For years my brother had a Celtics poster on his bedroom door. On it Larry Bird was making a jump shot and beneath was listed all of years the Celtics won a championship. I used to stare up at it, tracing the numbers with my small fingers, counting the years and the small gaps between the years. It seemed like they won EVERY year. The poster was bought sometime in the early 80s, and my brother had written updated years in whiteout: 1984, 1986.

As I wandered away from my hometown, the Celtics have wandered away from winning championships. I rarely followed basketball; the game changed and so did I. But if you were a child in Boston in the eighties, you have rich memories of watching the basketball greats and the Celtics soar.

So I’m ecstatic that today’s Celtics are in the the championship, and even more thrilled it’s a replay of an old rival. Or am I? I love the clips of the days of yore, the interviews with former stars, and the awe of the Celtics replayed in everyone’s minds. But I haven’t watched a game yet. I’ve peeked, turned it on for awhile, but it hasn’t held my interest for very long. I’m not sure if it’s because the game has changed or I have changed. Or maybe the thing about magical times is that they are only magical when looked back upon.

Either way, I couldn’t help but smile and yelp when I found out the Celtics had won last night in LA.

GO CELTS!!!