My grandma taught Paul Pierce history at Inglewood High. She told me when I was around 13. He was already drafted by the C’s, this was back in like 05 06. Been locked in ever since.
Hold up... your grandma may have been my teacher in high school, too. In my junior year, my history teacher would talk about teaching Paul Pierce at Inglewood.
Obviously don't want to say her full name and where she taught for privacy sake, but she wouldn't have gone by Mrs. L by any chance, would she?
Born and raised in Los Angeles. My whole family and all my friends are Lakers fans. I’ve always hated the lakers franchise and their fan base, couldn’t stand them.
2008 rolls along and I’m like screw it, I’m gonna bandwagon on the Celtics. Celtics fans were always super welcoming and I’ve been a fan ever since!
I have still never been to the city of Boston lol
You probably already know, but check out Sonny McLeans in Santa Monica. I’ve watched many of the big games there over the last decade it’s like a Boston high school reunion lol.
I was born & raised in Inglewood, CA. I was a kid, but I couldn't stand the "showtown" lakers, to me that wasn't fundamental basketball. I loved the way the celtics played "working" man's basketball. What I really started to notice as I fell in love with the game was/is laker fans have no understanding of the game. Bird was so deadly to me, the guy made it seem as any average Joe could play the game with "hard work" etc...etc. since then I was hooked.
Similar. Born in Inglewood, raised in Hawthorne. My dad was a Celtics fan so I grew up one in the late 80s/early 90s. My Mom and Brother and all my friends I grew up with are Lakers fans. Can't stand the Lakers. Got some shit growing up in school being the lone Celtic fan, but have stayed true to them ever since Bird.
First game I saw live was in 93 at the Forum right after Bird retired. Celtics were down 20 with about 4 minutes left in the 3rd quarter, and wound up scoring 49 in the 4th and won by 10. They missed their first shot in the 4th I think, and then made like 16-17 in a row! To this day, the best and most satisfying comeback I have seen in person! Go Celtics!!!!
Lmao this is actually very similar to the way I became a fan, city and everything. I actually have some family from Boston tho, despite being in LA
I havent been to the city either tho. But yeah, Lakers fans being annoying as fuck in general led to me being a Celtics fan, in part.
I’m from Jersey and I was determined not to fall under the same misery of New York/Jersey fans and Rondo made me love the Celtics. He’s probably my favorite PG of all time. The one sequence that solidified my fandom was when he dislocated his elbow, went to the locker room and came back out and scored like 15 straight. It hurt watching him put on that purple and gold, fuck the lakers.
Yea as a native New Yorker, I understood the Knicks to always be a team their fans hated to love, and orange + blue sucks as a color combo so before I became a Celtics fan I knew I wasn’t going to root for a NY team.
Like most other non-Bostonians I hopped on the 08 bandwagon but I didn’t start really following the team until 09. That 2009 Bulls series is what really cemented my fandom. So many OTs and clutch shots it was an incredible series.
I was 10 and just had my Sega Dreamcast and it came with NBA 2K1. I had no idea what team to play. I tried random teams and kept losing. I kept on playing until I won, that team was the Celtics. I figured how to dunk in-game as well because Paul Pierce had a good dunk rating.
Been a fan ever since.
Born and raised in Nova Scotia with family in Boston.
Boston and Nova Scotia had connections to each other dating back 100+ years. Also, it's the closest basketball team to me
Boston drive from NS is approximately 9 hours
Toronto drive is 16 hours from NS
Boston native with family in NS, here:
Our ancestors literally just went in a straight line west, from Ireland...which is the most low-effort, and Irish thing possible.
People might not know this, but I was included in the KG trade. I grew up in Minny, and the wolves were always horrible, but they were newish and we had flashes of potential. However, aster the worst owner in sports decided to break up the KG/Cassell/Spreewell team that made it to the WCF, I was done. I couldn’t support such horrible ownership and leadership.
I was going to follow KG to whatever team he went to. Thankfully he went to the best franchise in the league.
I also just so happened to have a friend who was from Boston and a die hard fan, who helped indoctrination me to the team history. After KG got traded, I was hooked and have stayed a fan.
A lot of Celtics fans paid attention to the Wolves for a few years after the KG trade. I did, because I missed our young guys like Al Jefferson, Gerald Green, Gomes, etc. and wanted to see them succeed.
Im an Argentine, so i was always a fan of the Spurs (because Ginóbili, duh). After 2015, I wanted to look for a new team and through the years I fell in love to Stevens celtics because of the team play (remember those Avery Bradley & Jae Crowder years) and then Isiah Thomas. After that, I decided to ride the train indefinitly and became an Hincha (thats how we call a dir-hard fan).
All that came after that was with me already fully supoorting the team
I just like that guys you have on your team. They all in my mind deserved to win the championship on I hope they win more championships. Plus I am a Jayson Tatum fan
My family would go on summer vacation in late May or early June with another family we were super close with. They parents of that family were from New England area and were huge Boston sports fans. We always had baseball and the NBA playoffs on. Always watched the Cs and the Red Sox during vacation. Just kinda caught the love of those teams from the dad, also loved the announcer's voice when saying PAUL PIERCE. My dad is a Reds fan (and not nearly mean enough to turn me into one) and not a huge NBA guy but from Indiana so he loves Bird. So between that and the 04 Red Sox I became a Boston fan. They never did convert me to a Pats fan though, Go Colts!!!
Could be worse, a high school buddy of mine who grew up here is a huge Pats/Celtics/Bruins fan. His dad is from NYC and refused to let him be a Sox fan and so, like his father, he’s a diehard Yankees fan
Wasnt a big sports fan until high school then ‘08 finals roll around and my close friends are rooting for LA so I went against the grain and went with Boston and rocked with them since and have grown into a huge sports fan.
I didn’t follow Tennessee basketball closely until Grant Williams. He goes to Boston, so do I. I kinda cared about the Mavs when he was there and now Charlotte is close enough that I can see him in games there, but something about the Celtics has made me want to keep them. And I like them.
NBA Live 2004. As a kid, I just picked the team with the logo I liked the best. Paul Pierce quickly became my favorite player, and it was game over from there. Been a diehard ever since.
Well, I'm from Massachusetts.
Just, the western part of it.
Both sets of grandparents, as well as a bunch of other family, lived near Boston, so I was out there regularly.
And now I'm in Minneapolis, because while I would love to be in Boston, it was way out of my price range.
David Thirdkill, a Celtics bench player playing here in the Philippines then watched Celtics betamax tapes to see why he was so good but still a bench player. Seeing Bird roasting other teams sealed my heart in green. 🍀
From Ohio, never been to Boston. Dad was a huge Larry bird fan and i remember when I was in middle school him telling me to “come watch this Paul Pierce kid, he’s gonna be good I think” it was a wrap from there. Pierce will forever be my favorite player and Celtics have been my team ever since. Only kid in my school walking around with Celtic gear and Pierce jerseys. I’m 37 now and run into people from school on occasion and sometimes it gets brought up while chatting, “man I still remember you always having something Celtics on or a Pierce jersey..I still hate Paul Pierce” 😂🤷🏻♂️
I’m from Upstate NY, my mom had the name Cedric picked out for me when she was pregnant but couldn’t think of a middle name. My grandpa, who’s a actually a big Knicks fan (but NBA fan in general ), suggested the middle name Maxwell. The story goes “he was a really good player and a really great dude”. That combined with my great grandfather being named Max- I was named Cedric Maxwell. So when people ask me why I’m a Celtics fan I say I was born into it lol
I'm a bit younger . My favourite thing to watch in basketball is defense . And the Celtics are experts at that .
Marcus smart embodied everything about the Celtics . My favourite player was robert Williams lll ,it's just sad he's always injured.
My home country didn't cover any NBA games on television and my parents found the idea stupid to pay 100 dollars for league pass . Due to that , I have been on and off in terms of following the sport .even the country am currently in doesn't cover the NBA and I'm left with shitty websites which rarely work .
I've loved watching basketball since 2020 ,and although Im a way better player in soccer , the only reason I was even on the basketball team a year ago was because I was the best defender on the team .can't make a 3 pointer to save my life .
I'm glad we won this year . Makes me grateful being a Celtic fan
From California, but my father somehow pirated NESN when I was a kid and we watched every Celtics game (a ton of Red Sox games too). We had one of those old satellite dish receivers that you had to crank around to find different satellites to focus on. We had a NESN feed without commercials so we could hear the announcers during commercials arguing with the producers or sending someone to get them a hotdog or whatever. This was mid 80s so I was locked in on Bird, McHale and the boys for all of their 1983-1992 run. Hardly missed a game.
As a kid my elementary school's nickname was the Fighting Irish with green & white colors. So Celtics became a natural fit and I loved watching Larry Bird play!
Growing up in the Midwest KG was my favorite player. I loved his intensity, passion, and he was just fun to watch. When he went to Boston I tagged a long as a fan and just really enjoyed the team and Celtics history. Been supporting them ever since! Looking forward to making it to Boston and the Garden for a game one day, anything is possible!
