paul pierce

Taylor Snow

BOSTON – Paul Pierce, Eddie House, and Sam Cassell took over a corner of the Auerbach Center gym following Thursday’s practice to engage in a vintage shooting contest. The net was swishing, the trash talk was flowing, and the competition was in full force like it was 2008 all over again.

Some of Boston’s current players looked on from the sideline, appreciating the intensity that still existed among the trio, laughing at the hilarity of their persistent verbal jabs, and being inspired by the lasting bond between former teammates – former champions.

This is exactly the type of scenario that Joe Mazzulla envisioned this summer when he got in touch with several former Celtics, including Pierce, extending an open invitation to be around the team this season. Boston’s second-year head coach hopes to mesh the old with the new, “to build a brotherhood,” and to a create family-like environment spanning across all generations of Celtics, knowing that all good things are built out of love.

Pierce sees Mazzulla’s vision and is all on board. He remembers the impact of having Celtics Legends around throughout his playing days and now wants to help carry that torch forward.

“I think that's what it should be all about,” Pierce said Thursday afternoon. “It’s always been that way since I've been in the organization, and I love that Joe has reached out to me and some of the other guys to be around more and not only just coming to the games, but coming to practice, you know, you can travel with the team and be around the team a little bit more because that's how it was when I played. Every time I looked up, Tommy Heinsohn, he was always there. And then we look up and see John Halivcek, Bill Russell, (Bob) Cousy. It just brought a certain energy to the building whenever I saw those guys in practice or at the game. So I think it kind of continues the brotherhood. It's all part of our culture and that is something that the Celtics have always been about.”

Along with Pierce, House, and Cassell (now a C’s assistant coach), former champions Leon Powe and Satch Sanders have also been out at Auerbach Center this week. A bunch of current players, including Jayson Tatum, seem to appreciate the growing presence of alumni.

“It’s great having the older guys around,” Tatum said. “Just their presence and being around, being able to talk to them, being able to see them, it’s great.”

Tatum has particularly latched onto Pierce of late. The pair spent four consecutive weeks over the summer working out together in Los Angeles. Iron sharpened iron throughout that month, as Pierce dropped 15-20 pounds, all while Tatum soaked in his mentor’s wisdom.

“He came to the gym every day,” said Tatum. “It was cool to have him around. He told us a lot of stories about the championship team, a lot of things we’ll try to help apply to this year.”

Pierce says that he has already seen some similarities between this team and the ’08 team, notably the high level of focus that the guys have come into camp with.

“It's the intensity,” Pierce recognized. “These guys are coming in with high expectations and they understand that. And you can see it. Guys are getting here early. I mean, the practices are intense, you can see how hard they're going. Not as much talking as our team. We had a loud team. But you can just see in the habits before, during and after, you see guys getting extra shots up in the room, you can just feel it in the air.”

Pierce wants to keep that feeling in the air for the foreseeable future. Although he may no longer be able to contribute on the court (outside of the occasional shooting competition with his ’08 crew), his presence alone is enough to inspire.

So, who else wants to join in on the journey?

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Celtics Inspired by Pierce's Presence at Camp

Marc D'Amico

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Jayson Tatum can’t believe the history he was a part of Sunday night in Cleveland at the 71st NBA All-Star game.

Forget what happened between the lines during Team LeBron’s thrilling 163-160 victory over Tatum’s Team Durant. Being on hand for what happened outside the lines was what Tatum referenced multiple times as a dream-like experience.

The NBA used halftime of Sunday’s All-Star game to honor the 75 greatest players in NBA history, announcing them one-by-one during a historic, 25-minute celebration at center court. At the end of the ceremony, 46 of the 61 living members of the 75th Anniversary Team were standing together at midcourt as Tatum, his teammates and an arena full of basketball lovers showered the legends with roaring applause.

“Watching that was incredible,” Tatum said after the game. “Some people I’d never heard of; most of them I have. Just seeing the majority of those guys in one building… it was a dream come true to see all those people.”

That ceremony and the ancillary game was the crescendo of the NBA’s celebration of its 75th season. It brought together stars of the past, present and future like never before.

