The Boston Celtics won their 18th championship on Monday night, defeating the Dallas Mavericks 106-88.
In typical Boston form, the Celtics celebrated their victory with a duck boat procession through the city, attended by over a million spectators. This was the 13th title won by one of the Big 4 professional sports teams in the city this century.
In recent years, the Boston Celtics, New England Patriots, Boston Red Sox, and Boston Bruins have all celebrated triumphs by boarding duck boats, which are amphibious vehicles often employed to take tourists around the town.
Setting off the duck boats for a leisurely ride through urban streets has come to represent the region’s sense of dominance in sports. The procession on Friday was the most recent installment in a continuous homage to the team that began on Monday night when they defeated the Mavericks in five games to clinch their title as NBA champions.
It’s astounding. It doesn’t feel real anymore. During a pre-parade rally at the Garden, All-Star Jayson Tatum said, “But just trying to stay in the moment.”
About 90 minutes before the trade started, Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck treated the fans to an early treat.
Along with his wife Emilia Fazzalari and their daughter, he was trying to make his way to the arena while carrying the Larry O’Brien Trophy and a freshly produced banner commemorating the 2024 championship.
The road was blocked and there were obstacles in their way. So, bearing the trophy and flag, they strolled down Causeway Street for half a mile, passing by a sea of admirers.
Players and their families, Celtics organization members, venue personnel, season ticket holders, and visitors like as Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu attended the demonstration inside the Garden.
Jaylen Brown announced on Friday that the team’s theme for this season is unity.
“I was willing to do whatever it took for us to win,” Brown declared.
After turning into Causeway Street in front of the arena, passing city hall, through Boston Common, down Boylston Street, and finally finishing at Hynes Convention Center, the parade began at TD Garden at 11 a.m. and ran for slightly more than ninety minutes.