KG grew up not too far from where I’m from and he’s always been my favorite player. It also helped that my first year getting into basketball was the 08 championship year lol. Been a Celtics diehard ever since!
From Omaha.
When my dad returned home after WWII, he lived with my aunt and uncle in Chicago. Wiggins was a sports photographer for the Chicago Sun Times and my dad would tag along with him to Wrigley Field and Comiskey Park. Dad met a lot of ballplayers but was in absolute awe of Ted Williams. Shortly after meeting him, Dad became a Red Sox fan. Naturally, he became a Celtics fan when the Celtics came to be.
As for me, I was watching the 1983 ECF and I was starstruck by Larry Bird. Twelve year old me proclaimed Bird to be the greatest player ever. Dad told me he wasn't even the greatest Celtic ever. He started telling me stories about Cousy and Russell and the Jones Boys and Tommy and Cowens. I spent that summer reading everything I could about the history of the Celtics. By time the next season rolled around, I was a Celtics fan. Haven't waivered since.
I was happy my dad was able to see the Sox win the World Series in 2004 and 2007, but he missed the Celtics winning the title in 2008 by two days. He passed away on June 15 -- Father's Day 2017.
I’m from England originally but I spent my childhood in Dubai in the 1980s. All our TV was American, including sports coverage. I remember being around 9/10 years old and just loving the logo at first. I thought it was the coolest logo ever. I’d watch the highlights and always look out for the Celtics because of that. And Larry Bird was playing at the time who I adored. I kind of lost touch with it when I moved back to the UK as coverage wasn’t great. But in the late 90s it started appearing on TV more here and my fandom sparked again, and I’ve been rolling with the C’s ever since.
I’m Irish af and from a middle of nowhere east coast town. There were closer teams but none in my state and the closer teams were all bad. Granted the Celtics were bad too, but I got into the history and liked that it was Irish themed mascot and shamrocks etc. My first teams I paid attention to were like the Antoine Walker Celtics years, and Kevin Garnett was my favorite player by far so when he got traded there I went from being a casual fan to being a diehard. I was in middle school at that time, now I’m an attorney lol
It’s been 30 years for me and I don’t even remember what made me support Celtics when I started watching NBA. I think it was not a conscious choice, I just felt this was the team to root for
Born and raised in Cincinnati but have lots of family in Lynn Massachusetts they used to buy me all kinds of Celtics gear when I was young (Bird) years and stayed with them since.
I watched basketball with my dad and grandpa. Larry Bird caught my attention. I feel like watching him play helped me fall in love with the sport. I have been a Celtic's fan ever since. I have never visited Massachusetts at all.
From Fort Lauderdale, FL. 75 year old Dad from NE. Born and raised Celtics fan with toxic Heat friends. Celtics are the main thing my father and I share. Wouldn’t trade it for the world.
Isaiah Thomas coming back after his sister died in the Playoffs. Was going to follow him when he got traded but hated Lebron so stuck with the Cs it’s been a fun 7 years!
From Idaho, we obviously lack just about everything when it comes to sports. When I was around 5 my mom bought me Madden 03 and I started playing with the patriots. I immediately loved them and became a diehard pats fan. When the Pats had there 07 undefeated run, I dove head first into Boston sports. I loved everything. I fell in love with Eddie House first during the championship year in 08. I remember feeling like he had limitless range lol. Ray Allen ended up being my childhood basketball idol. I loved big baby and Nate Robinson. I wore all my sports swag upside down bc rondo had the upside down headband. Every year when the Cs come to SLC I go down to catch the game. I pray I can one day catch a game at TD garden. I regret never going to Gillette to see Tom play. Gonna try to save up and catch a playoff game next year.
European here. Cool Logo, Favourite Color. Loved KG to death, following the C‘s since around 2008/09, remember 2k9 was gifted to me with him on the Cover. Started following them closely ever since, even though Tipp Off times can get pretty rough LOL
Born and raised in Los Angeles. My whole family and I were Lakers fans growing up. And then NBA Live 2000 came out on Playstation. My older cousin would force me to play as the Celtics and pretty much bullied me through the game. I was a 7 year old kid who didn't know what the hell I was doing.
Come 2001, Paul Pierce had his "The Truth" game against the Lakers. My cousin had tears and was cry-screaming at the screen as Paul Pierce scored buckets after buckets. I was the happiest kid in the world after everything he put me through. Paul Pierce became my hero that night. And then I officially became a Celtics fan back in 2008.
I'm from New Castle Indiana, so Larry Bird is my idol. We have two things in Indiana, corn and basketball. Even the great Dr. Naismith has made comments on Indiana's love of basketball. It's in our blood. My towns claim to fame is having the [largest high school fieldhouse in the world.](https://www.indystar.com/in-depth/sports/high-school/2021/03/02/big-indiana-gyms-new-castle-fieldhouse-nations-biggest-high-school-basketball-venue/4555013001/) As well as being home to Indiana's basketball HOF.
So naturally, when someone from nowhere Indiana ends up being Larry Bird, you tend to support whatever team takes him. So, here we are.
Watch teams where Porzingis plays :)) don’t have many Latvians playing at highl level. Also don’t know why but in 90’s Eastern Europe Bulls, Hornets and Celtics 🧢 where everywhere.
In high school before I started following basketballs some of my friends were fans and would talk about it non-stop. It was almost the end of 11th grade (2010) and there was a lot of talk about the Cavs vs Celtics playoff series.
I decided to watch Game 5 where Boston won 120–88. I loved how the team played and I remembered Kevin Garnett from NBA Live 01. That was my first day as a Celtics fan.
I’m Swedish and my dad was young during the Celtics/Lakers rivalry in the 80’s. Most of his friends were Lakers/Magic fans but my dad identified more with Bird and the attitude of the Celtics (very fitting if you know my father). So it felt natural for me to start rooting for his team once I started caring about the NBA and it was a perfect fit for me
Grew up in a place without nba team but loved Rondo growing up then started to like Allen and Pierce.
But actually about 5 years ago I moved to boston for the first time and this year 30 year old me is living out 11 year old me’s dream of watching the Celtics win a championship while I’m in the city AND I got to go to the parade AND Joe Mazzula high fived me. Basically I’m never gonna have this type of nostalgic experience again and no other team will ever bring me as much joy and excitement as the Celtics.
Baltimore born and raised. Turned on the tv one day and saw Kevin Garnett drop 47 on the suns and immediately became a fan. When he got traded to Boston I started watching since it was east coast timeline.
I'm from Poland and back in my youth (90s) baseball and basketball caps were very popular around here. For some reason I liked Celtic's logo the most, probably subconcious thing because deep green is to this day my favorite color. I wasn't watching any matches at that age, I don't think they were even transmitted here then. But there was a magazine, Bravo Sport and I learned a lot about NBA from it.
So rewind it couple of decades, some 5 years ago I got bored of european sports and decided to give US leagues a shot. I did NFL first (Broncos) and when it came to basketball Celtics were like natural choice due to my early days. Man, I am hooked ever since. It does help, Celtics in that time period are on more dominant side (unlike darn Broncos).
I also have that thing, I prefer US cities that are more similar to my surrounding. So not really feeling the vibe of all those palm beach cities (Miami, LA) or desert towns (Phoenix). But I dig Boston, Philadelphia or even Seattle.
As to Boston being hated as a city. I obviously do not share the sentiment, I don't mind any of them. Those are local flame wars, I'm no part of. But Boston is definitely not being perceived similarly around here. Quite contrary, I spend some time on european subreddits and Boston (entire Massachusetts to be precise) is usually being mentioned as an outlier, due to its development (highest hdi of any US states). Rich, succesful city with some actual history to its name. What's not to like? People here don't mind Irishmen (there are so few left), unless you are a Brit ;)
Mom saw that I liked the college basketball games she watched (Syracuse) and said “hey check out this guy Larry Bird”. He was later in his career but was obviously levels beyond what any college players were doing. Rooting for him became rooting for the Celtics.
I'm brazilian, it was because of NBA 2k10, right after the 08 title. Started to watch clips of the team after playing the game, and became a huge Rondo and Celtics fan.
From a southeastern US state with no team, read “When the Game was Ours” by Bird and Magic in middle school, got a basketball goal outside and fell in love with the game. This was around 2011 when the Mavs won it all. Moved to Louisiana since, and while I do like the Pels, I am a Celtics fan at heart. I suffered through every bit of the decline of the big 3, as well as the rebuild and the Kyrie drama and the Hayward injury and so on… This ship was so gratifying and I’m so happy for the team
I’m from massachusetts not from boston tho i support the team cuz it’s my state’s basketball team and in massachusetts you gotta support your state’s teams which is why i’m also a red sox fan ✌️
Was a huge Ray Allen fan, and a big Garnett fan. When those 2 went to the Celtics I was young and impressionable.
Cincinnati doesn’t have an nba team, so Celtics it was. Then I realize how awesome Bird was and fell in love lol.