Yes, the league put together a similar celebration back in 1997, but so much history has been written into the NBA’s legacy since. Adding those 25 years of memories and basketball greatness made this weekend one of a kind, and one which delivered multiple “pinch me” moments to Tatum prior to the arrival of Sunday night's game.

One such moment arrived for the now three-time All-Star and two-time All-Star starter earlier in the day on Sunday, and another arrived Saturday.

Tatum was in the building before the game on Sunday to have his photos taken, which just so happened to be at the same time as many of the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team members were in getting their photos taken as well. Tatum wound up running into Celtics legend Kevin McHale. The next thing they knew, a whole crew of Celtics legends had gathered, including Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Robert Parish.

“They were doing their pictures upstairs, and it was the same time we were taking ours,” Tatum recalled. “We just happened to be right there. I was talking to Kevin McHale, then Paul came over, and then KG came over, and [then Parish, and we took a picture].”

That picture, as Tatum revealed, will be going up on his wall in the very near future.

“That was incredible. I kinda felt like I didn’t even belong in that picture, because of all that they’ve accomplished and what they mean to the game, and especially to the Celtics,” he said. Tatum soon added, “Just being in that picture with them – that was pretty special. I’ll frame it and I’ll always remember it.”

Later in the night, another photo would be taken that would fall into the ‘dream’ category for the 23-year-old star. It’s one that was taken alongside a current teammate in Grant Williams, and two of Tatum’s superstar idols: Allen Iverson and Dwyane Wade. The photo was posted to social media by Tatum, Williams and Wade and went viral. Fans were given a peak into the significance of the moment Sunday night thanks to Wade being a member of TNT’s broadcast team for the All-Star game.

Tatum joined the broadcast team from the bench for a live interview via a headset toward the end of the second quarter. During that interview, Wade asked what that moment and that conversation with Iverson and Wade meant to him.

“That’s something you dream about,” Tatum said with a smile. “Sitting there chopping it up with you and A.I., two guys I looked up to as a kid growing up. I had a chance to play against you and now to get a relationship with A.I., man… that’s what you dream about as a kid and that’s what this is all about.”

Really, that is what this particular All-Star weekend was all about.

Forget about Tatum’s eight points, five assists, four rebounds and two steals during the game, because this weekend wasn’t about the actual game that was played. Instead, it was about the celebration of the history of the game and the league as a whole.

Tatum was a part of that celebration in Cleveland. He logged a unique and accidental moment with a handful of Celtics greats that will hang on his wall for years to come. He had a special conversation with Iverson and Wade, during which Iverson praised his game. Then, on Sunday, he shared the court with 46 of the greatest basketball players to ever live.

That’s history – history to which Tatum will surely build upon for years to come.

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Tatum Logs Weekend of Dream-Like Moments at All-Star

In conjunction with their 75th anniversary, the Boston Celtics are unveiling their 75th Anniversary All-Celtics Team from Jan. 23 through Feb. 3.
The team is comprised of 15 players who were selected to the team based upon thousands of votes cast by fans and an official voting panel that included both media members and Celtics historians.

The members of the All-Celtics Team will be unveiled in three groups of five, and in no particular order. The first five were announced Jan. 23, the second five were announced today, and the final five will be announced on a special live broadcast Thursday evening from the Encore Boston Harbor.

Below, we’ve provided brief capsules of the five players who were announced as members of the team today: Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, Tommy Heinsohn, John Havlicek and Paul Pierce.

There is no list of all-time Celtics greats if it doesn’t start with Bill Russell. Russell, who has in recent times been referred to as Lord of the Rings, won an astounding 11 championships with the Celtics as a player, including two for which he also served as the team’s coach. Russell played all 13 of his NBA seasons with Boston, during which he averaged 15.1 points and an incredible 22.5 rebounds per game. He totaled 21,620 rebounds during his career – nearly double the amount of the next-best player total in Celtics history. The NBA did not track steals and blocked shots during his playing days, otherwise he’d certainly have racked up impressive numbers in those two categories as well, as Russell is regarded as one of the great defensive centers of all time. Russell was chosen as the league’s Most Valuable Player five times. He was also selected to 12 All-Star appearances and 11 All-NBA teams during his 13 seasons. Russell was also known for his public push for racial equality and justice, and his constant support of mentor-mentee relationships. All of these facts are reasons why his No. 6 hangs in Boston’s rafters, and why the city of Boston erected a statue in his honor that now sits at Government Center.

