Big Baby!

The game-winning shot from last night:



The backstory on Glen Davis:

Celtics Pick Up Knicks Trash

The Celtics have signed the loathesome Stephon Marbury. Hide the interns and up the insurance policies. This will not end well.

Boston Globe: Marbury signs with Celtics, likely to play

NBA Names Finals MVP Award for Bill Russell

Good.

AP: NBA names finals MVP award after Bill Russell

Dennis Johnson Hall of Fame Finalist -- Finally

DJ in the Hall is a no brainer.

3-time NBA Champion, NBA Finals MVP, 5-time All-Star, 9-time All-Defensive Team, a great clutch player. That's Hall of Fame in my book.

Boston Globe: DJ in Hall OK with [Dominique] Wilkins

Arizona Republic: Dennis Johnson among Hall finalists
Former Suns star could be inducted posthumously

Number 17

The Boston Celtics get their 17th NBA Championship Trophy and the players get their rings. Paul Pierce was overcome -- then went on to lead the Celtics to victory over LeBron James and the Cavaliers.

It's Basketball Season

Once the Red Sox season ended, baseball ended for me and basketball season started! Tonight the Boston Celtics raise their 17th championship banner at the Garden. (formerly known as the Fleet Center Enema, and many other blasphemous names, but all true Celtics fans just call it the Garden. Or the new Garden. But not any of that other crap.) To get you pumped for basketball season, watch this great new ad with Kevin Garnett: "Boston is a Brotherhood":


I still cannot believe that I barely knew who Kevin Garnett was until the Celtics traded for him last summer.

Now I Hate Comcast Even More

This is your brain on dope.
Comcast GM Bill Bridgen.
I bet he's not from around heah.

Boston Globe: Cousy fired from Celtics broadcasts
Comcast GM prefers two-man booth setup

How could they? Do they have no decency? Celtics legend Bob Cousy gets the ax from his lousy 10-game a year stint (pocket change to Comcast), and with a phone call from some low-level manager? THIS IS BOB COUSY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE. Cousy is The Cooz, the guy who dazzled in the 50s, coached in Kansas City in the 60s, and has been the voice of the Celtics here in New England for decades. I learned everything I know about point guards and fast breaks from listening to the Celtics during the Larry Bird glory years. He has that hysterical Frenchman's lisp that caused him to utter such gems as "Wick Wobey with the webound" and "Wobewt Pawwish with the wainbow jumper" and now "Way Allen fwom twenty" which you just have to love. He's the Cooz! He's not just some old broadcaster you put out to pasture.

Brief break for a funny story: My friend L went to a Celtics game in the mid-80s with our friend G, an athlete but not a sports fan. L saw Cousy in the hallways of the Garden after the game and asked him for his autograph. She was thrilled! Her friend G asked, why are you getting all excited over getting some TV announcer's autograph? L hunted down a payphone on the street outside the Garden, car horns and drunks blaring in the background, to call me just so someone would understand that SHE GOT BOB COUSY'S AUTOGRAPH! And to tell the story of how our friend did not know that Bob Cousy was BOB COUSY, THE Bob Cousy, the man, the Cooz, the ballhandler extraordinaire, the man who was on a first name basis with Arnold and Russell, the pride of Holy Cross, the Houdini of the Hardwood, Mr. Basketball, Mr. Celtic!

Fire Bob Cousy? What, they couldn't find a puppy to kick?

This may be business to Comcast, but it's war to me. Like Bob Cousy, I have The Killer Instinct, so watch out Comcast GM Bill Bridgen, we're after you. (Killer instinct, of course, does not refer to actual killing, just to beating an opponent. Got to keep Homeland Security from investigating me.)

Two videos of Cooz in his prime:

Paul Pierce on Jimmy Kimmel

The wheelchair was a nice touch.

Pierce & Garnett on ESPN

I want Kevin Garnett's earrings.

Celtics Get Their Own Rolling Rally

The "rolling rally", now a Boston fixture, took place this morning. The entire team was aboard duck boats and a huge crowd lined the parade route. A TV announcer said the most common sign was "Marry Me Rondo"! The players smoked cigars in a tribute to Red Auerbach's famous victory cigar.

I guess I'm getting old. I never even seriously considered going. I hate the crowds, and I had to be in front of the TV for Portugal-Germany, the best semifinal of Euro 2008.


Boston Herald Photo Gallery

Boston Globe: Crowds cheer as Celtics roll through Boston

Boston Globe Photo Gallery

Boston Globe: Sox to honor Celtics on Friday

Most Valuable Press Conference

Brian Scalabrine, who didn't play a minute in the playoffs, calls out the media for predicting a Lakers win:

Thanks, Red

Arnold, the man who made the Celtics the Celtics:



hat tip to Suldog, who found it on Red Sox Chick

How Sweet It Is

Boston Herald Photo Gallery

Boston Globe Photo Gallery

Celtics Crush Fakers, Win 17th NBA Championship

Paul Pierce is the Motherfucking Truth.

(apologies to Shaq who originated the phrase)

Don't talk to me about that rapist from LaLaLand. Paul Pierce is the MVP of the series, and Kevin Garnett was the MVP of the league. And if you had one guy to pick to take the shot with the game on the line, that man is Ray Allen.

Red Auerbach is smiling down on the Celtics tonight.

Obama Was Wrong

RayRay blows by the Euro-weenies to seal the win
He said Kevin Garnett was his favorite player, but he thought the Lakers would beat the Celtics in six because they had the better team.

