The Celtics organization has always been a family, that Celtics Pride being passed down from generation to generation. There has always been a true sense of pride from the players, coaches, and of course, the fans! Do we see that in today's players or has free agency and player friendships ruined that?
Through the 50s and 60s we were given hard working players who played for the name on the front of the jersey not the back. Special players like Bill Russell, Tommy Henisohn, Sam Jones, KC Jones and we can't forget Hondo on those teams! Plus so many other greats who started that Celtics familia and Celtics Pride led by Arnold Red Auerbach!
The 70s brought us players like Dave Cowens, JoJo White, of course, "Jarrin John" Havlicek in a new decade - and so many more hard working players who played for that name on the front! Their play on the floor was toughness and team oriented! They bled Celtics Green!
The 80s and early 90s we had another generation of players led by Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Dennis Johnson, Danny Ainge - and of course jump-on-my-back Cedric Maxwell! They learned from their predecessors and fought and played harder because of that name on the front! We had a lull in the later 90s and 2000s but still had guys who understood that it was the TEAM that mattered. and why they played.
Thankfully that 08 team came together lead by KG and the Truth who carried that fire that love of Celtics Pride into another title! They lived and breathed that mantra of what the Celtics are! Still do to this day!
The question is who do we have on our team who gets that now? I believe one man does, and he is known as the Wolverine aka Marcus Smart (moniker given by my guy Tom Lane).. Do Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have that in them - to live and breathe Celtic Pride?! Will their play represent the name on the front of the jersey? We see pieces of that but we just need more. Hopefully led by our new general, Ime Udoka, we can get another injection of Celtics Pride.!
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