Bob Cousy was a man before his time when it came to handling and passing the basketball. He was a magician with the ball, which is why Boston fans loved him dating back to his days as a collegiate star at the local College of the Holy Cross, and why he was rightfully nicknamed “Houdini of the Hardwood.” Cousy won six championships with Boston and was chosen as an All-Star during each of his 13 seasons with the team, including an appearance in the NBA’s very first All-Star game which was held at Boston Garden in 1951. He led the NBA in assists in eight consecutive seasons from 1953-1960. Cousy was the NBA’s 1957 MVP and was chosen to 12 All-NBA teams. The NBA also selected him to the league’s 25th, 35th, 50th, and 75th anniversary teams. It’s no wonder why his No. 14 is retired by the Celtics.

There is one person who has, in one way, shape or form, been involved in each of Boston’s 17 World Championships. That man is Tommy Heinsohn. Heinsohn is a two-time Hall of Famer as a player and a coach and is likely to become a three-time Hall of Famer following a lengthy and entertaining broadcast career as the Celtics’ color commentator. He won eight championships with Boston as a player and two as a coach, and he was a member of the organization in some capacity for the other seven titles. Heinsohn was a six-time All-Star with the Celtics and earned the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award in 1957. He remains as the only player who has ever won the Rookie of the Year award, been named to an All-Star team, and won a championship all in the same season (1957). Heinsohn averaged 18.6 points and 8.8 rebounds per game during his career and his No. 15 is retired by the franchise.

Of all of the great names who have donned a Celtics uniform, no player has ever scored more points in the green and white than John “Hondo” Havlicek. Havlicek totaled 26,395 points during his career, which leads Boston’s record books and also ranks 17th in league history. He was a 13-time All-Star who won eight championships with the team from the early 1960s through the late 1970s. He played all 16 of his seasons with Boston and took home the 1974 Finals MVP award. The numbers Havlicek tallied across the board are remarkable: 26,395 points, 8,007 rebounds, 6,114 assists, 46,471 minutes played and 1,270 games played. Havlicek’s No. 17 is retired by the team and he was chosen to the NBA’s 35th, 50th and 75th anniversary teams.

Paul Pierce is the Celtics legend with whom 80s and 90s babies in New England grew up. He was drafted by the team 10th overall in 1998 and played his first 15 seasons with the franchise while making it a point to show the nine teams that passed on him on draft night that they made a mistake. Pierce went on to play in 10 All-Star games as a member of the Celtics and led the franchise to its 17th championship in 2008 while earning Finals MVP honors. He was a four-time All-NBA selection and is one of three players in franchise history to rank in the top 10 in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks, along with Larry Bird and Dave Cowens. His 24,021 points in a Celtics uniform ranks second behind only John Havlicek. Pierce is the most recent player to have his number retired by the franchise, as his No. 34 was raised to the rafters Feb. 11, 2018. Pierce was chosen by the NBA as a member of the 75th anniversary team.

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Russell, Cousy, Heinsohn, Havlicek, Pierce Chosen to All-Celtics Team

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame got a lot greener Saturday night, as four legendary members of the Boston Celtics were honored, each in a different capacity, as part of the 2021 enshrinement ceremony in Springfield, Massachusetts.

The class of 16 inductees was headlined by Paul Pierce and Bill Russell, the latter of whom was inducted as a coach after already being enshrined as a player in 1975.

Longtime Celtics color commentator Mike Gorman of NBC Sports Boston received the Curt Gowdy award for his role in electronic media over the last 40-plus years and was inducted into the Hall of Fame’s media wing.

Lastly, 2018 Hall-of-Fame inductee Ray Allen was recognized as one of three recipients of the 2021 Mannie Jackson - Basketball’s Human Spirit Award for his outstanding humanitarian efforts, particularly through his Ray of Hope Foundation.