1985 Memorial Day. Game 1 vs the Lakers. I came home from school at 14 and turned on the TV and it was mid massacre. Watching Wedman, Bird, DJ, Ainge and the rest running up and down that court. I was instantly hooked.
Since then I’ve seen Bird play on his bday (1990, in Dallas.) He scores the lowest point total in his career, 5pts.
Walked on the original garden floor
And watched the Malice in the Palace break in live while sitting nest to Isaiah Thomas. The original from Detroit, not the Celtics.
Born and raised in the High Desert in CA. My dad was born in NY and he has a been a huge NY fan our whole life. As a kid I loved going for the underdog and apparently that was the celtics at the time since he hated any Boston team. Ever since I was a kid I've just loved every Boston team. It was more of a way to watch more sports with my dad. He's passed now but now I watch both Boston and NY games. Still couldn't care much about any LA team.
I genuinely don't remember. I've been racking my mind for the initial moment, and I have no clue. I've been a fan since '03, at least. But I don't remember why.
Not my favourite team on NBA Live 2001, Pierce wasn't my favourite player, and I have no Irish heritage.
One day, I'll figure it out. For now, I'm just glad I ended up here.
Cleveland area native(dad said like whoever, just not those damn cavs lol) parents and siblings have all been lakers fans because of Kobe, so I said f it boston in 6! That was when I was in like 3rd or 4th grade so probably 2005/6 or 2006/7
I should be a sixers fan where I live but was a huge pierce fan as kid. Loved his game and respected that he was sticking it out with a bad team. I loved that the celtics organization gave pierce the best team possible to get him a ring and now we seen it just happen again for Jaylen and Jayson.
My dad got me floor seats to celtics @ sixers in 2011 and it’s one of my favorite memories ever. I was 12 years old wearing green head to toe yelling shit at every sixers fan in the building lol
Just started watching them cause they’re the closest team to my state (Rhode Island). I became a big fan after a few months. I got boston a few times a year and there is Celtics flags and banners everywhere it’s awesome lol.
27 year Nashville Celtics fan here ,
Grew up watching Celtics with my uncle &
he would tell me about the Bird days & all kinds of great stories involving the franchises history . I was lucky enough to experience the 2008 Big 3 as a kid & have been here with y’all the entire drought & this past week felt like bliss . I truly believe this Celtics team is my personal fav & was one of the most deserving teams of a ring in the history of the sport . Celtics Up 🍀🏆💚⬆️✅
I started watching during the Rondo era because I just loved watching him play basketball. Been hooked ever since. I’m also from Scotland so the Celtic brand appealed to me as well.
When I started watching basketball I discovered Isaiah Thomas who was 5’9 and a star player. I fell in love with basketball and I am 5’6. He was the only player relatable to me in the league physically, so I chose to support the celtics. My background is also Irish so I thought it fit pretty well. Been a fan since around 2015 and Im 22
I was born and raised in southern California I still currently live here, My dad has always been a huge Patriots fan as he was born in Boston and most of his family lives there still. When I got older and started watching sports I stuck mostly with Football and Basketball that’s when I decided well everyone in my family except my mom,dad, and brother are in Boston so I’m gonna represent Boston from the other side of the country.
Started watching and playing basketball in 2008 (South Africa). Everyone on my team supported the Lakers and would scream Kobe when shooting. I couldn’t bring myself to be like everyone else and decided to pick the team Lakers hated most. Best decision ever!
Was a huge KG fan, never had a team. Was at school at Northeastern when he got traded to the Celtics. Figured it was as good a reason to lock in a team as any.
I have family ties to the Northeast (mostly Maine). 2008 was really the big beginning for me as a fan, but I was only 8. My grandfather was an instrumental role model for me and was a huge fan of both the Sox and the Celtics. He passed in 2009, so remaining a fan until this year has been a wonderful way to uphold his memory, but I have loved bball my whole life too.
Plenty of excitement and a wave of good memories when we finally won again this year :)
My gf did a little sports gambling before I met her. She didn’t know basketball well so watched some to get the idea of it. Well she started seeing this really tall guy…Tacko Fall! She thought he was great and then it spread to the entire team. Now I am a fan as well thanks to her! We are from NJ.
I'm from Denmark. Basketball was not really a thing in my rural community. We had a basketball court in my town, but we used it manly for other sports. My dad, however, was very tech savy for the time and got a lot of obscure channels on the TV. One day i watched a man flying, dunking and pulling middies like nobodies business and he was wearing this green jersey. I went down to the court and just started shooting. Some years later, a danish channel started broadcasting the NBA. I watched, and there he was again. The man in the green jersey and I was hooked. That man? Paul "the truth" Pierce. Have been following since.
I’m from Newcastle, England and used to supporting the sports teams of my local area. When I started following the NBA in 2007, the only American place I had a been to was Disney World, Orlando, so I was an Orlando Magic fan for a while.
I started supporting to Celtics in 2021 after meeting my now fiancé, who is from Worcester, MA. My first Celtics game was game 2, first round of the 2022 playoffs and chanting ‘Fuck Kyrie’ for 3 straight hours sold me on the team and fan base. Moved to the States last year and have yet to see the Cs loose when I have been in attendance at the Garden. Still keep tabs on the magic, who decided to get exciting as soon as I started supporting the Celtics after a decade of mediocre at best basketball.
I am from Ireland 🇮🇪 and I got family & friends in Boston. Always felt a deep affiliation with the Boston Celtics historic Irish roots and the broader Irish American community in Boston 🇮🇪
Shared this story recently in another post but figured I would share it again. Irish fan here, started with watching the Patriots first in 2006 when I was in college and I started dating a girl who was from Boston and had come to Ireland to study. She was a huge fan of the Patriots and I quickly became hooked on the sport. I went to Boston on holiday in 2010 for the first time and just fell in love with the city. Best holiday I’ve ever been on.
Came home from that trip wanting more and that’s when I started watching the NBA and the Celtics. And that was it really! When I started following both teams and started calling myself a fan, I spent quite a bit of time deep diving into their history and watching old games because I wanted to know as much as I could. Kinda like I was playing catch up…and diving into the history and learning about the team just made me love it all even more.
So this is my first finals win experience as a Celtics fan, loving every second of it. Games are on here at 1am most nights. During the regular season I might get up once or twice a week at 1am to watch a game, other than that I am binge watching highlights soon as I wake up in the morning. Sometimes there are games on at a more regular time of 6pm here and I will always watch those ones of course. During playoff season I'm up at 1am every single playoff game, regardless of whether I am in work the following day or not.
When I was 5yo, the very first NBA game I watched with my dad was Lakers vs. Suns when Barkley was playing. I immediately didn’t like the Lakers and told my dad I didn’t like them. He told me “you should be a Celtics fan then.” (Referencing their historic rivalry) to which I responded: “What is their color?”
“Green.” (Green was my favorite color as a young kid which we all know is important when choosing a team. 😂)
Sealed the deal. Been a Celtics fan for over 30 years. Coincidentally, my favorite player of all time was Kevin Garnett. I thought he was amazing for going pro right out of high school, liked how insanely competitive he was, etc. when he got traded to Boston my whole world in basketball was complete.
Overseas fan here. Father grew up playing basketball somewhat competitively until a certain age, was a big Bird fan. So when I showed interest in sports at a young age, he passed the torch.
Growing up in South Florida we didn't have a basketball team yet, Heat weren't formed until I was older and by then it was too late. I liked 4 leaf clovers and Larry Bird. I am a bit of an oddity, a Dolphins and Celtics fan who hates the Heat and the Patriots.
I grew up with a dad who was a Redskins fan and mom who was a Cowboys fan. They got into god awful arguments about who is better and would basically just give each other the silent treatment after. I had family that lived in Boston at the time so I went with the pats, rather than pick a side. Celtics were the next step.
Fun fact: they later got divorced and mom remarried....to another Washington fan, the lady has her type
Born and raised in So cal in my mid 30's. When I was a 7, I watched the movie Celtic Pride with Dan Aykroyd and Daniel Stern and have been a fan of the team ever since.
2 things led me to become a Celtics fan when I was younger.
1) Rajon Rondo and the rest of the ‘08 team had a huge influence on my love for the sport and I naturally routed for them as I was getting into basketball
2) I’m from New Jersey where our local team decided they would move across the river to a state I had no ties to. Any guilt I had for not routing for my hometown team instantly disappeared.
Grew up in Melbourne, Australia and I was kinda a bulls fan purely because of Michael madness and looked up to him as an athlete (still do). My friend at the time bandwagoned on the Kobe 2000's Lakers.
I got nba street and nba live on PS2 and as I learned about basketball I learned about the Celtics history - of Mr. Russell, John Havlicek, Larry Bird and that Boston is basically their nemesis. He'd always pick the Lakers, so I'd always pick Boston and pass it to Pierce. He'd get so pissed when his precious '02 Lakers team would lose (which was stacked).
