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I am 61 years old, and was taken to many C's games by my dad. The old Garden- smoky, smelly, hot (even in winter), and loud. It was like a passion play- we (almost) always triumphed over the evil invaders- vilified by Johnny Most. Russell, the Jones boys, Heinsohn, Satch, Bailey Howell, Frank Ramsey,Larry Siegfried- for a decade, we knew these guys- as a group- would win. We knew it- and the thrill was watching how they would do it. No"above the rim" stuff (except Russell), no "iso", no "hero shots". Watch the black and white video on YouTube- it looks so plain. They did it as a hardnosed, lunchbucket, "we punched in and went to work" team.

Fast forward to the 80's- same old garden. I am there, now with my own children.Newer versions of the same guys: Cowens, Archibald, Maxwell, Bird, Parish, McHale, Ainge, DJ. "Star power" is creeping into the NBA, but these C's still punched in, went to work as a team, and we knew they would win- the thrill- again- was in the how.

Present day, new garden- same chaos, less the smoke. (I am still there, now with my grown sons). The players? You know who they are. A mixture of old and young- but still carrying the "team above all" flag. A rarity in today's NBA. Let's see- players leveraging the ouster of their coach and GM?, players responding in the third person?, players so entitled they see basketball as secondary? And on and on.............

This Celtics team is full of throwbacks- team players who belong in another era, and are fighting against their waning skills to- win- it -all-one -more-time. Garnett, Pierce, Allen- you won't see them again. The sport has changed, the earth has spun.

If you have a son or daughter watch these last games. They wont come again.