Thanks for reading Red’s Army “Fan Friday,” the weekly feature that introduces you to Celtics fans from all around the globe. If you’d like to nominate someone to be featured – including yourself – please email us at [email protected]. Provide the person’s contact info and some brief details about the fan’s background as a member of Celtics Nation.
This week we feature Neil Sharma, a writer here at Red’s Army. Neil is age 25, from the Boston suburb of Quincy. You can follow him on Twitter at @benedictsharm17, and also check out his Red’s Army posts.
How he became a Celtics fan:
I started following the Celtics during the 2000-01 season (editor’s note: photo above shows Neil from that era). This was before [the city of] Boston began its run of titles – all four pro teams were mediocre at best. I gravitated towards the Celtics because (1) basketball was my favorite sport to play growing up, and (2) the Celtics had such a rich history of winning. I made every attempt to learn about their storied past: Red and Russell leading their dynasty through the 60’s, Hondo and Cowens in the early 70’s, and the Larry Bird teams of the 80’s. My family had moved to Boston in the early 80’s, and I loved hearing their stories of that Celtics-crazed era.
The early 2000’s were a transition period. The Celtics had not been relevant for over a decade, but there was still some excitement about coach Rick Pitino and emerging stars Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker. I stuck with the Celtics through their losing years, making the 2008 title all the more satisfying.
His favorite player:
Rajon Rondo. No doubt. I was born in 1991, and for my generation (some call us “millennials”), Paul Pierce was the dominant figure and universally beloved Celtic. Pierce had a hall-of-fame career and was more important to the franchise, but I always had a unique intrigue with Rondo. He got better every year throughout his first seven seasons, and his big playoff performances completely won me over.
My favorite was game 4 of the 2010 Eastern Conference Semis against the Cavaliers. Lebron and Company throttled the Celtics at home the previous game. The Big 3 looked past their prime, many assumed Danny Ainge would break up the team, and they appeared to be on the brink of collapse. But down 2-1, Rondo stepped up with 29 points, 18 rebounds, and 13 assists. It was an incredible display of pesky defense, coast-to-coast finishes, and awe-inspiring passes, culminating in an offensive rebound put-back to seal the game.
Rondo was the ultimate crafty player. Despite no jump shot, his freakishly long arms, giant hands, court vision, and basketball IQ allowed him to play a step ahead of every opponent. In recent years, it’s been really difficult watching Rondo’s fall from grace, and it looks like he’ll be out of the league soon unless he accepts a significantly reduced role. With his ego, he might rather go to China, where he could freely play his game. The modern NBA has driven out non-shooting, non-scoring guards like Rondo. I still think he could be a bench contributor on a contender. In a playoff game, he could play for 15 minutes and create offense. Just let him run the show and fire crazy passes to shooters and rim-running bigs while the starters rest. If the Celtics can get another star (big if), and if they become a legitimate contender within the next few years, and if Rondo could be signed on the cheap, I think the Celtics should consider bringing him back in exactly that bench role. Who knows? Then again, he might be in China by September.
Favorite Celtics moments:
That’s tough. Winning the title in 2008 is obviously the one that jumps out. But the moment I remember most as a Celtics fan is Game 5 of the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals against the Heat, with Paul Pierce hitting the game-sealing three in Lebron’s face. The Big 3 were truly on their last legs, and they pushed this Heat super-team to a 3-2 deficit in the East Finals. They gritted their way to three straight wins, and that Pierce three was the perfect end to an improbable road victory where the Celtics completely outworked and outhustled the Heat. We all know how that series ended, but the clutch three in Game 5 stands out as my favorite moment.
But there are so many others: The 20-point fourth quarter comeback against the Nets in the 2002 conference finals, the second-half comeback against the Lakers during Game 4 of the 2008 Finals, The Lebron/Pierce duel in the 2008 East Semis, the Pierce wheelchair game, the Rondo one-arm game, the near comeback against the Knicks in the 2013 playoffs (last game for Pierce/KG as Celtics), Ray Allen’s clutch shooting against the Bulls in the 2009 playoffs. There are too many.
Why the Celtics are important to him:
I wouldn’t say the Celtics are super-important to my daily life or well-being, but I find Celtics fandom so unique compared to fans of any other professional team. Between the history of this franchise and the sports-crazed nature of Boston, it’s difficult to understand Celtics fandom if you aren’t part of it. I believe the Celtics players feel similarly. Boston is not traditionally a free-agent destination, but when guys do play for the Celtics, they speak of the distinct history of success that encapsulates the organization. Past players are around frequently, as there’s generally a strong camaraderie amongst Celtic alumni. The team makes an effort to educate current players on its history, but does not seek attention about its unique culture and make everything a national story. When players come here, they typically don’t want to leave.
It’s interesting following them within the realm of Boston sports. The Red Sox are a big-market, hot-destination team, and the Patriots have a culture of consistent winning – every year, it’s championship-or-bust for these franchises. While Celtics don’t have this same level of season-to-season expectations, I find that they’ve frequently exceeded expectations. From the 2001 and 2002 teams, to the late years of the Big 3, to now with this Isaiah Thomas-led group, the team has consistently surprised its fans. Yes, there was the 2006-07 season and the early years of Ainge, but the Celtics are most fun to follow when they’re exceeding expectations.
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