Pierce soaked in every moment of the special night, greeting Celtics fans with high fives and selfies at the red-carpet ceremony before delivering a 15-minute speech in which he reflected upon his life and career.

“Never in my wildest dreams that I think I’d be a Hall-of-Famer,” Pierce began as he spoke to the sea of basketball legends seated before him. “The initial dream as a kid is to make it to the league; you don't really dream too far like, ‘I want to be a Hall of Famer,’ you don't say that as a kid. Now to be enshrined in basketball lore, it's more than I could have ever imagined.”

Pierce spent the first 15 seasons of a 19-year NBA career in Boston, where he earned 10 All-Star nods, four All-NBA selections, and a Finals MVP after leading the Celtics to their 17th championship in 2008. He remains among the franchise’s top 10 in just about every significant statistical category, ranking second in points scored, seventh in rebounds, fifth in assists, first in steals, fourth in blocks, first in 3-point field goals, and third in minutes played.

However, Pierce made it clear that his rise to the top of Boston’s legendary record books was not a product of natural athletic ability, but rather a result of hard work and dedication.

“The thing I want people to remember about me is, although I wasn’t the most athletic and I might not have been the most gifted, I competed every night,” he said. “That’s the one thing people can say about me. I may have played against guys that were more talented, more heralded than me, but the one thing you weren’t going to do was out-work me ... I judged my game on my effort. I knew if I gave 100 percent effort that day, no matter what my numbers were, I could hold my head high when I left that gym.”

Pierce should also be remembered for holding his head high even when the Celtics were going through some of their lowest of lows as a franchise. He stuck with the team through trying seasons, and eventually, his loyalty paid off.

Following a 24-win season in 2006-07, the Celtics front office formed a super team around Pierce by trading for future Hall-of-Famers in Allen and Kevin Garnett, the latter of whom served as Pierce’s presenter Saturday night. The star trio gelled immediately, as they pulled off the biggest single-season turnaround in NBA history in the form of a 66-win 2007-08 campaign, which led the C’s to their 17th NBA championship banner.

The highlight of Pierce’s career came at the conclusion of that title run when he was named Finals MVP after defeating his hometown Los Angeles Lakers. The Inglewood native still marvels over the irony of the storybook scenario, noting how his initial disdain for the Celtics turned into everlasting love and appreciation.

“Going into [the NBA], I hated [the Celtics] because I was a Laker fan,” he recalled. “But once I was able to join the family and be around legends such as Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, Tommy Heinsohn on a night-in, night-out basis, it was a dream come true. Because me being a historian of the game, I couldn’t ask for anything better … I couldn’t have asked for a better place to land.”

And Pierce couldn’t have asked for a better honor than to enter the Hall alongside the greatest legend of them all in Russell. The 11-time NBA champion became just the fifth person to be inducted as both a player and a coach, joining former teammates Tommy Heinsohn and Bill Sharman along with Lenny Wilkens and John Wooden.

Although his coaching career spanned only eight seasons, Russell’s legacy as a coach will last forever. In 1966, he became the first Black head coach in the history of U.S. professional sports. As if that feat wasn’t remarkable enough, the start of his coaching career also overlapped with the last three seasons of his playing career, the final two of which resulted in championship runs.

“Coaching the Celtics was one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences I had through my 13 years in the NBA,” Russell said in a pre-recorded speech that was shown Saturday night as he sat in the front row of the audience.

It was rewarding not just because of the championships that he won, but because it opened the door for other Black coaches after him, such as Doc Rivers.

“Bill Russell allowed the rest of the world to know that if you’re qualified to coach, you can coach,” Rivers, also in attendance, said in a pre-recorded interview. “Without Bill Russell, I’m probably not coaching.”

Russell’s willingness to break barriers and also be an outspoken civil rights activist transcended his remarkable career as an athlete. As his Hall-of-Fame presenter, Barack Obama, stated: “As tall as Bill Russell stands, his example and his legacy rise far, far higher.”

