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September 30, 2008
The Celtic Summer of Love is Over
Thank you Boston Celtics. It was a great ride.
Not Too Late for One Last Look Back - One Last Tribute to an Astounding Team
I called it the Celtic Summer of Love back in 2007, fully a year before everything made the label come true. I had no idea.
A newspaper article I had read talked about how the first Summer of Love really began the year (1967) before it is known to have occured. So it was with this Celtic team.
Even Nostradomus gets it right once in a while. Prophetic - without knowing it.
I thought I was going to celebrate the blossoming of our youthful ballers.
A trade for Ray Allen was followed by 'The Trade' for Kevin Garnett. The rest of the pieces were drawn to Boston like it was the Mecca of the basketball world. We had us one formidable team.
We had no idea.
Adrenaline flowed like water for the next 102 games and long suffering Celtic fans flowed to the Garden. Every night was a spectacle to behold. A potent offense and marauding defense rendered useless any thoughts of beating this team by 'outhearted' and 'outhustled' opponents.
At first, it was hard to tell whether they were running from something or running to something.
If they failed together.....what would everyone think? Could they look themselves in eye?
They were running from one legacy to another. They might not admit it, but they were running from their pasts. Running toward an uncertain future. All three were already questioned about just how good they were. Would there be heartbreak at the end?
Turkey was carved and served most every game. Every night turned into Thanksgiving. Thanks for giving us your all, Boston's three millionaire stars and company. Every night it was a new turkey.
They played like a team. They played defense. They shared the ball. They were even able to develop a young point guard, center, and a couple of young, short power forwards.
They brought in the greybeards for the play-offs. Young and old alike contributed to the cause.
It was a festival of sharing.
They ended up winning it all and doing it as underdogs, when they should have been favorites. Disrespected to the end. Motivation, it was - and motivate it did. A record pummeling in a title clinching game - at home.
Thanks for the return to basketball the right way and the NBA Title to prove it is still the right way to play.
Raucous. Religious. Ridiculous.
How did a team transform so quickly and so completely?
Destinies were at stake. Only one accomplishment would reach that destiny. Win the final game of the year.
Title and love. Parade and love.
Summer of Love - Green style.
Welcome back.
Posted by Tom on September 30, 2008 8:46 PM
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Comments
Hey T, hope you had a good summer. Great reflections on last summer & last year. I'm hoping NEXT summer you'll be writing the same stuff about this year!
When do you get to see the guys in person this fall? Do you have to wait for pre-season games? Or do you get to offer coaching tidbits before then? Keep up the great writing and I'll do some commenting as the year goes on.
R
Posted by: R at October 2, 2008 3:15 PM
Welcome Back to you Ron!
My presence at Celtic games will be less this season. Not sure when I'll first get up there. Looking a game a week - on the week-ends - at most. I've taken a new position and alas....it harder to get the time needed during the week.
Coaching tidbits...LOL....Doc's job is safe, though everything is up for commentary and second guessing, as always.
What a great ride, eh?
The Celtic train leaves the station soon for the new year with a few new riders. I can't wait.
T
Posted by: Tom Halzack at October 2, 2008 3:49 PM
