Raising Banner 18: The Boston Celtics’ time has finally arrived ring ceremony

Anyone who’s spent time on the app formerly known as Twitter has probably seen the meme, “It’s been 84 years…” taken from a scene from the film Titanic. it’s internet lingo that represents waiting forever for something.

In the case of Celtics fans, we’ve done the math and know it’s been 16 years since the last banner was raised. It only feels like it might’ve been 84. Considering the many missteps, unlucky bounces and near misses the Celtics have experienced since 2008, we have definitely earned the right to enjoy the special night ahead.

The fans are ready.

And the team’s planning is complete.

This will be, of course, the league-high 18th banner ceremony in team history. Waiting 16 years isn’t terrible, if you consider what some other fans have endured.

• Eight NBA franchises have never won a title.
• The Brooklyn Nets and Indiana Pacers, who won titles in the old ABA, haven’t won a championship since joining the NBA in the 1976 merger.
• Other teams haven’t won in so long that the majority of their fan bases likely weren’t even born when they did. The Sacramento Kings won their only title in 1951 when they were the Rochester (N.Y.) Royals. The Atlanta Hawks’ one chip came in 1958 when they were based in St. Louis. Philadelphia 76ers fans have been waiting since 1983, and New York Knicks fans since 1973.

Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images

In light of those facts, we should have nothing to complain about. However, at the same time, none of those franchises are the Boston Celtics. Expectations are different here, and certainly we’ve had plenty of disappointments since the 2008 banner. To recap:

In 2009, the Celtics looked primed to win back-to-back championships. Then Kevin Garnett injured his knee.

2010 was a so-so regular season followed by an inspiring playoff run that included upsets over the heavily favored Cleveland Cavaliers (with LeBron James) and Orlando Magic. Just when Banner 18 was in reach, the Celts suffered a crushing Game 7 loss in Los Angeles. The Lakers took 20 more free throws than Boston in a four-point win.

2011 was promising until a midseason trade – basically, Kendrick Perkins for Jeff Green – disrupted team chemistry. The 2012 squad was one win from heading back to the Finals until LeBron saved the Miami Heat from an upset. And after a first-round exit from the 2013 postseason, we suffered through the trading away of the Pierce-Garnett-Allen Big Three.

Then came the rebuilding period. Danny Ainge hoodwinked the Nets for a trove of draft picks and then surprisingly hired Brad Stevens as head coach; Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum were drafted as future cornerstones; Al Horford became the first coveted free agent to choose Boston in ages; and a trade-deadline acquisition of Isaiah Thomas put the Celtics in the conversation about legitimate championship contenders.

Photo by Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

Never has TD Garden been more energized than during the three years IT led the Celtics to the playoffs. They went all the way to the 2017 Eastern Conference Finals before an injury to “the Little Guy!” (as Tommy Heinsohn often bellowed) ended all hope of more success. And then Thomas was unbelievably traded by Danny Ainge, who was 100-percent pragmatic without a shred of sentimentality.

In return for IT, Kyrie Irving arrived in Boston, and on top of that, free agent Gordon Hayward signed on. How could we lose?

You know the rest. Hayward was on the court for five minutes and on the injury report for the rest of the season. Kyrie said all the right things early on and led the Celtics to a 16-game winning streak before he also became injured and out for the season. Both signed elsewhere as free agents once their contracts expired. While their combined tenure in Boston began with championship expectations, it proved disastrous.

Despite all that, the team continued to improve and succeed, reaching two more conference finals under Stevens, but always falling short. When the team had a .500 season and a first-round playoff exit, Brad was too valuable to lose, so he succeeded Ainge and Ime Udoka was hired as head coach.

Udoka got results on the court, no doubt. The Celtics caught fire midseason, went to the NBA Finals, and nearly upset the Golden State Warriors. Then we discovered (partially) what Ime was doing off the court. Another disaster.

Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

That led to the promotion of assistant coach Joe Mazzulla, and the question on everyone’s mind was “Who’s he?” More questions came after the Celtics made their fifth ECF in seven years, but lost yet again. After that Game 7 defeat in 2023, the Celtics’ future looked as uncertain as ever – at first.

There’s no need for us to review the exciting events since then – we all know the glorious details. There was an outcry early on when fan favorites Marcus Smart and Robert Williams were traded away, but the season ended with a parade, so enough said.

Yet, although the Celtics destroyed all competition from start to finish, their season illustrated how incredibly difficult it is to win an NBA championship. You need talent, luck, good health, intelligent players, coaches and management, and a collective unshakable will.

Patience helps greatly, too. Sixteen years wasn’t the longest wait, but it was long nevertheless. Banner 19 might happen in 2025, or it might take 16 more years. Anything can happen and there are no guarantees.

So enjoy every minute of Ring Night, the banner-raising ceremony, and the opening game versus the New York Knicks. Moments like these are precious, so soak it all in. A grand chapter in Celtics lore is just hours away.