Are there any other Celtic fans out there who ever think about how it might be better for the team that its best player is a person of color and not a white guy?
For instance, when there was a chance the C's could get Kevin Love, I was for it but there was a part of me that didn't like the idea of the face of the franchise being a white guy given the history of race in Boston and the accusations of racism the team faced in the past.
I'm personally well aware of the Celtics history of commitment to both winning and diversity. The first NBA team to draft a Black player. The first NBA team to field an all-Black starting 5. The first professional sports team in the country to have a Black head coach. And certainly teams of this century have been as diverse as any. But not everyone knows all this.
I'm also aware of the type of harrassment Bill Russell and others endured during their time in Boston. And even though the league became a lot less White in the following years, Boston still built teams around Havlicek and Cowens, and then Bird and McHale which fanned flames of people who thought the Celtics were a racist organization. I don't believe it is. If I thought that, I wouldn't root for the team. But given that history, I do feel a little uneasy at the prospect of building the team around, say, Dragan Bender or bringing in Love as our #1.
Would I take either guy on the team, assuming they can play? Glady. Turning down talent because of my weird feelings about race would be silly and defeat the purpose of the "whatever wins" attitude the team has always taken. But those feelings still exist and I was curious if other Celtic fans ever thought about it.
For whatever its worth I am White.
At the end of the day, it wouldn't matter what color our best player was, IF he could/can PLAY. I'd expect that to be the determining factor around the league as well - based off of what potential FA's would be looking for.
I'd also hope that ANY potential FA would look up at those rafters and choose to WANT to be a part of something SPECIAL, a Tradition.
Your question is honest, though - especially in society nowadays. That is not a bad thing. But it's realistic.
As I grew into my teen years, my love for the Celtics started to show me how RACE plays into society. Most of my peers in high school chided me (in a friendly fashion) with comments about the Celtics.
"Man, why do you like Boston?" Of course some (seemingly MOST) of them loved the Lakers and Magic.
I would then ask myself "Am I supposed to like Magic because he's Black?" I couldn't STAND him in my teen years, because he gave BOS fits, lol.....not because of his race.
That HOOK SHOT in 1987 still gives me headaches.
As I got older I learned more and more about Race and the Celtics. I'm still learning to this day, as far as the history.
Looking back, I appreciate Magic/Bird's rivalry even more, and will miss it.