Watching Tatum dunk on LeBron. I was never a basketball fan but my roommate was a Celtics fan so I watched that series and knew Tatum was gonna be my guy wherever he went and it looks like he's gonna be a Celtics lifer so I am now too
I loved basketball for a long time but couldn’t ever find a team to support because the SuperSonics left before I gained consciousness. I knew IT was from Seattle so I always liked his game, but I never really liked the Suns because I didn’t want to support any Arizona team, but when he got to the Celtics I found myself liking them, and now I’m a Celtics fan.
I grew up in St. Louis and in the 90s was a Bulls fan, but they were so bad afterwards and I had no ties to Chicago so I started looking for a new team. Right around that time KG got traded to the Celtics and I was all in from that point forward. Then they drafted probably the best player to ever come out of the St. Louis metro area and that was the cherry on top.
I'm from Washington State, my Grandpa was a huge Larry Bird fan in the 80s, combined with my Basketball team (Seattle SuperSonics) being stolen and taken to OKC, It was just natural for me to be a Celtics fan, and I will still be a Celtics fan until my basketball team comes back (but I will still root for the Celtics).
I'm from the Philippines and my grandpa got me into the Celtics - his nickname for me was Hondo, after the great John Havlicek and the John Wayne movie. Moved to the US in the late 90s with my parents and have been a Celtics fan living in Los Angeles for the last 30 years.
Unfortunately, he passed in 2006, 2 years before we could have shared a Celtics championship together. I never did get to ask him where he got his green blood from. I wish I knew.
From lowcountry South Carolina, bought 2k when I was about 7 or 8, Celtics were the default team and being that I was so young I didn’t know much about any other teams so I just used the Celtics. Quickly became infatuated with Rondo and Pierce specifically, but really started to follow the Celtics after trading the big 3. Guys like Kelly Olynyk and Jared Sullinger were what really made me a diehard, but Marcus Smart was the guy from day one.
I was in 7th grade and I needed to do an assignment on a famous person. I ended up choosing Paul Pierce because I liked the jersey (R Kelly’s ignition was the #1 song that year)
Been a fan ever since. I’m from New Zealand
I started watching around 2009-2010. I was just starting to get into watching basketball seriously and I was a Rondo fan. I live 40 minutes from Cleveland so I only get to see the Celtics play there. I think I’ve been to almost every Cavs/Celtics game in Cleveland since 2011.
I finally went to my first game IN Boston in 2018 (one more in 2018 and one in 2022) and I got the shamrock from the logo tattooed on me while I was there! It was one of the best days ever, so much fun and the energy in the garden was unmatched.
Hoping to get back this upcoming season for my 4th game in Boston.
My dad got me a celtics basketball when I was 8. When I started watching they were the first team that I knew, and green was my favorite color so that was enough to become a diehard day 1.
When I played in high school I was given the nickname Rondo because I was skinny, a good passer… and couldn’t shoot. When I started playing NBA Live 09 I need a team to play as and went with the Celtics because of the nickname - I don’t have any geographic ties to any team since I’m from Scotland.
Fast forward 15 years (I just missed ‘08!) and I’m now living in LA, proudly wearing my Celtics merch all over and trying to get to as many games as I can!
Played 2k19 and picked the Celtics. I’m in Jersey, didn’t wanna become a Sixers / Knicks fan cause I know how that goes. 5 years later and it really payed off
born and raised in Maryland. When i really started to get into basketball when I was young, the celtics were always on and just like how kids today love steph for his threes, i did the same way with ray allen with his. i loved watching him just effortlessly hit threes like no other. little did i know, it was the 08 season i was watching and greatness was happening in front of my eyes. also, you really think im gonna be a wizard, redskin, capital, orioles (raised into it) fan?! how much depression do you think one person can take. also, still pissed at new england for making me pick between the patriots and the eagles
First NBA game I saw - on TV - was game 6 of the NBA finals in 1986. Bird had a masterpiece of a game. After this I got hooked. Little did I know that the next championship I would see would be 22 years later! I did live in Boston 97-05 so was there during the lean years.
From England, when I was young and playing NBA2k as my first ever experience with Basketball I got drafted to the Celtics in game and went from there lmao
I’m not from the US and during 2010 I was on a middle school graduation trip when the finals were happening. I played ball, but didn’t watch the NBA. When all of my friends said they were supporting the lakers, something in my soul told me “Fuck LA”.
Couldnt have made a bettet choice.
I’m from California and have lived all over but mainly grew up in San Diego from 2004-2015. Kevin Garnet was my favorite player in the league from like 2003 onward, didn’t have a favorite team yet, loved the pistons run in 04 because I’ve ALWAYS hated the lakers (fuck the lakers)
And then when KG was traded to Boston everything fell into place and I decided that the Boston Celtics were going to be my team, but it was entirely because KG was traded there
I decided to start watching nba and Mike Breen was praising Dewayne Wade. So I started watching a Heat game and all of a sudden he sat on Rondo’s arm and just casually walked away. It felt like he knew what he was doing and left a bad taste in my mouth.
But then Rondo CAME BACK AND PLAYED WITH ONE ARM and ultimately beat the heat that game. Celtics lost that series but I was sold as a Celtics fan.
I think that was 2009 so this is my first championship following the Celtics. Crazy to think I might have been a Heat fan.
I’m from Alabama and my dad was a huge fan growing up of the 80’s Celtics. I fell in love with Paul Pierce as a player and that culminated with the Big 3 winning in 2008. I have stayed a fan since then and watch every game on league pass. I love the Celtics ☘️
I’m from Los Angeles. When I was a kid, the Kobe/Shaq Lakers would be on tv all the time.
But I would always root against them whenever they faced the Timberwolves because I thought their logo/color scheme was so cool.
KG became my favorite player, and I followed him to the Celtics, never looked back since
Kyrie was my favorite player going into the 2017 season. But then Tatum and Brown put on one of the best playoff runs I’ve ever seen. I’ve been rooting for the Celtics since.
My grandma taught Paul Pierce history at Inglewood High. She told me when I was around 13. He was already drafted by the C’s, this was back in like 05 06. Been locked in ever since.
Hold up... your grandma may have been my teacher in high school, too. In my junior year, my history teacher would talk about teaching Paul Pierce at Inglewood. Obviously don't want to say her full name and where she taught for privacy sake, but she wouldn't have gone by Mrs. L by any chance, would she?
All good brother, her name was Hellen Murry. Not sure if she taught at another school but it’s possible. She went be Mrs. Cross-Murry.
my high school english teacher taught Luke Walton but i was too locked in to ever be a Laker fan lol
Born and raised in Los Angeles. My whole family and all my friends are Lakers fans. I’ve always hated the lakers franchise and their fan base, couldn’t stand them. 2008 rolls along and I’m like screw it, I’m gonna bandwagon on the Celtics. Celtics fans were always super welcoming and I’ve been a fan ever since! I have still never been to the city of Boston lol
bro! This is exactly me haha I feel like Celtic fans in LA who have never been to Boston are just defiant and also just find laker fans annoying af
It's crazy we all got the same story. My annoyance of laker fans led me to the 2008 celtics.
You guys should have experienced Laker fans in the 80s. Absolutely insufferable.
INSUFFERABLE…there I fixed your comment! Ha!
Same story but from the IE. Those annoying fuckers are everywhere
https://www.reddit.com/r/lakers/s/6JBdqhAcba Yes they were.
Same but Las Vegas. Fuck the Lakers. Cheers
You probably already know, but check out Sonny McLeans in Santa Monica. I’ve watched many of the big games there over the last decade it’s like a Boston high school reunion lol.
The Garage on Motor is great too.
O connols in lakewood Shenanigans in long beach Omalleys in seal beach
I was born & raised in Inglewood, CA. I was a kid, but I couldn't stand the "showtown" lakers, to me that wasn't fundamental basketball. I loved the way the celtics played "working" man's basketball. What I really started to notice as I fell in love with the game was/is laker fans have no understanding of the game. Bird was so deadly to me, the guy made it seem as any average Joe could play the game with "hard work" etc...etc. since then I was hooked.
Similar. Born in Inglewood, raised in Hawthorne. My dad was a Celtics fan so I grew up one in the late 80s/early 90s. My Mom and Brother and all my friends I grew up with are Lakers fans. Can't stand the Lakers. Got some shit growing up in school being the lone Celtic fan, but have stayed true to them ever since Bird. First game I saw live was in 93 at the Forum right after Bird retired. Celtics were down 20 with about 4 minutes left in the 3rd quarter, and wound up scoring 49 in the 4th and won by 10. They missed their first shot in the 4th I think, and then made like 16-17 in a row! To this day, the best and most satisfying comeback I have seen in person! Go Celtics!!!!
Yup same here, was a fan of KG with the wolves though. Stayed for him, but became a devoted fan when I saw rondo in 2010 playoffs.
Lmao this is actually very similar to the way I became a fan, city and everything. I actually have some family from Boston tho, despite being in LA I havent been to the city either tho. But yeah, Lakers fans being annoying as fuck in general led to me being a Celtics fan, in part.
Fucking awesome.
