Celtics
Nine thoughts from the first Celtics championship parade since 2008.
Bostonians sure know how to show up and show out for a parade.
City officials said leading up to the parade that they were expecting over a million people, and the crowd did not disappoint.
It was loud, there were fans in green all over the place, and the NBA champion Celtics were greeted like royalty.
From Derrick White tossing beers off of a duck boat to Al Horford showing up in a cowboy hat and Jaylen Brown soaking in MVP chants, there were plenty of memorable moments.
Here are 9 takeaways from the parade.
Boston is built different
Picture the scene: A quick glance out onto Causeway Street shows rows and rows of people lining the street far past the Sullivan’s Tap sign. Guns N’ Roses’ Welcome to the Jungle is playing and an 18-wheeler displaying the sign “Congrats from the City of Champions” followed by Patriots, Red Sox, Bruins, Revolution, and NWSL Boston logos.
With the Celtics’ win, each of the four major Boston pro sports team has now won a title since 2011. While parades aren’t exactly new here, they certainly don’t get old. It was a party for the ages with fans young and old decked out in green.
The torch is officially passed to Tatum and Brown
There’s a new generation of Celtics champions now. This is officially the Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown era. They’ve already played in five conference finals together, and now the pressure of winning their first championship has been lifted.
Jayson Tatum looked like he was ready to let loose and have some fun. He was all smiles. He sprayed fans with champagne. He trolled the Heat before the parade got rolling.
It will be interesting to see how Tatum and Brown fare going forward now that they know what it takes to win.
Brown finally gets his recognition
Remember when Jaylen Brown said “I don’t ever win (expletive)” during the Pacers series last month? Times have changed. He now has an Eastern Conference Finals and an NBA Finals MVP under his belt.
He couldn’t get enough of the MVP chants for him during the parade. He made a heart sign to the crowd and flexed his muscle. After being snubbed for the All-NBA team, Brown brought home a couple of pieces of hardware and paraded them around the city.
Derrick White, man of the people
After debuting his new commercial with Sam Adams, Derrick White hurled a beer from his place on a duck boat to a fan. He really leaned into the toss, too, winding up and launching the bottle with a smile on his face and pointing to the crowd.
A torn meniscus couldn’t stop Joe Mazzulla’s enthusiasm
Coach Joe Mazzulla revealed earlier this week that he had been dealing with a torn meniscus for months and will eventually have surgery on it.
But that didn’t stop him from standing on the moving duck boat and taking a spill. He popped right back up and seemed like he was OK. Still, ouch.
The Rhode Island native was on his feet, waving flags, and walking over to slap hands with fans. It’s safe to say that he was pumped to coach the team he grew up watching to a title.
2008 Celtics joined the party
Between Paul Pierce, Sam Cassell, Eddie House, Brian Scalabrine, and Leon Powe, the 2008 Celtics had plenty of representation at the parade.
It’s been 16 long years since they raised Banner 17, and they showed up to see the new champs off.
Scalabrine interviewed the current players during the pre-parade festivities at TD Garden. Cassell is now an assistant coach with the team. Pierce hoisted the trophy high for all to see as he rode on a duck boat.
Fashion statements
Jaylen Brown threw a subtle jab at ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith by wearing a “State Your Source” t-shirt during the parade. Smith had reported, via unnamed sources, that Brown had an attitude that hurt his marketability and caused him to be disliked.
So Brown asked him to name his source, both on social media and with his shirt at the parade.
Svi Mykhailiuk worked a Boston history reference into his outfit, wearing a hat that said “Boston Svi Party,” a play on the Boston Tea Party.
Al Horford reps drunk Tom Brady … and Brady approves
Al Horford wore a Tom Brady t-shirt to the parade, and Brady sent a response via X.
Every champion deserves a belt
Kristaps Porzingis, who likened his pregame postseason entrances to the WWE’s wrestling entrances, wore a championship belt to the parade.
Sam Hauser wore a Celtics-themed wrestling title belt outside the locker room after Game 5.
Porzingis’s belt appeared to have the WWE logo on it.
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