All four Celtics honorees established unique legacies from the examples they set, whether it was through their hard work and dedication on the court, on the sideline, in the announcers’ booth, and/or in the community. Paul Pierce, Bill Russell, Mike Gorman, and Ray Allen have each represented the city of Boston and the NBA in a Hall-of-Fame capacity, solidified by Saturday night’s enshrinement among basketball's greatest legends.

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Four Celtics Legends Honored at 2021 HOF Enshrinement

Less than 24 hours after Kevin Garnett slipped on his Naismith Orange Hall-of-Fame blazer, the Boston Celtics learned that they would soon have three more Legends headed to Springfield to join him.

The NBA announced Sunday that Paul Pierce, Bill Russell and Mike Gorman would all be a part of the 2021 Hall-of-Fame enshrinement ceremony, with Pierce being inducted to the players’ wing, Russell being inducted to the coaches’ wing (after already entering as a player in 1975), and Gorman being honored by as this year’s Curt Gowdy Media Award recipient.

Pierce will headline the 16 inductees this coming September, representing the Celtics as a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer and one of the most decorated and beloved players in franchise history.

During his 15 seasons in Boston, Pierce earned 10 All-Star bids, four All-NBA selections, and a Finals MVP after leading the Celtics to their 17th championship in 2008. The Truth also ranks among the franchise’s top 10 in virtually every statistical category, as he is second in points scored, seventh in rebounds, fifth in assists, first in steals, fourth in blocks, first in 3-point field goals, and third in minutes played.

On top of all of those statistics and accolades, Pierce was one of the most driven, passionate and loyal players in Celtics history, making him without question the greatest Celtic of this past generation.

Pierce certainly knew that the day of his enshrinement would come, but he never could have dreamed that he’d be inducted alongside one of the Celtics Legends who helped to pave the way long before him in Russell.

Nearly 50 years after being inducted as a player in 1975, Russell will finally be honored as a coach, as well.

Russell didn’t have a particularly long tenure as an NBA head coach (eight years in total), but his arrival into the role was historically impactful and unique in ways that we may never see again.

In 1966, Russell became the first Black head coach in NBA history, marking a monumental, barrier-breaking moment in league history.

However, there was another layer on top of that. Red Auerbach didn’t just hire Russell to replace him on the sideline; he hired the perennial champion to coach straight from the court.

The first three years of Russell’s coaching experience overlapped with the tail end of his playing career, which was capped off with back-to-back championships in 1968 and 1969. Holding such responsibility as both the head coach and the franchise cornerstone player is unheard of in the modern-day NBA, and it’s an achievement that current C’s coach Brad Stevens can hardly believe.

“We all can’t say enough great things about Bill Russell and the impact he had on and off the court all over the country, but certainly he left an incredible legacy for us to follow here in Boston with the Celtics,” Stevens said Sunday afternoon following a 96-92 loss to the New York Knicks in the regular-season finale. “I can’t imagine going from player to a player head coaching role, but he’s just such a unique guy. When he was playing, he had everybody’s utmost respect because he played for one reason: He played to win. Nothing else mattered. He defended at a high level, he made his teammates better. Every single one of them adores him, then and now. And so for him then to take a role where he’s figuring out the lineups and he’s one of the guys in it, that would be really hard to do. But special is only reserved for a few, and Bill Russell is as special as they come.”

To be inducted as both a player and as a coach is also quite special, as only four other individuals have held such an honor: Lenny Wilkens, John Wooden, and Russell’s former teammates in Bill Sharman and Tommy Heinsohn.

Along with Russell, the late Heinsohn will have another one of his longtime friends honored by the Hall of Fame in September as former broadcast partner Mike Gorman will receive the Curt Gowdy media award, which “singles out members of the electronic and print media for outstanding contributions to basketball.”

Gorman is currently in his 40th season as Boston’s play-by-play television commentator and is a five-time Emmy award winner. During Sunday’s broadcast on NBC Sports Boston, the Dorchester native was in awe that he’d be joining two of the city’s most accomplished sports figures on their upcoming journey to Springfield.

“I couldn’t be more thrilled at the idea that Paul Pierce is going in too,” Gorman reflected. “I mean Paul has always been my favorite guy, and to have Bill Russell also be honored. To part of that Celtic group, that’s a big deal.”

