When the Boston Celtics won the 2024 NBA Finals this June, the entire city celebrated. It was the first Celtics title in 16 seasons, and fans flocked to the team’s championship parade by the millions to party in the streets a few days later.
One fan in particular breathed a sigh of relief. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is a die-hard Celtics fan, and she and her entire family were rooting as hard as anyone else in the Hub for their team to clinch a coveted 18th banner. Wu has been in Boston since college, and has served as the city’s mayor since 2021. She knows how important the Celtics are to Boston and the surrounding area, and how heartbreaking previous season’s had been for fans. By securing a title, the team had put to bed years of doubt and earned a chance to memorialize the achievement with a traditional duck boat parade as well.
Celtics Wire spoke with Mayor Wu about the parade, rooting for the Celtics throughout the 2024 postseason, and what the organization means to the city of Boston.
“The parade was amazing,” Wu told Celtics Wire. “We had incredible turnout, and so much love. Every generation came out, every part of our community.”
Wu joined Celtics rookies Baylor Scheierman and Anton Watson at a basketball at the city’s historical Tobin Community Center, operated by Boston Centers for Youth and Families. Wu continued to beam about the parade, saying it was a snapshot of a much larger connection between the region and the team.
“The parade just really reflected how much this team means to our larger community,” Wu explained. “Not just on the court, but as you see here today, they’re involved every single day of the year.”
“The Celtics came together as a team to really show just what sacrifice means, Wu added. “What it means to be there for your team, and to make sure that you were helping contribute to everyone else’s success. And that was such a powerful example for my kids, for all of our young people, and for the city to see. Not just that they did it, but how they did it as well.”
Wu and the city work closely with the Celtics on a number of projects and events throughout the year. When asked about planning the parade, Wu joked about balancing her fandom and her civic responsibilities.
“I am superstitious,” Wu laughed. “I try to set healthy boundaries as a sports fan.”
“So, I think we started conversations with the team in a very provisional way in advance,” Wu said. “It was still part way through the series before we were kind of concrete about our plans.”
Scheierman and Watson joined Celtics champion Leon Powe in dribbling drills and other games with a few dozen young people from the community. Wu watched from the sideline, chatting with players, parents, and other people at the event. She spoke about how important little moments like these can be.
“You can’t quantify how much this means to the city,” Wu said. “We have community centers where the courts have been redone because of the generosity and involvement of the team. We have science labs in some of these buildings where the Celtics have come in and helped, and we’ve had events that they’ve sponsored that are creating lifelong memories for young people.”
“These kids will never forget that they got to dribble alongside champions,” Wu added.
Wu’s own children are fans of the team, and she talked about the experience of watching games during the playoffs with her family. Like many fans, the Wu family had certain rules and rituals during the postseason and especially the finals.
“There was a lot of popcorn,” Wu joked. “A lot of yelling, and a lot of ‘If you did this, and they went on a run, you have got to stay on that spot on the couch, you can’t move.’ We all tried our hardest to contribute as well from home.”
With the confetti all cleaned up and the NBA offseason in full swing, the Celtics are already looking ahead to next season. Despite any superstition, Wu said she and her family are ready to root for the team as they look to defend their title.
“We are going to be cheering them on every single game,” Wu said. “I can’t help but dream alongside the entire city and all of Celtics Nation.”
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