This week’s featured fan is Hayley from Yannathan, Victoria, Australia. She is just one of the great writers & fans that make-up “Celtics Down Under“. I started interacting with Hayley on Twitter due to our mutual love of all things Celtics & more importantly, Celtkicks. You can check out their feature, “Green Kick of the Week“, over at their site.
Although it’s virtually impossible to catch Celts games on tv in Australia, other than the Finals, International League Pass & YouTube enabled Hayley to follow the C’s & catch-up on highlights.
The reason I became a fan of the Celtics was because of one man; Rajon Rondo. Before I knew anything about Celtic Pride, Red Auerbach or Bill Russell, it was Rajon Rondo for me. I saw a video on youtube of Rondo highlights and I was just amazed at his competitiveness and the way he can find a passing lane where few others can.
From there, my love for the Celtics has grown every day! Now I can’t imagine my life without the Celtics.
As far as favorite Celtic of all-time goes, Hayley can’t pick just one. She is torn between a Celtic legend and a current Celtic superstar.
This is a tough one! Bill Russell instilled a mindset in the Celtics organisation that changed Boston forever. Without him, we’d have so many fewer Championships and our treasured history would be much less. The way he changed games and could pull down rebounds left, right and centre amazes me.
Then there’s Rajon Rondo. He is the most exciting player to watch in the league and I CAN NOT wait for him to return against the Lakers! I’ll have you know I only cried for a few hours when news of his ACL tear was announced during that magnificent game against the Heat. Another reason Rondo is one of my idols is because of the fighting spirit he displays. I can’t fathom how he played 12 minutes with a torn ACL and then turned up to the next game ready to play. When the big games come, you know you’re in for a dose of Rondomination.
Hayley lists Paul Pierce’s clutch three in Game 5 of the 2012 ECF vs the Heat as her favorite “Celtic moment”. Jeff Green’s incredible baseline winner, also against Miami, is special to her as far as more recent memories.
My favourite moment ever would have to be Game 5 of the ECF in 2012. That game will always stay in my mind and especially THAT shot by Paul Pierce over LeBitch. I just erupted from my seat when the ball went in. That whole series still amazes me, just how much fight every Celtic player showed – lead by Pierce, Rondo and Garnett of course.
In more recent times, Jeff Green’s game winning three against the Heat earlier this season is most definitely a highlight. It was made that much better because of the missed free throws by Dwyane Wade; one of my least favourite players. I still can’t believe Gerald Wallace made that pass!
Hayley “dreams” of someday getting to travel here to Boston to witness seeing her beloved C’s play in person. She hopes to one day watch her hero, Rajon Rondo, play live and “in the flesh”. Hayley cherishes all of the wonderful people she has had a chance to meet thanks to the special bond they share in loving the Boston Celtics.
The Celtics are important to me because of the great friends I have made through supporting the team. When I first started following the Celtics I felt like I couldn’t talk basketball to anyone, that was until I found ‘Celtics Down Under’ and the rest of the ‘Celtics Family’ on twitter.
Some of my most prized possessions are personally signed Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce and Jeff Green photos – they are hanging proudly in my room.
The Celtics will be a huge part of my life for as long as I live. The Celtics give me constant inspiration; especially Jeff Green. He cops so much hate and criticism for being inconsistent and not showing enough aggression; but I’d like to see any of those critics doing what he does after major heart surgery. I think people drastically underestimate what he went through. Here’s a little something I wrote about Jeff after that game. http://celticsdownunder.com/2013/11/11/an-open-letter-to-jeff-green-2/
I want to send a big thank you out to Hayley for sharing her Celtics story with me, and be sure to follow her over on Twitter. Thanks for reading everyone and GO CELTICS. -KWAPT
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