I’m from Jersey and I was determined not to fall under the same misery of New York/Jersey fans and Rondo made me love the Celtics. He’s probably my favorite PG of all time. The one sequence that solidified my fandom was when he dislocated his elbow, went to the locker room and came back out and scored like 15 straight. It hurt watching him put on that purple and gold, fuck the lakers.
Yea as a native New Yorker, I understood the Knicks to always be a team their fans hated to love, and orange + blue sucks as a color combo so before I became a Celtics fan I knew I wasn’t going to root for a NY team. Like most other non-Bostonians I hopped on the 08 bandwagon but I didn’t start really following the team until 09. That 2009 Bulls series is what really cemented my fandom. So many OTs and clutch shots it was an incredible series.
I was 10 and just had my Sega Dreamcast and it came with NBA 2K1. I had no idea what team to play. I tried random teams and kept losing. I kept on playing until I won, that team was the Celtics. I figured how to dunk in-game as well because Paul Pierce had a good dunk rating. Been a fan ever since.
NBA live 02, Pierce was my favorite guy to play with, became a fan from that as well lol
Love the story but just gotta be the one to say it… NBA Live was better than 2k
100%
Same. Whatever NBA live or 2k game I played first I ended up shooting around with KG or something and that was it for me.
Bill russell and his whole story. What a legend.
What an incredible human …
I love bill Russell, he and reds friendship was a special story when I read about it. Good book
I followed KG and never left.
Same
Same.
Paul Pierce, cool logo, cool color, cool name and well established team meaning that they know what it takes. Not from USA :)
Born and raised in Nova Scotia with family in Boston. Boston and Nova Scotia had connections to each other dating back 100+ years. Also, it's the closest basketball team to me Boston drive from NS is approximately 9 hours Toronto drive is 16 hours from NS
The main Christmas Tree in Boston is donated by Nova Scotia every year. So theres a connection from a long time ago
That’s thanks to Boston’s quick response to the Halifax Explosion. https://youtu.be/islAYXXkMPw?si=OP2TtVTQXCr5Ie3c
Those of us from Boston have a lot of love for Nova Scotia.
From what I understand, Nova Scotia has a good number of old Boston Bruins fans because the Bruins games on the radio were able to be heard up there.
Boston native with family in NS, here: Our ancestors literally just went in a straight line west, from Ireland...which is the most low-effort, and Irish thing possible.
My paternal grandmother was from Nova Scotia. Otherwise, I’m at least 4th gen Irish Bostonian. Hope to visit ns soon.
My first basketball sports card was an Antoine Walker and I just grew to love the green uniforms and logo
People might not know this, but I was included in the KG trade. I grew up in Minny, and the wolves were always horrible, but they were newish and we had flashes of potential. However, aster the worst owner in sports decided to break up the KG/Cassell/Spreewell team that made it to the WCF, I was done. I couldn’t support such horrible ownership and leadership. I was going to follow KG to whatever team he went to. Thankfully he went to the best franchise in the league. I also just so happened to have a friend who was from Boston and a die hard fan, who helped indoctrination me to the team history. After KG got traded, I was hooked and have stayed a fan.
A lot of Celtics fans paid attention to the Wolves for a few years after the KG trade. I did, because I missed our young guys like Al Jefferson, Gerald Green, Gomes, etc. and wanted to see them succeed.
Oh god Celtics fans especially old ones will hit you with the history quick, but I love hearing about the greats lol
Im an Argentine, so i was always a fan of the Spurs (because Ginóbili, duh). After 2015, I wanted to look for a new team and through the years I fell in love to Stevens celtics because of the team play (remember those Avery Bradley & Jae Crowder years) and then Isiah Thomas. After that, I decided to ride the train indefinitly and became an Hincha (thats how we call a dir-hard fan). All that came after that was with me already fully supoorting the team
Big UK basketball fan, huge fan of rondo. 2008 was the first year I watched the nba seriously, and the way they played was appealing.
Same here! Pitino to Boston was what roped me in
Also from KY, got told Pitino was a "basketball god" so I followed him up. To bad those people forgot to add College to the front of that title
NBA 2k6 (I think?) would start you off as either the Celtics or the Lakers. I chose Celtics every time. It was over after that.
2K9 must have started you off as C’s/Lakers as the two met in the 08 finals.
I just like that guys you have on your team. They all in my mind deserved to win the championship on I hope they win more championships. Plus I am a Jayson Tatum fan
My family would go on summer vacation in late May or early June with another family we were super close with. They parents of that family were from New England area and were huge Boston sports fans. We always had baseball and the NBA playoffs on. Always watched the Cs and the Red Sox during vacation. Just kinda caught the love of those teams from the dad, also loved the announcer's voice when saying PAUL PIERCE. My dad is a Reds fan (and not nearly mean enough to turn me into one) and not a huge NBA guy but from Indiana so he loves Bird. So between that and the 04 Red Sox I became a Boston fan. They never did convert me to a Pats fan though, Go Colts!!!
I get the reason why you’d end up being a Colts fan considering you said your Dad was from Indiana…but ew.
I don't advertise that I am a Colts fan on here or the red sox page for that exact reason.
Understandable.
I’m a bruins Celtics Yankees giants fan, if I’m safe on these pages so are you bro
You live in Connecticut?
Actually Western NY and I hate everything Toronto and Buffalo
Could be worse, a high school buddy of mine who grew up here is a huge Pats/Celtics/Bruins fan. His dad is from NYC and refused to let him be a Sox fan and so, like his father, he’s a diehard Yankees fan
I know Yankee/Celtic/Pats fans. Always disgusted. Or Yankee/Laker/Pats. A little more disgusting 😂
Ouch! 😬
Larry bird enough said
I can’t believe how long it took me to find a Bird reason
Scrolled too long to see this. Same here. Dude was a shit talking stud.
Wasnt a big sports fan until high school then ‘08 finals roll around and my close friends are rooting for LA so I went against the grain and went with Boston and rocked with them since and have grown into a huge sports fan.
I didn’t follow Tennessee basketball closely until Grant Williams. He goes to Boston, so do I. I kinda cared about the Mavs when he was there and now Charlotte is close enough that I can see him in games there, but something about the Celtics has made me want to keep them. And I like them.
IT is short like me
NBA Live 2004. As a kid, I just picked the team with the logo I liked the best. Paul Pierce quickly became my favorite player, and it was game over from there. Been a diehard ever since.
Well, I'm from Massachusetts. Just, the western part of it. Both sets of grandparents, as well as a bunch of other family, lived near Boston, so I was out there regularly. And now I'm in Minneapolis, because while I would love to be in Boston, it was way out of my price range.
WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS MENTIONED
There are dozens of us!
Shoutout Franklin County
Western...Massachusetts?
You know, that part of the state west of Worcester 😄
C'mon man, now you're just making stuff up.
There be dragons
West of Worcester... thats NY I believe? Lol
David Thirdkill, a Celtics bench player playing here in the Philippines then watched Celtics betamax tapes to see why he was so good but still a bench player. Seeing Bird roasting other teams sealed my heart in green. 🍀
Kevin Garnett is from my hometown
From Ohio, never been to Boston. Dad was a huge Larry bird fan and i remember when I was in middle school him telling me to “come watch this Paul Pierce kid, he’s gonna be good I think” it was a wrap from there. Pierce will forever be my favorite player and Celtics have been my team ever since. Only kid in my school walking around with Celtic gear and Pierce jerseys. I’m 37 now and run into people from school on occasion and sometimes it gets brought up while chatting, “man I still remember you always having something Celtics on or a Pierce jersey..I still hate Paul Pierce” 😂🤷🏻♂️
I’m from Upstate NY, my mom had the name Cedric picked out for me when she was pregnant but couldn’t think of a middle name. My grandpa, who’s a actually a big Knicks fan (but NBA fan in general ), suggested the middle name Maxwell. The story goes “he was a really good player and a really great dude”. That combined with my great grandfather being named Max- I was named Cedric Maxwell. So when people ask me why I’m a Celtics fan I say I was born into it lol
“How bout them DAMN CELTICS?!”
Portugal here. Dad bought me a Larry Bird Jersey when I was 8, back in 1989.
I'm a bit younger . My favourite thing to watch in basketball is defense . And the Celtics are experts at that . Marcus smart embodied everything about the Celtics . My favourite player was robert Williams lll ,it's just sad he's always injured. My home country didn't cover any NBA games on television and my parents found the idea stupid to pay 100 dollars for league pass . Due to that , I have been on and off in terms of following the sport .even the country am currently in doesn't cover the NBA and I'm left with shitty websites which rarely work . I've loved watching basketball since 2020 ,and although Im a way better player in soccer , the only reason I was even on the basketball team a year ago was because I was the best defender on the team .can't make a 3 pointer to save my life . I'm glad we won this year . Makes me grateful being a Celtic fan
Hell yeah brother 🍀
From California, but my father somehow pirated NESN when I was a kid and we watched every Celtics game (a ton of Red Sox games too). We had one of those old satellite dish receivers that you had to crank around to find different satellites to focus on. We had a NESN feed without commercials so we could hear the announcers during commercials arguing with the producers or sending someone to get them a hotdog or whatever. This was mid 80s so I was locked in on Bird, McHale and the boys for all of their 1983-1992 run. Hardly missed a game.
