Return of the C's

Record-breaking Celtics team reminiscent of the banner years

 

 

NBA. Visions of Larry Bird waving a towel in his short-shorts at a smoky Boston Garden are being replaced by images of Kevin Garnett, whooping and hollering around the parquet with banner-years confidence.

That’s because Garnett, an MVP candidate, has led the Celtics to their first postseason appearance in three years. When the playoffs begin next week, the C’s will be a No. 1 seed for the first time since 1987-88 and fans can't help drawing parallels to those glory days.

"I'm just so excited for the chance to see the Celtics win," Caitlin Flannery, 25, who has been following the C's all her life. "The last time it happened, I was 3 years old."

They’ve also locked up the best record in the NBA, which the once-dominant franchise hasn’t accomplished since Bird ruled in 1985-86.

 But  the Celtics understand the championship legacy that was built by Red Auerbach, Bill Russell and Bird. And Garnett and captain Paul Pierce say this season will only be a success if they can hang a 17th banner from the Garden rafters.

 “I’m just fortunate to be in this position,” said Pierce, whose Celtics have 61 victories, a league-record 37-win turnaround from last season. “Coming from a year ago, I’m thankful that we’ve got the players around that we can do that.

“It’s all fun. It’s good for the media guide. It’s good for the papers and the fans, but our focus is much narrower than that. We’re looking straight ahead with a common goal, and we’re going to focus on that.”