The Boston Celtics. A name that sends fans into either a fit of rage or delivers a jolt of joy down the spines of the rabid Massachusetts natives. From the early days of Bill Russell, Bob Cousy and Red Auerbach, to Larry Bird and Kevin McHale, or the big three of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen, the Celtics always seem to find a way to come out ahead. In the modern NBA, with the big three far past their primes and long gone from the city of Boston, instead of tanking and deciding to spend a few years “trusting a process” such as the 76ers, Danny Ainge decided to regroup rather than rebuild. Now, the Celtics, as young as they are, have become one of the most feared and potent teams on both offense and defense, where the key to their play is effort.

Coming off the heels of an Eastern Conference finals loss the previous year to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Celtics front office came to the realization that what they had was simply not enough to take down the powerhouse that is Lebron James, who can single-handedly decimate a team- looking at you, Toronto- and leave them demoralized. Instead of blowing up the team or keeping to the plan, Ainge went out to carve his own teams future. Starting with Gordon Hayward, who emerged as a star talent for the Utah Jazz and averaged nearly 22 points per game in the 2016-2017 season became a free agent. While many wanted him, the feeling from many sports analysts and GMs was Hayward would either stay in Utah, or go to the Miami Heat or go to Boston with his former college coach Brad Stevens. Standing in the center of Fenway park, seeing the lineage and history of sports in the city of Boston, along with the brilliant mind of Stevens- a coach of the year candidate- the city seemed to call to him- which he answered.

The team seemed to be shaping up to be a contender built on the backs of Isaiah Thomas and Gordon Hayward, that is, until August 22nd. On this day, the bombshell was dropped that multiple time all-star and NBA champion Kyrie Irving was traded from the Cleveland Cavs to the Boston Celtics along with some picks and rotation pieces. In the matter of one day, the team seemed to be ready to finally take down the Eastern juggernaut that was the Cavs. However, similarly, in one day the dynamic shifted again in what appeared to be the curse of the Irish. During opening day, on the first play of the game, Kyrie Irving threw a lob pass to Gordon Hayward, who on mid-flight landed awkwardly on his leg snapping it in half so gruesomely the audience and players had to look away in pure horror of the sight. To make it even worse, it was announced mid-april that Kyrie Irving would miss the rest of the season due to knee surgery. With the two veteran leaders gone, it seemed the season was all but over for Boston.

Fast-forward to the playoffs, the unlikely younglings of Jayson Tatum, Terry Rozier, Jaylen Brown, and the older Al Horford, have been able to get past the Wizards, the 76ers and are now up 1-0 against the Cavs after a blowout victory of 108-83. While the Cavs are expected to still win the series, the fact the Celtics continue to show everyone why it is not all about raw talent but the importance of chemistry and team play. Whether the Celtics make the finals or not is anyone’s guess; however, the fact a team of first, second, and third year players were able to get as far as they did is to be commended by its fans, and feared by the rest of the league. With the impending return of the teams all-stars and the possibility of adding Kawhi Leonard or Anthony Davis, the crown of Eastern Conference champion may soon be ripped from Lebron’s grasp.