It will be a big deal for the Celtics organization as a whole. After all, it’s not often that you get to see one of your own Legends step into the Hoop Hall, let alone three at once.

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The 2021 HOF Class Will be Loaded with Celtics Legends

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Pierce and Scal Reminisce on 2008 Title Run

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BOSTON – The Boston Celtics closed the book on the 2017-18 season Sunday night as their 245-day journey from Day 1 of training camp to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals came to an end.

Along the way, the C’s produced countless unforgettable moments, from individual triumphs, to gritty comeback wins, to resilient playoff performances that all paved the way to a successful campaign.

Before we head into the summer and gear up for the next step on the path to Banner 18, let’s flip back the pages and relive some of those pivotal moments that helped create a season for the ages.

5. Celtics Out-Smart Rockets in 26-point Comeback

The Celtics proved time and time again during the 2017-18 season that no lead was safe against them. There was better example of that than their mammoth, 26-point comeback win Dec. 28 over the Houston Rockets at TD Garden.

Boston experienced one of its worst starts of the campaign, falling behind Houston, 32-12 by the end of the first quarter. The Rockets went ahead by as many as 26 points during the third quarter, and by the time they got to the 8:20 mark of that frame, the C’s had a win probability of just 0.6 percent.

Despite the odds, Boston never lost hope, and put forth its biggest rally of the season.
The Celtics trailed 69-44 at the 7:26 mark of the third quarter, but then flipped a switch at both ends of the court, finishing off the final 19:26 of the game on a 55-29 run that included a miraculous finish.

The Rockets were still leading 98-95 with 7.3 seconds left, but Jayson Tatum brought the C’s within one point with a cutting dunk off of a nice dish from Marcus Smart.

Smart then turned to defend James Harden on the ensuing inbound pass, and before Houston could even get the ball in, Harden threw an elbow at Smart's chest and got called for an offensive foul.

The Celtics, out of timeouts, quickly inbounded the ball to Al Horford in the post. Horford went to work on Tarik Black, before shot-putting the ball through the hoop with 3.7 seconds to give Boston its first lead of the game.

Houston still had an opportunity to try for a win, but Smart wasn’t going to let them have that chance. He baited Harden into committing another offensive foul before the Rockets could inbound the ball, to help put a seal on Boston’s most impressive comeback win of the season.

4. Ending the Hunt: Celts Fight Off Bucks in Seven

If we were to tell you at the beginning of the season that the Celtics would fight their way into the second round of the Playoffs without Gordon Hayward, Kyrie Irving, and with a hobbled Jaylen Brown, you never would’ve believed it.

Yet somehow, Boston pulled off that feat April 28, finishing off the Milwaukee Bucks with a shorthanded Game 7 victory.

Hayward and Irving had both sustained season-ending injuries before the Playoffs even began, while Brown was added to the injury report midway through Game 7 after suffering a strained hamstring.

Winning the series would be a daunting task without them, but the Celtics didn’t fret and made it happen.

Al Horford and Terry Rozier scored 26 points apiece and Jayson Tatum added 20 points of his own to power a 112-96 win, propelling the Celtics into the second round.

Through that win, Boston proved that it could overcome any injury in an situation. It was without arguably its top three scorers, yet managed to find a way to fill the gaps and put up 112 points against a long, athletic Bucks defense.

All season long, the Celtics embraced a next-man up mentality, as they overcame injury after injury. There was no better example of that than their Game 7 effort against the Bucks to keep their postseason alive.

3. Irving Caps off C's Winning Streak with a Bang

Many NBA pundits believed that the Celtics’ playoff chances went out the window five minutes into the regular season opener when Gordon Hayward suffered a season-ending leg injury. And after an 0-2 start, that belief started to appear plausible.

But then, the unthinkable happened. The Celtics came together and rallied around their fallen teammate to produce one of the most remarkable winning streaks in franchise history.

After dropping those first two games, the Celtics didn’t lose again for more than a month, winning 16 contests in a row to match the team’s fourth-longest winning streak ever.

The win that capped it all off on Nov. 20 was one of the most impressive of them all, as newly added star Kyrie Irving went off for a season-high 47 points in Dallas to lead the C’s to a 110-102, comeback win in overtime.

