Jayson. Jaylen. Jrue. Even Rammy.
They were all present on a warm Friday morning in June, basking in the roaring adulation of an estimated one million people who wanted to thank their Celtics for winning a record-setting 18th NBA championship.
Crowds lined the parade route, which threaded its way from the fabled parquet of TD Garden right through the Suffolk campus. Duck boats loaded with players, coaches, staff, and Lucky the Celtics mascot rolled directly past 73 Tremont, Smith Hall, and Sargent Hall, which boasted a massive green banner emblazoned with “Celtics Pride.” (Just how proud were Suffolk supporters? Some pointed out that the University’s banner was considerably larger than the one hanging just up the street at the Massachusetts State House.)
A tsunami of cheering preceded the arrival of the first duck boat on Tremont Street, the sidewalks of which were six- and seven-people deep with green-clad fans, dozens of whom waved “Suffolk Has Celtics Pride” signs. In a morning full of highlights, one of the best was seeing Jayson Tatum hoist the Larry O’Brien championship trophy directly in front of Sargent Hall. The crowd, as they say, went wild.
“I’ve never had the opportunity to go to a Celtics game, so to be so close to the players and in the commotion and feel the energy of the city was just amazing,” said Audrey Fields, Class of 2026, who spent much of the day being Rammy and posing for selfies with excited fans. “I feel lucky to be going to school in Boston, first of all, and also that Suffolk has such a connection with the Celtics,” she says.
Suffolk has had a partnership with the Boston Celtics since the spring of 2023, giving students multiple opportunities to travel to Celtics headquarters, interact with and present to executives, and get a glimpse inside a massive professional sports machine. The collaboration is an anchor of the Sawyer Business School’s Sports Management Program.
“We always knew the partnership with the Celtics would give our students incredible opportunities,” said Skip Perham, director of the program. “But seeing an NBA championship parade go right through the Suffolk campus is an amazing bonus experience that’s pretty hard to equal and, once again, highlights the value of our downtown location.”
The confetti has been cleaned up. (Well, almost.) The barricades are gone. Duck boats are ferrying tourists around the city again. And Boston fans are already dreaming of a 19th banner next year. But until then, we have the collective memory of the awesome, amazing, thoroughly enjoyable 2024 Celtics championship parade.
Our Lucky day, indeed.
