The Basketball Hall of Fame has announced a new exhibit entitled “The Vault: Boston Celtics Unlocked,” which will be unveiled in Springfield this summer. The Vault will be a rotating feature in the Hall of Fame, and the Boston Celtics are the first installation.
“We are so pleased to be working with the Boston Celtics,” President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame John L. Doleva said. “It’s a natural [fit] for us. There are more Celtics than anybody than any other team in the NBA in the Basketball Hall of Fame.”
It will include a collection of displays intended to honor the history of the Celtics.
The team, individual collectors, and other outsiders have donated a variety of items that will be included in the exhibit, which will be displayed in a giant bank vault-like space. The Hall has worked closely with the Celtics organization to initiate the opening.
Among the objects within the exhibit will be a wide array of championship rings.
“We have 11 championship rings, and these are not replicas,” Doleva said. “We’ve got the Cousy ‘57, Sam Jones ‘59, Red Auerbach will have two rings there from ‘62 and ‘74, Jo Jo White ‘76, Robert Parish, two rings.”
The Vault will also include Ray Allen’s jersey from the 2008 Finals (champagne stains and all), Paul Pierce’s St. Patrick’s Day edition jersey from 2006, Robert Parish’s 20,000-point ball, and clogs that Larry Bird wore when he was a part of the Dream Team.
Paul Pierce and Jayson Tatum did the voiceovers for some of the presentations within the exhibit, emphasizing the importance of connecting the Celtics’ rich history with their present-day successes.
“I think all of us here who are with the Celtics, I think you feel like you’re, obviously, a part of history every day,” said Celtics President Rich Gotham. “It’s something we all appreciate. Just all the great moments, all the great players, the coaches, the accomplishments, all of that stuff is so much a part of what it means to be the Boston Celtics.
“And I think the really cool thing about this display that I kind of like is it kind of creates a thread, starting with Red and Russell, all the way through to JT and JB.”
Now, the most historic franchise in the NBA will be the first members of The Vault.
“We hope all of our fans and all basketball fans get a chance to enjoy it while it’s. We [are] really, again, proud to be partnering with you and be the first team to be able to do this with the Hall of Fame.”
