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Celtics, New Balance Break Ground on New Facility

addByline("Chris Davis","New Balance Athletics");

BOSTON - Today marks the groundbreaking of the Red Auerbach Center at New Balance World Headquarters, the Boston Celtics’ new-age, state-of-the-art practice facility.

The story of the Boston Celtics and New Balance Athletics has roots far deeper than the 7.1 miles that separate the two Boston-based brands. The bond dates back to the late 1970s, when legendary coach Red Auerbach served as a mentor to current New Balance Chairman, Jim Davis. The two entrepreneurial minds met regularly to game plan and blueprint the establishment of winning cultures for their respective organizations.

Red, the father of the fast break offense and innovator who redefined the meaning of team play and defense, is more often remembered for his 16 championship rings than for drafting the 1stAfrican American player (Chuck Cooper) or introducing, for the first time, an all-African American starting five. Daring to challenge the establishment and question the trend of normalcy - these are the values and guidance that Red Auerbach instilled in both Jim Davis and New Balance Athletics.

In the early days, Red Auerbach went door to door throughout the streets of Boston selling tickets to games. The Celtics lacked a fan base, personality and a true leader to bring them to life. From Red, Jim Davis learned that grit, determination and passion were the ultimate drivers of the entrepreneurial spirit. Just as Red went door to door selling tickets, Jim Davis was inspired to do the same with footwear - building New Balance - one shoe sale at a time.

As a result of this bond between mentor and mentee, New Balance’s goal has never been to be the biggest, but to be the best. Today, New Balance remains the only major athletic footwear manufacturer to produce a portion of its sneakers in the United States and it makes giving back to the community an obligation versus an option. New Balance is founded upon the values of teamwork, progression, grit and passion; the same values that have been on display in the Garden for decades.

The vision of The Auerbach Center (dubbed Red’s House), exemplifies a symbolic bond between two storied, local organizations who have joined together to unite in the creation of Boston’s Sports Mecca at New Balance World Headquarters.

Today, we celebrate a community connection that goes deeper than athletics. We celebrate Boston’s heritage and pride. We celebrate the values of teamwork, integrity and passion; values that are all too often forgotten in the world of sport, but should define its true essence, in its purest form.

Today, we celebrate two iconic Boston brands joining forces into the future.

Most importantly, today we thank and honor Red Auerbach for his contributions to Boston, to basketball and to the entrepreneurial spirit.