State of the Boston Celtics

If this article had been written 20 years ago, it would start with something like this:
“The Boston Celtics have just won their unprecedented 16th National Basketball Association Championship. They have defeated the Houston Rockets with a dominating performance in a six game series. In last thirty years, the Celtics have won over half of all NBA championships. This is the franchise that has retired 16 numbers in honor of their legends, legends such as Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, John Havlicek and Larry Bird who have lead this team to plateaus unmatched in basketball history. Only the New York Yankees and Montreal Canadiens can come close to rivaling the Celtics' success.”

Growing up in the 1980’s watching Bird, Robert Parish and Kevin McHale dominate the league was a dream come true for a young basketball fan. The Celtics’ clashes versus the Lakers are what transformed me into the basketball fanatic that I am today. The Boys in Green had reached the point where anything less then winning the title would be considered a disappointing season. Being only nine years old at the time of the 1986 Finals, I assumed this domination would be an annual ritual. However, the string of greatness had reached the end of its path. Now, 20 years later, we have seen just one conference finals appearance and no team that even closely resembles a championship caliber one since that last champagne bath. The question is, “What happened to our Boston Celtics?”

In my opinion, the end of the dynasty began with the death of former Maryland star Len Bias, the young man who was supposed to eventually take the reins from Larry Legend. The Celtics were fortunate to have the second overall pick in the 1986 Draft, via trade, coming off a championship season. Bias was viewed as a young, talented addition to an already powerful team. Bias was expected to contribute right away, but his untimely death contributed to a depleted bench which put unnecessary strain on the bodies of our tremendous starters. When you combine this tragedy with the rise in power of the Bad Boys in Detroit and the Michael Jordan-lead Bulls, the Celts were in serious trouble. A few years later, with injuries becoming too overwhelming, the Celtics captain called his career to an end. This is the point where Len Bias would have really helped the franchise; he could have taken over the captaincy following Bird’s departure. Instead, the Celtics leadership was turned over to another young but talented forward from Northeastern University. Reggie Lewis was fast becoming one of the most prolific scores in the league. “Maybe the Celtics could overcome the earlier tragedy” was the thought that crossed the mind of the fans. Instead, a second devastating event hit the C’s; in the summer of 1993 Lewis, after previously collapsing on the court during a playoff game, collapsed and died of a heart ailment.

In the 13 years following his death, the Celtics have had nothing but disappointments on and off the court. They have dealt with poor coaching, misguided management or just lousy players. A few years ago, Antoine Walker and Paul Pierce lead the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals, but anyone who knows the game of basketball knew the team was playing over their heads; there was very little chance of banner number 17 being raised.

This takes us to today, 20 years after the last title with a franchise that did not even make the playoffs in a pathetic Eastern Conference. Finally, however, the skies seem to have brightened for the Celtics; they actually have the look of a team on the rise. The team has a solid mix of young players such as Al Jefferson, Gerald Green, Delonte West and Kendrick Perkins. When you combine these kids with Paul Pierce and the seventh pick in this year’s draft, this team actually has the feel of potential winner again. After 20 years, all I can say is, “It’s about time.”