Boston actually got off to a 37-22 start that night, but then blew its lead and fell behind by double digits. The Mavs went up by as many as 13 points midway through the fourth quarter, but the C’s rallied back to tie the game, 96-96 with 1:01 remaining on an alley-oop slam from Irving to rookie Jayson Tatum.

That score held up until the end of regulation, before Irving entered takeover mode in OT.

The All-Star point guard personally outscored the Mavs 10-6 during the extra period, finishing off the night 16-of-22 from the field, 5-of-7 from 3-point range and 10-of-11 from the free-throw line.

His overall effort epitomized the Celtics’ full body of work over the previous month, showing resilience, faith and determination, all while battling in the face of adversity.

Boston’s streak would come to an end two nights later in Miami, but by then its players were already filled with enough hope and trust in each other to power their way to a 55-27 regular season record and the second seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs.

2. Trusting the Process: C’s Rally From 22-Down in Game 2 Win Over Philly

We’ve highlighted Boston’s come-from-behind wins over the Rockets and Mavericks, respectively, but no comeback victory was as important as the one it earned May 3 in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

After winning Game 1 over Philadelphia in blowout fashion, the C’s got off to a slow start in Game 2 and trailed the 76ers 48-26 by the midway point of the second quarter.

Philly looked like it was well on its way to a series-tying win, but by halftime, Boston found a way to completely flip the script.

The Celtics discovered a groove and outscored Philly 25-8 during the final 6:20 of the second quarter, including an 11-2 run during the final two minutes that brought them within five points of the 76ers.

Philly entered the second half with a 56-51 lead, but the TD Garden crowd wasn’t going to let them hang on.

Celtics Nation, fueled by the first-half run, had created deafening buzz that hung in the air for the remainder of the night.

Riding the energetic wave produced by its faithful fans, Boston was able to snag a lead four minutes into the third quarter. From there, the Celtics managed to hold off Philadelphia, fighting their way to a 108-103 win.

Had Boston lost the game, the series would have been tied up and the 76ers would head home with an edge in momentum for Games 3 and 4.

Instead, the comeback effort proved to be a devastating blow for Philly, as it set the tone for the rest of the series. The Celtics rode their momentum to a Game 3 win three nights later at Wells Fargo Center, before clinching the series in five games to move on to the Eastern Finals.

1. Raising 34 to the Rafters: Pierce Immortalizes Celtics Legacy

The most impactful moment of the season wasn’t a miraculous comeback effort or a historical individual performance. In fact, it didn’t even occur during a game, nor did it involve any current players on the Celtics roster.

This moment belonged to Paul Pierce. And this moment solidified the irreplaceable legacy he established in Boston over an extraordinary 15-year career in green and white.

Following a Sunday afternoon matchup against Cleveland Cavaliers on Feb. 11, Pierce stepped onto his beloved parquet floor and stared up toward the TD Garden rafters. He had always aspired to have his No. 34 raised to the roof to join the elite group of distinguished Celtics Legends, and now his dream would come true.

Pierce was joined on the court by family members, fellow legends and former teammates and coaches – a few of whom had prepared praiseful speeches for the event.

The Truth, himself delivered a 24-minute speech straight from the heart, thanking the team, the fans and the city of Boston for joining him on his decade-and-a-half-long ride that produced a 2008 title as well as an abundance of individual franchise records.

Capping off the ceremony, Pierce grabbed a rope and did the honor of raising his own jersey patch to the rafters. He did it slowly, enjoying every second, watching his No. 34 soared skyward to its eternal resting spot among the patches of 22 other legends.

The moment was bigger than the 2017-18 season itself. It put a seal on the incredible career of one of the most iconic figures in franchise history and created a memory that will sit with Celtics Nation forever.

top-5-moments-from-the-2017-18-season

Top 5 Moments From the 2017-18 Season

BOSTON – Paul Pierce tried to maintain his emotions Sunday evening as he began to raise a banner containing seven retired Boston Celtics jersey numbers to the TD Garden rafters.

