It was another eventful year in 2023 for the Boston Celtics and their fans. I asked the staff to share their favorite moments from the past calendar year.
Mark Aboyoun
My favorite memory of 2023 is the Derrick White game winner in Game 6 to force Game 7. Being down 0-3 and then clawing our way back to Game 7, I thought that was a sign that we were going to make it back to the Finals. That play encapsulates so much of what White brings to the team, being in the right place at the right time.
Sam LaFrance
My favorite memory from 2023 has to be the Grant Williams “Imma make em both” game. The way that the Cs melted down in Cleveland called off by Grant blowing the free throws has to be funniest basketball moment I’ve ever seen.
Robbie Hodin
Pretty easy one for me. Coming back from 3-0 against the Heat. I know we couldn’t finish the job, but that was quite the series. I cried when Derrick White made the buzzer beater in game 6.
Daniel Poarch
Jayson Tatum setting the NBA record for points in a Game 7 with 51 against the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round of last postseason. For the second straight playoffs, we were treated to an absolute masterclass from Tatum in a win-or-go-home situation, and for it to have come against one of the team’s top rivals in the Eastern Conference made it all the sweeter. This was the Jayson Tatum that can bring Banner 18 to Boston, and I can’t wait to see more of him in the postseason this summer.
Bill Sy
Game 6 in Philly. Marcus Smart carried the Celtics through three quarters, Robert Williams was everywhere, and Jayson Tatum caught fire in the clutch. We very rarely use the video call feature in Slack, but I remember after that game, I wanted to talk to everybody in the CelticsBlog channel.
Mike Dynon
Two favorite memories from 2023. First, the home win in overtime against the Lakers, which featured the last-second missed foul call and the ensuing over-the-top protest by LeBron James. I enjoyed being on the lucky side of that entire incident.
Second, beating the Sixers in the playoffs after being down 3-2, on the road, and five minutes away from elimination. The Celtics survived when Jayson Tatum went supernova to close out Game 6, then rang up a new NBA Game 7 record of 51 points. It was the sixth straight time the Celtics had eliminated the Sixers, who haven’t won a series versus Boston since 1982.
Noa Dalzell
My favorite memory this year was probably Jayson Tatum’s 51-point Game 7 against the Philadelphia 76ers. It was pretty amazing to watch a superstar take over a basketball game that at one point was very much in question and put it away in such a definitive manner. And to do it in front of a home crowd on Mother’s Day? That was the cherry on top.
Adam Taylor
Flying out to Boston for the Celtics/Lakers game in February was a major high point. I’ll remember that trip forever. Hopefully that was the first of many, rather than a once in a lifetime kind of deal.
Another cool memory is more personal…Adding Henry (an English Bulldog) to the family has been a huge boost to my day-to-day.
