BOSTON — It’s different here.
The Celtics have been using that tagline for a couple seasons now, tapping into their history as they continued the long chase for Banner 18. Monday was when that chase ended, as confetti finally fell at TD Garden with a Game 5 victory over the Dallas Mavericks.
Friday, though, was when the C’s — and the city of Boston — could finally prove they weren’t lying.
It’s a long, storied tradition for championship-winning cities to host parades for their team. The Kansas City Chiefs had one in February. The Texas Rangers held one last November. It was the Celtics’ turn Friday, and an overwhelming takeaway from the festivities is that things truly are different.
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It’s hard to argue, as the foundation of these rolling rallies is unlike any other — with the likes of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis piling onto duck boats, likely having no idea what they were prior to arriving in Boston. You can’t find them anywhere else, after all.
Porzingis, who climbed onto his designated boat under an overhang beside TD Garden, looked like he’d smack his head on a beam if not too careful. Svi Mykhailiuk and his crew rocked custom “Boston Svi Party” hats as they marveled at the fans who managed to sneak their way down to the players area. Al Horford stopped to speak with those fans, receiving many compliments for his choice in attire.
The C’s, their families, select media and some advertisers (gotta pay for it somehow) rolled out a little later than their projected start time of 11 a.m. ET, heading into a sea of people who made the day so special — the fans.
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Boston expected close to two million people Friday, according to some close with the Celtics, and it looks like those projections weren’t too far off.
Luke Kornet led the never-ending crowd in a “Bos-ton! Cel-tics!” chant that involved some pretty impressive choreography. Derrick White was chucking beers into the masses, racking up plenty of assists. Sam Hauser popped his top off halfway through the relatively short route. Joe Mazzulla, torn meniscus and all, jumped out of the window of his boat to take some pictures and greet the fans who arrived early to get a front-row look.
Chris Maijorcik, a young fan attending the parade, turned 16 on Wednesday and was able to finally celebrate a title from his favorite team after missing the 2008 Celtics parade. He had a good reason, though, as his mother was still in labor.
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“My dad always tells me he had to miss it because of me. I was born late, though, so he probably could have made it back if he wanted it bad enough,” Maijorcik said.
Chris is just the tip of the iceberg. If you were one of the lucky people who could actually maneuver around the streets of Boston on Friday, you found fans of all ages carrying Dunkin Donuts cups (filled with all manner of beverages, sometimes even coffee) and heavy-duty water bottles as they toasted the team. Teenagers climbed to the top of anything that would give them a better vantage point — light poles, bus stops, Sunoco gas stations, etc. Children climbed on their parents’ shoulders. Parents spoke with one another, enjoying the elation of the boys and girls who could finally see what was going on.
It wasn’t all pretty, especially during the hottest week of the year as water was being used mostly to revive those who couldn’t beat the heat. But it was tough to find a single person who wasn’t having fun, with nearly everyone treating the parade as if it could be their last.
Boston has been home to 13 championship parades since 2002, so it’s safe to say fans will have a few more shots at celebrating together. But just because it’s tradition at this point doesn’t make it any less special
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Boston will always show up and show out, and that is why things are different here.
Featured image via Brian Fluharty/USA TODAY Sports Images
