1 week Ago
After months of secret preparations, Boston Celtics players and fans got their first look at the team's championship rings on Tuesday night. They were presented to the players on a table where the 2024 trophy was placed by Celtics legends Bob Cousy, Cedric Maxwell, Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce at the start of the ceremony. Details posted by the team shows the gold rings feature the motto, "Whatever it takes" on one side, and list all 18 championship years around the ring.
The inside is engraved with the team's record through the playoffs. Eighteen diamonds on the outer bezel represent each of the team's championships. 15 carats of white diamonds represent the teams of the NBA's Eastern Conference.
The tops of the rings twist off to reveal the 2024 banner and a piece of the parquet floor. The team did not immediately reveal who manufactured the rings. We got some really BIG rings š pic.
twitter.com/yNAMLpHOQv The rings were presented as part of the Celtics' celebration of their record-setting 18th NBA championship. Boston's celebration also included raising the banner to the rafters of TD Garden.
"I can honestly say to the best fans in the world, letās do it again," Jayson Tatum told fans at the conclusion of the ceremony. Banner 18. These are the moments in sports that give you chills.
Humbled to be here for this night and to have the opportunity to cover Bostonās teams. pic.twitter.
com/xuCMdfJitb The top-seeded Celtics went 64-18 in the 2023 regular season, ensuring home-court advantage throughout the playoffs, and dropped only one game in the Finals. With their Game 5 win, the Celtics broke a tie with the Los Angeles Lakers , the only other team in the league with 17 championship victories. Boston fans got their first look at a banner on the day of the team's championship parade, when Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck walked the banner and trophy into TD Garden because he got caught in traffic .
The banner made for the rafters of TD Garden was delivered a few days ago by Woburn-based New England Flag & Banner. The Celtics were coached to their first championship in 16 years by Joe Mazzulla, who at 35 is the youngest coach to win a title since Bill Russell won one as a player-coach for Boston in 1969. Mazzulla is entering his third year at the helm.
He originally took on the role of interim head coach just before the start of training camp in 2022, but his impressive success led the team to remove āinterimā from his title later that season. On the court, the dynamic duo of 26-year-old Jayson Tatum and 27-year-old Jaylen Brown led the way. Both All-Stars have played for the Celtics since they were drafted in 2017 and 2018 , respectively.
Other key players on this Celtics championship team include Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis, Sam Hauser, Luke Kornet and Payton Pritchard. All are returning for the next season. The Celtics' new campaign begins on Tuesday at 7:30 p.
m. against the New York Knicks..