The numbers of previously retired legends revealed themselves in pairs of two as the banner gradually unfolded from the parquet floor. First, there were numbers 3 and 33 – Dennis Johnson and Larry Bird. Next, came digits 32 and 35 – Kevin McHale and Reggie Lewis. Then, came numbers 00 and 31 – Robert Parish and Cedric Maxwell.

Finally, the banner’s last number was revealed, sitting on a row all by itself. That's when Pierce felt his emotions take control.

Overjoyed, with a smile stretching from ear to ear while his No. 34 unfolded and soared toward the rafters, Pierce came to the realization that his legacy was becoming immortalized right there in front of his eyes. It represented the utmost recognition that any Celtic could ever receive, and, for him, it was the greatest honor of his life.

“I was just trying to hold it together,” said Pierce, who joined 22 other Celtics legends whose numbers are displayed on three separate banners that hang from the arena's rafters. “I just knew that when I first saw the banner lift and I saw it straight and I saw my number there, it was like, man, all the years I walked into the gym, every day I looked up and I saw empty spots and I saw all the other jersey numbers. Now I’m up there. Now I’m up there, and that’s forever.”

Thousands of people rose to their feet to enjoy the moment with Pierce, including fans, Celtics staffers, players and coaches from the present and past, as well a handful of other Celtics legends who were there to welcome “The Truth” to their prestigious fraternity.

Standing among the crowd was Pierce’s former head coach – and current LA Clippers head coach – Doc Rivers. Despite being in the middle of the NBA season, Rivers wouldn’t have missed Pierce’s jersey retirement festivities for the world.

“I love the guy,” Rivers told reporters Sunday afternoon ahead of Boston’s 121-99 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. “I got a ring (in 2008) because pf Paul, Kevin (Garnett), Ray (Allen), (Rajon) Rondo, that whole group. I think Bill Parcels said it best, that when you win something with someone, it’s a blood transfusion and you’re connected for life. Paul and I talk a lot, stay in contact a lot, and so do all of us (from that team).

“This is a day that we actually talked about before we won the title,” added Rivers, who took in Sunday’s game while sitting courtside with Garnett and Rondo. “This is literally a day we talked about, as far as a whole team, that was going to happen, and we all said we’d be here.”

Rivers was also one of a few people who spoke during the hour-long ceremony, along with team owner Wyc Grousbeck, president of basketball operations Danny Ainge, and, of course, Pierce himself, who delivered a 24-minute speech from the heart to his beloved Celtics Nation.

There were also countless video tributes that were displayed throughout the afternoon and evening on the TD Garden jumbotron, as fans, former teammates, and even former rivals all paid their respects to The Truth.

One of Pierce’s most cherished moments of the day was when his greatest rival, Kobe Bryant, made a cameo on the big screen.

“Paul, congratulations my man,” said Bryant, who recently had his numbers 8 and 24 retired by the Los Angeles Lakers. “You’ve had an amazing career, to say the least, and I enjoyed battling against you all those years. I know it must’ve been hard for you as a kid growing up in Los Angeles and then joining the Celtics and putting on the Celtic green. But I’ve gotta say, man, you made all the Celtics Legends proud.”

One of those proud Legends was Bill Russell. The 11-time NBA champion could not be in attendance for the ceremony, so he sent out a tribute video from his personal Twitter account that was directed toward the newest Celtic Legend.

“Paul, one of the greatest thing that can happen to an athlete is to retire as a Celtic,” said Russell. “I’m very proud of you, and I’m proud that you were a Celtic.”

For years, Pierce had idolized Celtics like Russell, Bird, John Havlicek, and countless others who  all helped bring championships to Boston and who had their numbers eternally enshrined above the parquet floor in recognition for their contributions to the organization.

To join those Legends is an honor that Pierce never could have imagined in his wildest dreams. But he deserves that recognition as much as any Celtic who earned it before him. And that’s The Truth.

“The players who won a championship, the players whose numbers go in the rafters, I’m a part of history, and there is no better history than that,” said Pierce. “This is a class-A, level-one franchise. The Boston Celtics is a name you put respect with, a name you put history with, a name you put tradition with. And now I’m a part of it.”