Grousbeck handed out the large rings, with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver congratulating the players as they walked out between the numbers of a giant, golden “18.” Mazzulla dropped to his knees to kiss the parquet floor before receiving his ring.
“The parquet is blood, sweat and tears of the greats,” Mazzulla said. “I don’t get to go out there and dive on the floor for loose balls like I’d love to. Doing that was just a way to express the passion and gratitude that I have for our team, for the people who have come before and just what it means to be a Celtic.”
The main feature of the ring is a shamrock and “Celtics” set against a background of emeralds. The top part can be removed to show a piece of the famous court, painted green and white with the score of 106-88 from the June 17 clinching game against the Mavericks. There’s also an image of the championship banner, surrounded by the engraved numbers of each player on the team.
The outside of the ring lists the years the franchise won its 18 NBA titles. One side shows the Larry O’Brien Trophy, while the other side has the player’s name, number, and the slogan “Whatever It Takes,” set against a parquet pattern etched into the gold.
The outer ring features 18 larger diamonds, representing the team’s 18 titles—one more than their rivals, the Lakers, have won in Los Angeles and Minneapolis.
“When I got the ring, (I thought), ‘This thing is too big, I don’t know why it’s so big, and I’m never going to wear it. But it’s cool to have,” Mazzulla told reporters.
“I was more fascinated by the banner,” he said. “I come in here every afternoon and take a look at those. And they represent so much. And so the banner was a high note for me. The rafters have a life of their own in this building. So that moment was the coolest.”
The sold-out crowd arrived early to watch the Celtics warm up in special jackets trimmed in gold, with 18 championship trophies stitched on the sleeve.
Some players stopped their shooting to see a video showing their journey to the title, from drafting Jaylen Brown and Tatum to bringing in Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis.
Another video showed highlights of Havlicek and Russell winning titles in the 1950s and ’60s, along with the excitement of the team’s victory parade last spring.
“When we won, at first I was in shock. But today our emotions kind of settled in like, ‘Nah, we did it. We did something spectacular,’” Brown said. “My name — alongside my teammates’ — is going to be etched down in Celtics history, which is one of the biggest franchises in not just basketball, but in sports.
“You can never take that from anybody that was on that team last year.”
