When did you become a Celtics fan?

[Boston Garden Leprechaun]

I envy all of you guys who were lucky enough to watch the 80s, let alone the two decades prior.  I began watching in 04-05, and I have rarely missed a game since.  Obviously I can't compare with those who suffered through the 90s, but I do remember watching every last frustrating installment of the 18 game losing streak - that was fun.  Up until that time I only, at most, casually followed the nba, and I was excited to watch that season because of Gary Payton for some reason haha.  Pierce quickly became my favorite (man I miss him), and Toine was interesting.  Naturally I missed out on all of that, but I thought the reacquiring of him was hilarious.  Looking back, it might have been better long term if we had missed the playoffs that year.  Weren't Bynum (who was supposed to go to Uconn iirc), Granger, CP3 and Deron Williams drafted in 2005?  Oh well.  I'd rather have Rondo, anyway, but a big guy would have been nice. 

Let's see - the whole Gerald Green is Tmac thing was dumb.  I saw something after that which said that Ainge wanted to take Monta Ellis - um, aren't you the person who has the final say on such matters?  So frustrating.  Anyway, I loved watching Delonte, Big Al, Ryan Gomes, and Rondo all grow.  Of course, I also kept waiting for Tony Allen to stop being such a bonehead and actually develop a jump shot, but I digress (I jumped for joy the second he landed in Memphis).  What made me bleed green though was after I got that 25th anniversary Larry Bird dvd, and that was that.  He's my favorite of all time and no one comes close.  I will never tire of watching him on Youtube or anywhere else.  The game just hasn't been the same since he left.  Let's stop playing the Bad Boys and Pat Riley Knicks and Heat pick and roll athon thugball that everyone plays nowadays (Pacers aside, and a little of the Celtics), and go back to the plays of the 80s and prior, or real basketball.  When players had skills and brains.  Please.  Give Stevens the playbook Tommy!

you missed a great time watching the best front court ever assembled play together back then. Of course I missed the cousy and russell, heinsohn and havlicek days. Lots of great history with this ball club.

[PaulPierce34G]

I had been watching basketball since I was 8 years old, but didn't really have a favorite team.  I followed the crowd and basically knew who Michael Jordan was and the Chicago Bulls because that was what my teenage sister at the time was doing and that was it.  I became an avid Celtics fan during Pierce's rookie season, 1998-1999.  I happened to see highlights of his first regular season game versus Toronto and took a liking to him and the team as a whole. The rest is history. 

[GreenWarrior]

I became a fan the C's during the last couple yrs. of the bird/McHale/parish era.

when bird hit that 3 against Portland when the shot clock was running down and it looked like he was stepping on the line & I believe that shot put us in the playoffs...yeah I was hooked.

[hardlyyardley]

We've had this topic before.....being an old fart....my answer is

1947 vs Toronto Huskies.....
In the 70s season ticket holders were able to purchase similar amounts for the playoffs, so I got tickets from a friend and was there in74 for the game when Jabbar put in a sky-hook at the buzzer and in 76 for the triple OT game vs Phoenix

Then became a season ticket holder all during the Bird era

[Boston Garden Leprechaun]

We've had this topic before.....being an old fart....my answer is

1947 vs Toronto Huskies.....
In the 70s season ticket holders were able to purchase similar amounts for the playoffs, so I got tickets from a friend and was there in74 for the game when Jabbar put in a sky-hook at the buzzer and in 76 for the triple OT game vs Phoenix

Then became a season ticket holder all during the Bird era

awesome! how old are you? 75?

[hwangjini_1]

it was my pre-birth destiny to be a celtics fan. 

[Birdman]

I was 9 when Larry Bird came along..nuff said

[rtceltics]

I was 14, my Dad was a big sports fan, took me to a couple of games and I fell in love with the Boston Celtics. I have watched, listened to and read so much about the Celtics thru the years. Havlicek was my all time favorite. Sat thru so many memorable games that it is hard to pick, but, I was un the second baloney of the old Garden for the triple overtime game, that ranks at the top of my list

I was in Phillie when the Celtics beat the 76 ers on their home court after being down 3-1 in '68. What a joy!

The Celtics have been there for all my ups and downs in life. I love them.

Rosalie

[celticpride17]

I started following the celtics back in 1964,the celtics were in the middle of winning 8 nba titles in a row! and i still live in southern california and i hate the lakers even more now than i did then!

[billysan]

I got serious about the Celtics in the early seventies as a teenager. I was fortunate enough to watch Cowens, Silas, Havlicek, Chaney, Nelson, Finkel and that whole crew. I didnt see the great Mr Russell play, but I do remember Tommy as a coach back then.

My faverite games were watching the Celtics match up with Clyde Frazier, Bill Bradley, Willis Reed, Dave Debussere(sp) and those great Knicks teams. The Lakers, Bullets and Suns were fun in those days as well.

[oldmanspeaks]

When I was a boy I was in awe of Wilt Chamberlain and used to root for him to beat the Celtics. However I noticed that Wilt used to always win the stat battle against Bill Russell but Russell used to win the games. I got to understand the value of "team" and how the parts could be greater than the whole and how Bill Russell was key to the entire thing. So I remained a Wilt fan because of his physical skill but I switched to being a Celtic fan as they really were the example of how teams should play. Since I had limited skill myself, I learned how to outsmart much better players and that all started from watching the Celtics.

[nickagneta]

1976. Game 6 of the NBA Finals. Phoenix-Boston.

My parents were at a wedding and I convinced my cousin who was babysitting my brother and I to let me stay up late to watch the game, not because I was  Celtic fans but because I wanted to stay up past my bedtime. Hours later, I was hooked for life.

[Donoghus]

I guess you could say I was born into it but my first cognizant memories of the Celtics are actually both sad ones; Bias' death & Magic's baby sky hook in the '87 Finals.

[freshinthehouse]

when bird hit that 3 against Portland when the shot clock was running down and it looked like he was stepping on the line & I believe that shot put us in the playoffs...yeah I was hooked.

I remember that game it was 1992.  It was a Sunday afternoon game on NBC.  In that game Bird set the record for most points scored in a triple-double (i think it still stands).  One of the most exciting regular season games I've ever seen.