BOSTON (AP) 鈥� After the Boston Celtics received their diamond-, emerald- and parquet-encrusted championship rings and before the franchise's 18th banner was raised to the rafters, Jayson Tatum grabbed a microphone to say a few words to the geeked-up crowd.
鈥淓njoy this moment together,鈥� he told the fans who filled the TD Garden for the first meaningful Celtics game since their Game 5 victory over Dallas in the NBA Finals clinched an unprecedented 18th title. 鈥淟et鈥檚 do it again.鈥�
"I planned something to say, but I got caught up in the moment,鈥� Tatum said after the 鈥淚 was overwhelmed, and the emotions got the best of me. I know we鈥檙e not supposed to talk about repeating. But the fans were just so excited, I said 鈥�(expletive) it. Let鈥檚 do it again.鈥欌��
The Celtics then gathered where so many of their predecessors had and to the crowded rafters. Minutes later, they took the floor for the season opener against the New York Knicks and left no doubts whether they were still motivated to become the first Celtics team to repeat since Bill Russell and John Havlicek won the franchise鈥檚 11th title in 13 years in 1969.
Tatum hit a 3-pointer in the first seconds, and Boston tied an NBA record with 29 3's while opening a 35-point lead against the team that was supposed to be their top competition in the Eastern Conference.
鈥淚t was impressive to go from that, to that,鈥� coach Joe Mazzulla said. 鈥淚 was proud of the way they responded, from the ring ceremony to the game. The biggest thing I鈥檓 proud of was the mindset of the guys: They weren鈥檛 stuck in the past.鈥�
The pregame ceremony nodded to the history of the league's most-decorated franchise, with 96-year-old Bob Cousy, a six-time NBA champion, and 1981 Finals MVP Cedric Maxwell coming out to applause before Paul Pierce 鈥� accompanied by fellow 2008 champions Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen 鈥� brought out the 2024 trophy. It was placed on a table surrounded by the championship rings.
鈥淚t鈥檚 like a full-circle moment for them to come back, and share that moment with us, and pass the torch,鈥� Tatum said. "I鈥檓 still a fan of those guys. I remember they鈥檙e part of my childhood. That was an incredible moment, dapping it up with them.
鈥淜G was screaming in my ear, and it was like, 鈥楳an, I鈥檓 really talking to Kevin Garnett right now,'鈥� he said. 鈥淚'll never take those moments for granted. I think that is still cool, to be part of moments like that.鈥�
Owner Wyc Grousbeck , with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver congratulating the players as they walked out between the numbers of a giant, golden 鈥�18.鈥� Mazzulla dropped to his knees to give the parquet floor a kiss before receiving his bauble.
鈥淭he parquet is blood, sweat and tears of the greats,鈥� Mazzulla said. 鈥滻 don鈥檛 get to go out there and dive on the floor for loose balls like I鈥檇 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 centerpiece of the ring is a shamrock and 鈥淐eltics鈥� against a field of emeralds. The top can be removed to reveal a piece of the famous floor, painted green and white with the 106-88 score of the June 17 clincher against the Mavericks. Also unveiled is an image of the championship banner, surrounded by the engraved numbers of each player on the roster.
The exterior of the ring is encircled with the years of the franchise鈥檚 18 NBA titles. On one side is a depiction of the Larry O鈥橞rien Trophy; on the other is the player's name, number and the slogan 鈥淲hatever It Takes鈥� on a background of the parquet pattern etched into the gold.
The outer bezel has 18 larger diamonds for the team's 18 titles 鈥� one more than the archrival Lakers have won in Los Angeles and Minneapolis.
鈥淲hen I got the ring, (I thought), 鈥楾his thing is too big, I don鈥檛 know why it鈥檚 so big, and I鈥檓 never going to wear it. But it鈥檚 cool to have,鈥� Mazzulla told reporters.
鈥淚 was more fascinated by the banner,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 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.鈥�
The sold-out crowd arrived early to see the Celtics take the court in special warm-up jackets trimmed in gold, with 18 championship trophies embroidered on the sleeve. Some of the players paused their shooting to watch the video tracing their title journey, from the drafting of Jaylen Brown and Tatum through the acquisition of Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis.
Another video featured highlights of Havlicek and Russell winning titles in the 1950s and 鈥�60s through the pandemonium 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, 鈥楴ah, we did it. We did something spectacular,'鈥� Brown said. 鈥淢y name -- alongside my teammates' -- is going to be etched down in Celtics history, which is one of the biggest franchises in not just basketball, in sports.
鈥淵ou can never take that from anybody that was on that team last year.鈥�
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AP NBA:
Jimmy Golen, The Associated Press
