BOSTON — From the moment the Celtics took the floor for warmups Tuesday against the Knicks, the energy in the air was apparent. With about six minutes on the clock — counting down to the 7 p.m. start to the ring ceremony — the C’s started playing a video chronicling the last several years.
It was an ode to how the Celtics were built. The video highlighted when the main core players were acquired, including when Brad Stevens was named C‘s head coach all the way back in July 2013. There was draft night 2016 and 2017, when Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, respectively, were picked by the only franchise they’ve ever known. Then down the list it went, chronologically, from Al Horford to Derrick White to Kristaps Porzingis to Jrue Holiday.
There was also the heartbreak, dating back to the 2018 East Finals. Then the 2020 East Finals. The 2022 NBA Finals. Then, finally, the 2023 East Finals. All those deep playoff runs that ended in disappointment and criticism. Those lows were part of the journey, too, and it was a reminder of what it took to get back to the mountaintop.
So, yeah, the Celtics were emotional. Jayson Tatum admitted the moment got to him when he addressed the crowd. But that‘s what makes ring night and hanging Banner No. 18 so special. As C‘s coach Joe Mazzulla stressed to the media and his team, the moment is bigger than all of them.
Here’s everything the Celtics had to say about a special night that also ended in a blowout win over the Knicks:
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C’s coach Joe Mazzulla
On kissing the parquet: “I just thought that was a moment, a way for me to just express myself. That parquet is where there’s blood, sweat and tears of the greats. I don’t get to go out there and dive on the floor for loose balls like I’d love to or do any of that. So that was a way to just express the passion and the gratitude that I have for our team, for the people that have come before and for what it means to be a Celtic.
“There’s no place better than the city and the team and just being in the arena with the people. So that was important. And again, I thought that was the one of the most important things tonight. I told the guys to pay attention mostly to their team, but also passing on from Cousy to Cedric Maxwell to Ray Allen and (Kevin Garnett) and (Paul) Pierce and those guys. One of the best things about the Celtics is the people that come before you. We wouldn’t be the Celtics if those guys didn’t hold up their end of the responsibility and the ownership. They did that. That allows our team, it allows the city to stay what it is, it allows a team to stay what it is, and now that’s them. That’s who they are, and that’s the standard. So I just wanted them to take in that moment and are really grateful for them.”
On how the parquet tasted: “Blood? Maybe I wish it did. When I got the ring? I don’t know. This thing’s too big. I don’t … why is it so big? I’m never gonna wear it, but it’s cool to have. That’s kind of what I thought. I was more fascinated by the banner because I come in there every afternoon and take a look at those, and they represent so much. So the banner was the highlight for me, because it represents a lot of things that go into it, and the rafters have a life of their own in this building. So that moment was the coolest.”
Jayson Tatum
On the emotions of the night: “Tonight was special. It was everything I thought it would be and more. The video playing of all the ups and downs of the last eight years was emotional. Seeing the banner go up, seeing the legends, right? Ray Allen, Cousy, those guys. It was cool. It was something that we’ll always be bonded with and a night that we’ll always remember. That was special. That was cool to be a part of.”
On the championship ring: “It was just something I’d been dreaming about for a very, very long time. A moment that I’ve looked forward to since I got into the league and a moment that I’ve been — before we won, I’d been very, very close to winning a championship and falling short. So to finally get over that hump and finally be a part of opening night ring ceremony, it’s something that I’ve watched every year since I was a kid. It was just a wild moment. Like, I’m a part of it. I’m a part of history, and it was worth the wait.”
On the moment getting to him: “I planned something to say, but I got caught up in the moment. I was overwhelmed. I was like in awe and emotions got the best of me. I know we not supposed to talk about repeating, but the fans were just so excited, like, (expletive) it, let’s do it again. But after tonight, we gotta put it behind us. We gotta have the same approach as last year. We just try to get better every day. We just try to get a little bit better. We’re not looking to June. Just looking forward to Thursday and that’s our mindset.”
