Governor Healey Proclaims Celtics Banner 18 Day
BOSTON – Ahead of the raising of the Boston
Celtics’ 18th World Championship banner on Opening Night at the T.D. Garden on
Tuesday, Governor Maura Healey has declared that October 22, 2024 will be
Celtics Banner 18 Day in Massachusetts.
Whereas the Boston Celtics are unquestionably the
greatest franchise in basketball history, founded in 1946 as an original member
of what became the National Basketball Association, winning their first of a
record 18 championships in 1957 under legendary coach Arnold “Red” Auerbach,
and featuring Hall of Fame players like Bob Cousy, Bill Russell, Tom Heinsohn,
K.C. Jones, Sam Jones, John Havlicek, Larry Bird, Paul Pierce, and Kevin
Garnett, among many others;
Whereas the Celtics have not only been the best team on
the court, they also have led the movement for social justice in sports,
including by fielding the League’s first all-Black starting five, appointing
the League’s first Black head coach in Bill Russell at a time when Russell was
a leading voice in the Civil Rights Movement, and continuing today to set the
standard for community engagement in professional sports;
Whereas the 2023-2024 Celtics upheld and added to this
legacy by achieving one of the greatest seasons in NBA history, winning 64
regular season games, going 16-3 in the playoffs, having the most efficient
offense ever recorded and the fifth-best point differential in league history,
and outscoring opponents by an average of 11 points on the way to winning the
Celtics’ 18th NBA Championship;
Whereas on a squad that embodied the strength of
teamwork, the 2023-2024 Celtics featured outstanding individual achievements,
including NBA Executive of the Year Brad Stevens, Coach Joe Mazzulla who now
owns the highest winning percentage of any coach in NBA history, First Team
All-NBA Forward Jayson Tatum, Finals MVP Jaylen Brown, All Defensive Team
guards Derrick White and Jrue Holiday, first Dominican NBA Champion Al Horford
and first Latvian NBA Champion Kristaps Porzingis;
Whereas the Celtics’ continued excellence brings joy to
the residents of Massachusetts and basketball fans around the world, their
commitment to hard work and team unity offers a powerful example to young
people, and their devotion to community uplifts our state, reflects our shared
values, and makes us proud;
Therefore, in recognition of this all-time great
championship season for our beloved Boston Celtics,
We proclaim Tuesday, October 22, 2024, to be Celtics
Banner 18 Day.
沒有留言:
發佈留言