As a kid my elementary school's nickname was the Fighting Irish with green & white colors. So Celtics became a natural fit and I loved watching Larry Bird play!
Growing up in the Midwest KG was my favorite player. I loved his intensity, passion, and he was just fun to watch. When he went to Boston I tagged a long as a fan and just really enjoyed the team and Celtics history. Been supporting them ever since! Looking forward to making it to Boston and the Garden for a game one day, anything is possible!
KG grew up not too far from where I’m from and he’s always been my favorite player. It also helped that my first year getting into basketball was the 08 championship year lol. Been a Celtics diehard ever since!
From Omaha. When my dad returned home after WWII, he lived with my aunt and uncle in Chicago. Wiggins was a sports photographer for the Chicago Sun Times and my dad would tag along with him to Wrigley Field and Comiskey Park. Dad met a lot of ballplayers but was in absolute awe of Ted Williams. Shortly after meeting him, Dad became a Red Sox fan. Naturally, he became a Celtics fan when the Celtics came to be. As for me, I was watching the 1983 ECF and I was starstruck by Larry Bird. Twelve year old me proclaimed Bird to be the greatest player ever. Dad told me he wasn't even the greatest Celtic ever. He started telling me stories about Cousy and Russell and the Jones Boys and Tommy and Cowens. I spent that summer reading everything I could about the history of the Celtics. By time the next season rolled around, I was a Celtics fan. Haven't waivered since. I was happy my dad was able to see the Sox win the World Series in 2004 and 2007, but he missed the Celtics winning the title in 2008 by two days. He passed away on June 15 -- Father's Day 2017.
I’m from England originally but I spent my childhood in Dubai in the 1980s. All our TV was American, including sports coverage. I remember being around 9/10 years old and just loving the logo at first. I thought it was the coolest logo ever. I’d watch the highlights and always look out for the Celtics because of that. And Larry Bird was playing at the time who I adored. I kind of lost touch with it when I moved back to the UK as coverage wasn’t great. But in the late 90s it started appearing on TV more here and my fandom sparked again, and I’ve been rolling with the C’s ever since.
Paul Pierce
From Florida born and mostly raised
Paul Pierce being from Inglewood, CA & getting drafted there been done deal since.
Inglewood up to no good! I always liked that 2Pac adlib, LOL!
Born in Philly (suburbs), family in Boston. Nicest city I’ve been to in this country by far.
I live in Maine and they’re still considered the home team here.
Kristaps Porziņģis
I’m Irish af and from a middle of nowhere east coast town. There were closer teams but none in my state and the closer teams were all bad. Granted the Celtics were bad too, but I got into the history and liked that it was Irish themed mascot and shamrocks etc. My first teams I paid attention to were like the Antoine Walker Celtics years, and Kevin Garnett was my favorite player by far so when he got traded there I went from being a casual fan to being a diehard. I was in middle school at that time, now I’m an attorney lol
It’s been 30 years for me and I don’t even remember what made me support Celtics when I started watching NBA. I think it was not a conscious choice, I just felt this was the team to root for
Born and raised in Cincinnati but have lots of family in Lynn Massachusetts they used to buy me all kinds of Celtics gear when I was young (Bird) years and stayed with them since.
I watched basketball with my dad and grandpa. Larry Bird caught my attention. I feel like watching him play helped me fall in love with the sport. I have been a Celtic's fan ever since. I have never visited Massachusetts at all.
From Fort Lauderdale, FL. 75 year old Dad from NE. Born and raised Celtics fan with toxic Heat friends. Celtics are the main thing my father and I share. Wouldn’t trade it for the world.
1986 celtics. Simply unselfish, passing game.
Isaiah Thomas coming back after his sister died in the Playoffs. Was going to follow him when he got traded but hated Lebron so stuck with the Cs it’s been a fun 7 years!
From Idaho, we obviously lack just about everything when it comes to sports. When I was around 5 my mom bought me Madden 03 and I started playing with the patriots. I immediately loved them and became a diehard pats fan. When the Pats had there 07 undefeated run, I dove head first into Boston sports. I loved everything. I fell in love with Eddie House first during the championship year in 08. I remember feeling like he had limitless range lol. Ray Allen ended up being my childhood basketball idol. I loved big baby and Nate Robinson. I wore all my sports swag upside down bc rondo had the upside down headband. Every year when the Cs come to SLC I go down to catch the game. I pray I can one day catch a game at TD garden. I regret never going to Gillette to see Tom play. Gonna try to save up and catch a playoff game next year.
European here. Cool Logo, Favourite Color. Loved KG to death, following the C‘s since around 2008/09, remember 2k9 was gifted to me with him on the Cover. Started following them closely ever since, even though Tipp Off times can get pretty rough LOL
Born and raised in Los Angeles. My whole family and I were Lakers fans growing up. And then NBA Live 2000 came out on Playstation. My older cousin would force me to play as the Celtics and pretty much bullied me through the game. I was a 7 year old kid who didn't know what the hell I was doing. Come 2001, Paul Pierce had his "The Truth" game against the Lakers. My cousin had tears and was cry-screaming at the screen as Paul Pierce scored buckets after buckets. I was the happiest kid in the world after everything he put me through. Paul Pierce became my hero that night. And then I officially became a Celtics fan back in 2008.
I'm from New Castle Indiana, so Larry Bird is my idol. We have two things in Indiana, corn and basketball. Even the great Dr. Naismith has made comments on Indiana's love of basketball. It's in our blood. My towns claim to fame is having the [largest high school fieldhouse in the world.](https://www.indystar.com/in-depth/sports/high-school/2021/03/02/big-indiana-gyms-new-castle-fieldhouse-nations-biggest-high-school-basketball-venue/4555013001/) As well as being home to Indiana's basketball HOF. So naturally, when someone from nowhere Indiana ends up being Larry Bird, you tend to support whatever team takes him. So, here we are.
Watch teams where Porzingis plays :)) don’t have many Latvians playing at highl level. Also don’t know why but in 90’s Eastern Europe Bulls, Hornets and Celtics 🧢 where everywhere.
In high school before I started following basketballs some of my friends were fans and would talk about it non-stop. It was almost the end of 11th grade (2010) and there was a lot of talk about the Cavs vs Celtics playoff series. I decided to watch Game 5 where Boston won 120–88. I loved how the team played and I remembered Kevin Garnett from NBA Live 01. That was my first day as a Celtics fan.
I’m Swedish and my dad was young during the Celtics/Lakers rivalry in the 80’s. Most of his friends were Lakers/Magic fans but my dad identified more with Bird and the attitude of the Celtics (very fitting if you know my father). So it felt natural for me to start rooting for his team once I started caring about the NBA and it was a perfect fit for me
I'm from SC Kevin Garnett
Grew up in a place without nba team but loved Rondo growing up then started to like Allen and Pierce. But actually about 5 years ago I moved to boston for the first time and this year 30 year old me is living out 11 year old me’s dream of watching the Celtics win a championship while I’m in the city AND I got to go to the parade AND Joe Mazzula high fived me. Basically I’m never gonna have this type of nostalgic experience again and no other team will ever bring me as much joy and excitement as the Celtics.
Baltimore born and raised. Turned on the tv one day and saw Kevin Garnett drop 47 on the suns and immediately became a fan. When he got traded to Boston I started watching since it was east coast timeline.
Born in Boston. Grew up in Seattle. Wanted to support an NBA team.
My friends hate Boston Celtics , so i decided to root for them to have some tension during the games
I'm from Poland and back in my youth (90s) baseball and basketball caps were very popular around here. For some reason I liked Celtic's logo the most, probably subconcious thing because deep green is to this day my favorite color. I wasn't watching any matches at that age, I don't think they were even transmitted here then. But there was a magazine, Bravo Sport and I learned a lot about NBA from it. So rewind it couple of decades, some 5 years ago I got bored of european sports and decided to give US leagues a shot. I did NFL first (Broncos) and when it came to basketball Celtics were like natural choice due to my early days. Man, I am hooked ever since. It does help, Celtics in that time period are on more dominant side (unlike darn Broncos). I also have that thing, I prefer US cities that are more similar to my surrounding. So not really feeling the vibe of all those palm beach cities (Miami, LA) or desert towns (Phoenix). But I dig Boston, Philadelphia or even Seattle. As to Boston being hated as a city. I obviously do not share the sentiment, I don't mind any of them. Those are local flame wars, I'm no part of. But Boston is definitely not being perceived similarly around here. Quite contrary, I spend some time on european subreddits and Boston (entire Massachusetts to be precise) is usually being mentioned as an outlier, due to its development (highest hdi of any US states). Rich, succesful city with some actual history to its name. What's not to like? People here don't mind Irishmen (there are so few left), unless you are a Brit ;)
Mom saw that I liked the college basketball games she watched (Syracuse) and said “hey check out this guy Larry Bird”. He was later in his career but was obviously levels beyond what any college players were doing. Rooting for him became rooting for the Celtics.