On becoming a part of the Celtics lore: “Yeah. I mean, in that moment, for me, I was like a kid. I didn‘t see Bob Cousy play, but I remember the Celtics winning a championship in 2008. I was like 10 years old. I watched Ray and Paul and KG, I grew up watching those guys, and it was like a full-circle moment for them to come back and share that moment with us and kind of pass the torch or whatever that symbolized. I‘m still a fan of those guys. They are part of my childhood. So that was an incredible moment, dapping it up with them, KG was screaming in my ear, and I was like, ’I’m really talking to Kevin Garnett right now.’ I never take those moments for granted. I still think shit is still cool to be a part of things like that.”
Jaylen Brown
On the ceremony: “What an incredible night. Just the aura in the arena was amazing. Having the legendary Celtics just in the building — Bob Cousy, KG, Paul, Cedric Maxwell, all of the guys who have won. And it’s almost like they were passing the torch. I was fighting them back at the start of the game. It was amazing. This is what we set out the journey to do. My rookie year, when I got drafted, this is what I said I would do. I would go to war for this city. And it’s great to watch that banner get raised.”
On what hit him most: “I think right before they called out the Celtics legends, before they introduced them, at that time it was like it was just settling in. Me, JT and Al were just standing together and I could feel it. Before, when we won, at the first time, I was in shock. But today all the emotions kind of settled in, like nah, we did it, we did something spectacular. Regardless of what everybody gotta say, my 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. You can never take that from nobody that was on that team last year. And that’s special.”
On the ring: “I mean, that ring is just an object, right? But it’s the everything, the emotions, the heartbreak, the embarrassment, the work, the drive, the dedication, like that’s what that ring represents, you know what I mean? All of that is like what you feel when you hold something up, you know? So for me, I mean, that’s what was going through my mind and it was an amazing feeling.”
Al Horford
On the ceremony: “Yeah, just as best as I could, staying in the moment, trying to really enjoy that moment. And being with them there, seeing my wife, my son right there, then my girls, my mom and dad, and just kind of taking everything in, just trying to take everything in and have that perspective. It was just very special. But in that moment with the three of us, I mean, it’s one of those, your turn is coming, you’re gonna get the ring. But just really celebrating everybody, and celebrating what we did.”
On seeing the banner: “So much going on in the game, so many things. I saw it initially when we raised it up. I didn‘t take a look at it after that. But for me, with the whole ceremony, I was just very grateful to God for putting me in this position, and then seeing my family where with me. And then what really hit me, and I think we talked about it, Gary asked me something about it in the morning about emotions and things like that, was when I saw Cousy and when I saw Cedric Maxwell, and then KG, Paul and Ray, when they came out. It’s like a moment that’s like, ’Man, these are legends.” There is a responsibility. There is a Celtics legacy. We talk about a lot of these things, and I feel like that was a really special moment for me, just seeing them come out and embracing them. It was very special for me.”
On the ring: “Honestly, I was just very surprised by the size of that ring. Have you guys seen the ring? And the thing was that I dislocated my finger during the playoffs, and it was super swollen, so when I took the measurements, I got it way bigger than it’s supposed to be. So right now, I can’t even wear it because my finger, the swelling kind of came down on it, and it’s just huge. So I kept talking to KP and the guys and was like, ‘Man, this thing is just enormous. This is pretty cool.’ But I just kept thinking about the size of the ring and the detail on it. They really did a great job on it.”
Derrick White
On the ring ceremony: “It was amazing. Kind of just stopped to warm up and just watching the video. Just as the years have gone on and just seeing the growth and everything just for that moment that we had last year, it was amazing. I was like I need to take this jacket off, it’s getting hot in here. It was great.”
On the Celtics legends in attendance: “Legends of the game, legends of the Celtics. Joe always talks about how we’re the ones with the opportunity to uphold that legacy and it was a nice little passing of something they’ve worked for, and they’ve got many championships that are up in the banners. It was really cool.”