Obama was wrong, and now he knows it.

Was there anything more satisfying than coming back from a 24-point deficit to beat the hated Lakers last night? Well, yeah, nothing beats the Sawx coming back from down 3-0 to beat the Yankees, the MFYs, in the 2004 American League Championship series. I'm not as invested in these Celtics as I am in the Red Sox, or as I was with the 1980s Celtics, a team that was assembled by Red, not purchased by Danny Ainge.

But this Celtics team is compelling, starting with Kevin Garnett, one of the most inspirational leaders I've ever seen, a man who came in and transformed an entire team. It's amazing to watch 12 players playing with Garnett's flaming intensity at both ends of the court, playing every professional game like college kids, filled with enthusiasm, every player on the bench jumping up and down on every possession.

Last night's highlights, for me, were: Ray Allen/Jesus Shuttlesworth , age 32, plays 48 minutes; Paul Pierce asks to guard Kobe Bryant at halftime; Paul Pierce blocks Kobe Bryant's fallaway jumper (almost impossible, watch the video here)!; James Posey rains in another outside shot in the 4th quarter, then pops out that goofy green & white mouthguard to grin; Pierce dancing around in the backcourt after Allen's layup sealed the win with 16 seconds left; the total silence of the "fans" at the Staples Center.

This morning I heard some radio gasbags call the Lakers "a bunch of softies and Euro-weenies". I think you could apply that description to the silent fans, too. Can you imagine the Garden (which should be renamed the AUERBACH ARENA, hello!) silent if the Celtics were in a close game? Never.

I think we can go back to what we used to call the Lakers: The Fakers.

While it would be nice to win the trophy in front of the Garden faithful, I would not be surprised to see the Lakers, their backs broken last night, fold like a cheap suit on Sunday night.

Suldog: Ubuntu

I*Heart*Celtics: I Love The Boston Celtics

Boston Herald: Game 4 Photo Gallery

Boston Globe, Game 4 Photo Gallery

Bob Ryan, Boston Globe: Seeing this was believing

How sweet it is

A Little Celtics History

Suldog: Why "Beat LA!" Is Noble

Why? Because in 1982 Boston fans chanted it to Julius Erving and the Philadelphia 76ers as a sign of respect. They chanted it to a rival that was beating us on our home floor in a game 7. Unfortunately, it was not to be; the Lakers beat the Sixers in 6 games.

Here's the video:



boston.com, Celtics Blog: The origins of 'Beat LA'

Celtics, 1986 to Present

Chad Finn's Touching All the Bases: Reeling in the years

Win It For Red

Boston Herald: Celtics

As if they needed one, the Celtics have an extra reason to win the championship. If the Lakers win, Phil Jackson will surpass Red Auerbach as the NBA coach with the most titles.

If the Celtics had any class, they'd rename the new Boston Garden "Auerbach Arena".

From the World of Sports

Jon Lester jumps into Jason Varitek's embrace after completing his no-hitter.
Hank Aaron still considers himself the Home Run King. So do the rest of us, Hammerin' Hank. We don't count those juicers against you.

In preparation for the Eastern Conference Championships, meet the Detroit Pistons. Here's another Pistons preview.

Further proof that Danny Ainge is a Mormon: He has six grandchildren. Six!

We won't see Carlos Tevez at Giants Stadium in June; he's been left off Argentina's squad for the friendly with the USA.

Video of the end of Jon Lester's no-hitter:

The Truth

Rocked the Garden yesterday.

Bob Ryan, Boston Globe: Pierce stars in his moment of Truth

Highlight video:


Pierce's 41 points led the Celtics to a 97-92 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 7 last night. The game was a tense affair throughout. Even though the Celtics led from the start, the Cavaliers were never out of it. My one friend kept saying, if the Celtics just keep LeBron under 50 we'll win. King James was magnificent but had less of a supporting cast than Paul Pierce. Delonte West had 15 points but no other Cavs starter was even in double figures. Paul Pierce had the game of his life, not only scoring but having to defend LeBron. That guy is just a beast. When LeBron took his third three-pointer in the 4th quarter after making two in a row -- that would have cut the lead to 2 points -- we all had our hearts in out throats. But Pierce kept scoring, and the Cavs got cold, and that was all she wrote.

Doc Rivers had a good game too. His decisions to play Eddie House over the slumping Sam Cassell, and to give PJ Brown significant minutes (the Boston Herald called Brown the "AARP Player of the Week"), were the difference in the game. And, sad as it was to see, he was absolutely right to bench Ray Allen for much of the fourth quarter, as without his jump shot Allen is just deadwood on the floor.


In the post-game press conference Pierce claimed his free throw in the final minute that bounced high up and improbably in was tapped in by the ghost of Red Auerbach. He really semed touched, but if you watched the entire post-game, the "Red tipped the ball" idea was given to him by TNT's sideline reporter Michelle Tafoya in her interview (on this video, starting at about 4:35)on the sidelines just after the game ended. Here's Pierce talking about Red in the media conference:



Green Bandwagon: Boston Celtics vs. Cleveland Cavaliers: - Game 7: The Paul Pierce Game

Paul Pierce had one of the biggest games of his career. He shot 56% from the floor and 91% from the line. On top of that he had 5 boards, 4 assists and 2 steals. And those assists don't account for the two times he got Leon Powe to the line. He was dialed in and even called the final 3 minutes the toughest 3 minutes of his life. Keep in mind the fact that he was brutally stabbed once and almost died. I'm assuming he's completely blocked that out.

On to Detroit.