Latest on the Boston Celtics’ 2024 championship parade

On Monday night, the Boston Celtics put the finishing touches on a historic season and clinched their 18th title. After a quick trip to party in Miami, the NBA champions have been back in Boston dishing out chicken fingers to massive crowds, strolling through the North End, and buying shots for surprised diners.

A mid-week heat wave led to an unusually long wait between the final game and the championship parade, but Boston is ready to celebrate on Friday.

As the champs make their way from TD Garden to Boylston Street atop the city’s iconic duck boats, watch live and follow along here to catch all the major moments.

Boston’s first “Rolling Rally” was in 2002, after the New England Patriots won their first Super Bowl. The idea was a hit, and the city’s fleet of duck boats have been used to celebrate major Boston championships since.

How did duck boats become synonymous with Boston’s best teams, and what goes on behind the scenes to make each parade run smoothly? The Boston Globe took a deep dive this week.

The amphibious vehicles were initially manufactured by General Motors and designed to carry troops during World War II. Their involvement in D-Day cemented their place in American history, and the nation’s first duck tours were offered in Wisconsin in 1946.

In 1994, Boston Duck Tours started out with 15 employees and four vehicles. Today, a 25-member crew works to keep a fleet of 28 duck boats operational in a Dorchester garage. While the company used original World War II vehicles at first, maintenance became too difficult and replica duck boats were introduced around 15 years ago specially designed for sightseeing, per the Globe. The current boats should stay useful for decades to come, but Boston Duck Tours is already thinking about a future where electric-powered boats are the norm.

Friday’s parade will feature at least 24 duck boats and require around 50 staff members. The drivers who get to participate are prioritized by seniority with the company, experience in past parades, and full-time status.

“You really have to earn it. No first year employees get to do it,” Cindy Brown, chief executive of Boston Duck Tour, told the Globe. “It’s an honor and a privilege, so we take that seriously.”

Diehard Celtics fans started securing their spots along the parade route as early as 2:30 a.m. Friday.