Is the Celtic Pride of Old Fading?


by G. W., Georgetown, MA
Championships. Celtic Pride, NBA playoffs. These are all things Celtic fans have been able to associate with the team. This season, all of those words are a distant memory. Although the Celtics had some new talent in the form of Tony Harris, they did not have the right chemistry to make the playoffs this year. The retirement of Larry Bird and Kevin McHale and the death of Reggie Lewis set back a once-great Celtic team.
Although the Celtics seem to be a lottery team, they are showing some bright spots. Dee Brown and Rick Fox are stepping up with Robert Parish in what may have been his final year with the Celtics.
Old rivalries do not seem to be the same either. The games with the Lakers, Pistons, and '76ers do not seem to have the same spark as they did in the '80s.
When the Celtics lack a nationally known superstar, they have been an average team. However, when they had such stars as Cousy and Russell in the '50s and '60s or the Big Three of Bird, McHale and Parish in the '80s, the Celtics were the most feared team in the league. Although this threesome was together for one or two years in the '90s, Bird's back and McHale's ankle kept them quiet in the '90s. The Celtics have a bright future and may be back in playoff contention within the next few years. For now, Celtic Pride is a concept for the future.