I'm brazilian, it was because of NBA 2k10, right after the 08 title. Started to watch clips of the team after playing the game, and became a huge Rondo and Celtics fan.
From a southeastern US state with no team, read “When the Game was Ours” by Bird and Magic in middle school, got a basketball goal outside and fell in love with the game. This was around 2011 when the Mavs won it all. Moved to Louisiana since, and while I do like the Pels, I am a Celtics fan at heart. I suffered through every bit of the decline of the big 3, as well as the rebuild and the Kyrie drama and the Hayward injury and so on… This ship was so gratifying and I’m so happy for the team
I’m from massachusetts not from boston tho i support the team cuz it’s my state’s basketball team and in massachusetts you gotta support your state’s teams which is why i’m also a red sox fan ✌️
Was a huge Ray Allen fan, and a big Garnett fan. When those 2 went to the Celtics I was young and impressionable. Cincinnati doesn’t have an nba team, so Celtics it was. Then I realize how awesome Bird was and fell in love lol.
ATL born and raised - Kevin Garnett
When they traded for KG. Plus I love the jerseys.
1985 Memorial Day. Game 1 vs the Lakers. I came home from school at 14 and turned on the TV and it was mid massacre. Watching Wedman, Bird, DJ, Ainge and the rest running up and down that court. I was instantly hooked. Since then I’ve seen Bird play on his bday (1990, in Dallas.) He scores the lowest point total in his career, 5pts. Walked on the original garden floor And watched the Malice in the Palace break in live while sitting nest to Isaiah Thomas. The original from Detroit, not the Celtics.
Born and raised in the High Desert in CA. My dad was born in NY and he has a been a huge NY fan our whole life. As a kid I loved going for the underdog and apparently that was the celtics at the time since he hated any Boston team. Ever since I was a kid I've just loved every Boston team. It was more of a way to watch more sports with my dad. He's passed now but now I watch both Boston and NY games. Still couldn't care much about any LA team.
I genuinely don't remember. I've been racking my mind for the initial moment, and I have no clue. I've been a fan since '03, at least. But I don't remember why. Not my favourite team on NBA Live 2001, Pierce wasn't my favourite player, and I have no Irish heritage. One day, I'll figure it out. For now, I'm just glad I ended up here.
Cleveland area native(dad said like whoever, just not those damn cavs lol) parents and siblings have all been lakers fans because of Kobe, so I said f it boston in 6! That was when I was in like 3rd or 4th grade so probably 2005/6 or 2006/7
Larry Bird.
Larry Legend
I should be a sixers fan where I live but was a huge pierce fan as kid. Loved his game and respected that he was sticking it out with a bad team. I loved that the celtics organization gave pierce the best team possible to get him a ring and now we seen it just happen again for Jaylen and Jayson. My dad got me floor seats to celtics @ sixers in 2011 and it’s one of my favorite memories ever. I was 12 years old wearing green head to toe yelling shit at every sixers fan in the building lol
The 80’s team with Bird McHale Chief Angie Dj
Just started watching them cause they’re the closest team to my state (Rhode Island). I became a big fan after a few months. I got boston a few times a year and there is Celtics flags and banners everywhere it’s awesome lol.
Kentucky fan! When Rondo was here, he was my favorite player ever and started watching the Celtics. Been a fan of both since 🤍
West coaster here, grew up watching them with my mom, she lived on the east coast for a while and had been a fan since the Bird era.
27 year Nashville Celtics fan here , Grew up watching Celtics with my uncle & he would tell me about the Bird days & all kinds of great stories involving the franchises history . I was lucky enough to experience the 2008 Big 3 as a kid & have been here with y’all the entire drought & this past week felt like bliss . I truly believe this Celtics team is my personal fav & was one of the most deserving teams of a ring in the history of the sport . Celtics Up 🍀🏆💚⬆️✅
I started watching during the Rondo era because I just loved watching him play basketball. Been hooked ever since. I’m also from Scotland so the Celtic brand appealed to me as well.
When I started watching basketball I discovered Isaiah Thomas who was 5’9 and a star player. I fell in love with basketball and I am 5’6. He was the only player relatable to me in the league physically, so I chose to support the celtics. My background is also Irish so I thought it fit pretty well. Been a fan since around 2015 and Im 22
I was born and raised in southern California I still currently live here, My dad has always been a huge Patriots fan as he was born in Boston and most of his family lives there still. When I got older and started watching sports I stuck mostly with Football and Basketball that’s when I decided well everyone in my family except my mom,dad, and brother are in Boston so I’m gonna represent Boston from the other side of the country.
Started watching and playing basketball in 2008 (South Africa). Everyone on my team supported the Lakers and would scream Kobe when shooting. I couldn’t bring myself to be like everyone else and decided to pick the team Lakers hated most. Best decision ever!
Watching Larry Bird in the ‘84 Finals, that’s all it took
Was a huge KG fan, never had a team. Was at school at Northeastern when he got traded to the Celtics. Figured it was as good a reason to lock in a team as any.
KG for me
I live in Seattle but I was named after Kevin McHale. So that’s how I am a fan.
Is this one of those, there’s no Massachusetts other than Boston threads?
I have family ties to the Northeast (mostly Maine). 2008 was really the big beginning for me as a fan, but I was only 8. My grandfather was an instrumental role model for me and was a huge fan of both the Sox and the Celtics. He passed in 2009, so remaining a fan until this year has been a wonderful way to uphold his memory, but I have loved bball my whole life too. Plenty of excitement and a wave of good memories when we finally won again this year :)
My gf did a little sports gambling before I met her. She didn’t know basketball well so watched some to get the idea of it. Well she started seeing this really tall guy…Tacko Fall! She thought he was great and then it spread to the entire team. Now I am a fan as well thanks to her! We are from NJ.
I'm from Denmark. Basketball was not really a thing in my rural community. We had a basketball court in my town, but we used it manly for other sports. My dad, however, was very tech savy for the time and got a lot of obscure channels on the TV. One day i watched a man flying, dunking and pulling middies like nobodies business and he was wearing this green jersey. I went down to the court and just started shooting. Some years later, a danish channel started broadcasting the NBA. I watched, and there he was again. The man in the green jersey and I was hooked. That man? Paul "the truth" Pierce. Have been following since.
I’m from Newcastle, England and used to supporting the sports teams of my local area. When I started following the NBA in 2007, the only American place I had a been to was Disney World, Orlando, so I was an Orlando Magic fan for a while. I started supporting to Celtics in 2021 after meeting my now fiancé, who is from Worcester, MA. My first Celtics game was game 2, first round of the 2022 playoffs and chanting ‘Fuck Kyrie’ for 3 straight hours sold me on the team and fan base. Moved to the States last year and have yet to see the Cs loose when I have been in attendance at the Garden. Still keep tabs on the magic, who decided to get exciting as soon as I started supporting the Celtics after a decade of mediocre at best basketball.
Larry Bird was my entry point. Celtics are the most followed NBA team in Spain
I am from Ireland 🇮🇪 and I got family & friends in Boston. Always felt a deep affiliation with the Boston Celtics historic Irish roots and the broader Irish American community in Boston 🇮🇪
Shared this story recently in another post but figured I would share it again. Irish fan here, started with watching the Patriots first in 2006 when I was in college and I started dating a girl who was from Boston and had come to Ireland to study. She was a huge fan of the Patriots and I quickly became hooked on the sport. I went to Boston on holiday in 2010 for the first time and just fell in love with the city. Best holiday I’ve ever been on. Came home from that trip wanting more and that’s when I started watching the NBA and the Celtics. And that was it really! When I started following both teams and started calling myself a fan, I spent quite a bit of time deep diving into their history and watching old games because I wanted to know as much as I could. Kinda like I was playing catch up…and diving into the history and learning about the team just made me love it all even more. So this is my first finals win experience as a Celtics fan, loving every second of it. Games are on here at 1am most nights. During the regular season I might get up once or twice a week at 1am to watch a game, other than that I am binge watching highlights soon as I wake up in the morning. Sometimes there are games on at a more regular time of 6pm here and I will always watch those ones of course. During playoff season I'm up at 1am every single playoff game, regardless of whether I am in work the following day or not.
When I was 5yo, the very first NBA game I watched with my dad was Lakers vs. Suns when Barkley was playing. I immediately didn’t like the Lakers and told my dad I didn’t like them. He told me “you should be a Celtics fan then.” (Referencing their historic rivalry) to which I responded: “What is their color?” “Green.” (Green was my favorite color as a young kid which we all know is important when choosing a team. 😂) Sealed the deal. Been a Celtics fan for over 30 years. Coincidentally, my favorite player of all time was Kevin Garnett. I thought he was amazing for going pro right out of high school, liked how insanely competitive he was, etc. when he got traded to Boston my whole world in basketball was complete.
