Readers Say
‘I just bleed green.’
Watching their team win the NBA Finals is any basketball fan’s dream. But for Celtics fans, that dream became a reality on Monday, when the Celtics won the NBA Finals.
On Friday, an estimated million Celtics fans descended on Downtown Boston to celebrate their team at the Celtics Parade. Fans lined up along the two-mile parade route to catch a glimpse of the players as they made their way through the city on iconic duck boats.
For these dedicated parade-goers, celebrating the Celtics was the cherry on top to an epic NBA 2023-2024 season. Whether it be the supportive community within the Celtics fanbase or simply the color green, here’s what parade-goers said is the best part about being a Celtics fan.
Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.
“I love the community. I actually moved to Boston from South Carolina, so I literally moved for the sports. I love the Bruins. I love the Celtics. I was telling my family back home, I’m praying for a parade, that’s all I want while I live here. I’m going to school at Suffolk, and so I was like, in the four years that I’m here, we better win. So I love the community around it.”
– Bridget Schofield
“The best thing about being a Celtics fan is you’re never really upset. You’re like, oh, a bad season for my team is the conference finals. I couldn’t imagine being a New York or Philadelphia fan or a Miami fan, you never have winnings. We win. That’s what we do. That’s all we do.”
– Dillon Mackenzie
“So many great parts. I would just say, the teamwork of the team, the fans, the aspect, the arena. Too many things, hard to give one.”
– Jason McKeonn
“The culture, everything about it, banner 18, it’s always a strong dogfight, everyone lifts each other up.”
– Katie Kiehl
“Everything, you know, the uniforms, the history, the fans, they win. They win a lot, two titles in 16 years, a lot of deep playoff runs, and a lot of conference finals. You know, there have been some better teams, but a lot of fans would kill for the success the Celtics have had.”
– Arefin Mohiuddin
“I just bleed green. You know, that’s all I do. I don’t do anything else except bleed green.”
– Mike
“The best part of being a Celtics fan is the community. Look at all the sea of green!”
– Norah Affanato
“I like the green, I think it’s a great color, stands out in a crowd. I like the Garden, there is a lot of history there. I like Joe Mazzulla too, Brad Stevens, Danny Ainge, and the history is a big thing. I’ll cap it at that.”
– Matt Smith
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