More from Shira in yesterday's notes:
Call it the KG Effect.
With the acquisition of Kevin Garnett, interest in all things Celtic has dramatically increased. The league reports that Garnett's new No. 5 Boston jersey has been the No. 1 seller since it became available online Aug. 1. The Celtics have seen spikes in season ticket sales and sponsorship interest. Individual-game ticket prices could be the next thing on the rise.
According to team president Rich Gotham, the Celtics' season ticket base has grown by more than 50 percent since the Garnett trade and more than 60 percent since the end of last season. While the team manages ticket sales to ensure availability for individual contests and game-day purchases, Gotham said the staff will be working with less inventory than in the past.
So for any fans with a tendency to procrastinate, now might be a good time to break the habit.
"The KG signing was definitely the catalyst for the intense demand that has materialized," said Gotham. "Ticket sales started to run up the day before on the rumor that we were going to sign him and continued to be strong.
"We're projecting to sell out the majority, if not all, of our games next season. Obviously, we're holding back some tickets for individual games. We haven't finalized our planning, but I would think we would reserve some amount for day of game."
The Celtics must also determine whether individual ticket prices will increase. According to Gotham, prices for season ticket packages have not increased from 2006-07.
"Regarding individual-game ticket pricing, which is generally released in September, the likely scenario is that some, but not all, sections of the building will see price increases over the '06-07 rates for individual game tickets," wrote Gotham in an e-mail. "We will finalize those plans over the next 30 days."