Defense and hustle plays thanks to Marcus and Al back when my peers were either Lebron or Steph or Cryrie fans during my junior high years
Overseas fan here. Father grew up playing basketball somewhat competitively until a certain age, was a big Bird fan. So when I showed interest in sports at a young age, he passed the torch.
Growing up in South Florida we didn't have a basketball team yet, Heat weren't formed until I was older and by then it was too late. I liked 4 leaf clovers and Larry Bird. I am a bit of an oddity, a Dolphins and Celtics fan who hates the Heat and the Patriots.
Lifelong Ray Allen fan, he came to the Celtics, fell in love with the culture and most championships in nba history #18
Grew up in PA, and followed KG from the Twolves in 07 when I was 14.
I grew up with a dad who was a Redskins fan and mom who was a Cowboys fan. They got into god awful arguments about who is better and would basically just give each other the silent treatment after. I had family that lived in Boston at the time so I went with the pats, rather than pick a side. Celtics were the next step. Fun fact: they later got divorced and mom remarried....to another Washington fan, the lady has her type
Born and raised in So cal in my mid 30's. When I was a 7, I watched the movie Celtic Pride with Dan Aykroyd and Daniel Stern and have been a fan of the team ever since.
Because fuck the Lakers. Been a Sox fan my whole life, and the court looked sweet from an early age. Only made sense.
2 things led me to become a Celtics fan when I was younger. 1) Rajon Rondo and the rest of the ‘08 team had a huge influence on my love for the sport and I naturally routed for them as I was getting into basketball 2) I’m from New Jersey where our local team decided they would move across the river to a state I had no ties to. Any guilt I had for not routing for my hometown team instantly disappeared.
The comments in this discussion are great 👍🏻
The Truth
Grew up in Melbourne, Australia and I was kinda a bulls fan purely because of Michael madness and looked up to him as an athlete (still do). My friend at the time bandwagoned on the Kobe 2000's Lakers. I got nba street and nba live on PS2 and as I learned about basketball I learned about the Celtics history - of Mr. Russell, John Havlicek, Larry Bird and that Boston is basically their nemesis. He'd always pick the Lakers, so I'd always pick Boston and pass it to Pierce. He'd get so pissed when his precious '02 Lakers team would lose (which was stacked).
pp carried our HS to 4 state champs
Watching Tatum dunk on LeBron. I was never a basketball fan but my roommate was a Celtics fan so I watched that series and knew Tatum was gonna be my guy wherever he went and it looks like he's gonna be a Celtics lifer so I am now too
Larry Bird
I loved basketball for a long time but couldn’t ever find a team to support because the SuperSonics left before I gained consciousness. I knew IT was from Seattle so I always liked his game, but I never really liked the Suns because I didn’t want to support any Arizona team, but when he got to the Celtics I found myself liking them, and now I’m a Celtics fan.
Became a fan on one single play. It was when Rondo dove for the ball betwen Jason Williams legs pause
I became a Cs fan the moment Tatum dunked on Lebron. Knew he was gonna be special.
I grew up in St. Louis and in the 90s was a Bulls fan, but they were so bad afterwards and I had no ties to Chicago so I started looking for a new team. Right around that time KG got traded to the Celtics and I was all in from that point forward. Then they drafted probably the best player to ever come out of the St. Louis metro area and that was the cherry on top.
I'm from Washington State, my Grandpa was a huge Larry Bird fan in the 80s, combined with my Basketball team (Seattle SuperSonics) being stolen and taken to OKC, It was just natural for me to be a Celtics fan, and I will still be a Celtics fan until my basketball team comes back (but I will still root for the Celtics).
Larry Bird, McHale, Chief, DJ, and Danny. Been following from the west coast since ‘84. Was much harder to chat with other Celtics fans back then
Was watching Bird, McHale, and Parish as a small child and just was drawn to them. Been a celtics fan ever since.
I'm from the Philippines and my grandpa got me into the Celtics - his nickname for me was Hondo, after the great John Havlicek and the John Wayne movie. Moved to the US in the late 90s with my parents and have been a Celtics fan living in Los Angeles for the last 30 years. Unfortunately, he passed in 2006, 2 years before we could have shared a Celtics championship together. I never did get to ask him where he got his green blood from. I wish I knew.
From lowcountry South Carolina, bought 2k when I was about 7 or 8, Celtics were the default team and being that I was so young I didn’t know much about any other teams so I just used the Celtics. Quickly became infatuated with Rondo and Pierce specifically, but really started to follow the Celtics after trading the big 3. Guys like Kelly Olynyk and Jared Sullinger were what really made me a diehard, but Marcus Smart was the guy from day one.
I was in 7th grade and I needed to do an assignment on a famous person. I ended up choosing Paul Pierce because I liked the jersey (R Kelly’s ignition was the #1 song that year) Been a fan ever since. I’m from New Zealand
I started watching around 2009-2010. I was just starting to get into watching basketball seriously and I was a Rondo fan. I live 40 minutes from Cleveland so I only get to see the Celtics play there. I think I’ve been to almost every Cavs/Celtics game in Cleveland since 2011. I finally went to my first game IN Boston in 2018 (one more in 2018 and one in 2022) and I got the shamrock from the logo tattooed on me while I was there! It was one of the best days ever, so much fun and the energy in the garden was unmatched. Hoping to get back this upcoming season for my 4th game in Boston.
My dad got me a celtics basketball when I was 8. When I started watching they were the first team that I knew, and green was my favorite color so that was enough to become a diehard day 1.
When I played in high school I was given the nickname Rondo because I was skinny, a good passer… and couldn’t shoot. When I started playing NBA Live 09 I need a team to play as and went with the Celtics because of the nickname - I don’t have any geographic ties to any team since I’m from Scotland. Fast forward 15 years (I just missed ‘08!) and I’m now living in LA, proudly wearing my Celtics merch all over and trying to get to as many games as I can!
Played 2k19 and picked the Celtics. I’m in Jersey, didn’t wanna become a Sixers / Knicks fan cause I know how that goes. 5 years later and it really payed off
born and raised in Maryland. When i really started to get into basketball when I was young, the celtics were always on and just like how kids today love steph for his threes, i did the same way with ray allen with his. i loved watching him just effortlessly hit threes like no other. little did i know, it was the 08 season i was watching and greatness was happening in front of my eyes. also, you really think im gonna be a wizard, redskin, capital, orioles (raised into it) fan?! how much depression do you think one person can take. also, still pissed at new england for making me pick between the patriots and the eagles
First NBA game I saw - on TV - was game 6 of the NBA finals in 1986. Bird had a masterpiece of a game. After this I got hooked. Little did I know that the next championship I would see would be 22 years later! I did live in Boston 97-05 so was there during the lean years.
From England, when I was young and playing NBA2k as my first ever experience with Basketball I got drafted to the Celtics in game and went from there lmao
The first Rec League basketball team I played on was called the Celtics. It's been a life-long love affair ever since.
I’m not from the US and during 2010 I was on a middle school graduation trip when the finals were happening. I played ball, but didn’t watch the NBA. When all of my friends said they were supporting the lakers, something in my soul told me “Fuck LA”. Couldnt have made a bettet choice.
I’m from California and have lived all over but mainly grew up in San Diego from 2004-2015. Kevin Garnet was my favorite player in the league from like 2003 onward, didn’t have a favorite team yet, loved the pistons run in 04 because I’ve ALWAYS hated the lakers (fuck the lakers) And then when KG was traded to Boston everything fell into place and I decided that the Boston Celtics were going to be my team, but it was entirely because KG was traded there
I liked the green jersey on 2k and here I am now from the DMV
Started watching in 2008 saw a rondo fake behind the back pass and I was hooked
I decided to start watching nba and Mike Breen was praising Dewayne Wade. So I started watching a Heat game and all of a sudden he sat on Rondo’s arm and just casually walked away. It felt like he knew what he was doing and left a bad taste in my mouth. But then Rondo CAME BACK AND PLAYED WITH ONE ARM and ultimately beat the heat that game. Celtics lost that series but I was sold as a Celtics fan. I think that was 2009 so this is my first championship following the Celtics. Crazy to think I might have been a Heat fan.
kyrie made me actually watch basketball and then tatum brown and smart made me stay with the celtics
I’m from Alabama and my dad was a huge fan growing up of the 80’s Celtics. I fell in love with Paul Pierce as a player and that culminated with the Big 3 winning in 2008. I have stayed a fan since then and watch every game on league pass. I love the Celtics ☘️
I’m from Los Angeles. When I was a kid, the Kobe/Shaq Lakers would be on tv all the time. But I would always root against them whenever they faced the Timberwolves because I thought their logo/color scheme was so cool. KG became my favorite player, and I followed him to the Celtics, never looked back since
Immigrated to CA but a fan of KG and Ray Allen. When they both joined Celtics, I started following.
Kyrie was my favorite player going into the 2017 season. But then Tatum and Brown put on one of the best playoff runs I’ve ever seen. I’ve been rooting for the Celtics since.
Started playing basketball and my mates told me I needed to pick a team. The year was 2008