How Celtics Plan To Honor Bob Cousy Amid Banner 18 Ceremony
Celtics governor and majority owner Wyc Grousbeck visited the Worcester home of Boston legend Bob Cousy, extending a personal invitation to the team’s upcoming Banner 18-raising home opener, along with a special gift.
Grousbeck informed Cousy that he’d be presented with a championship ring of his own, too, along with the 2023-24 Celtics. The 95-year-old, who played during the 1950s and early 1960s, helped Boston capture its first NBA Finals in 1957 — going on to win five more with the organization before retiring in 1970 as a 13-time All-Star before being inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame the following year.
“You’ve been instrumental in all the championships,” Grousbeck told Cousy, per Bill Doyle of the Worcester Telegram.
Cousy was (very) attentive throughout last season’s dominant Celtics season which produced a league-leading 64 wins in the regular season, plus a cakewalk 16-3 postseason record. The player-franchise bond between Cousy and Boston remains tight-knit, and for good reason, too. Cousy was a part of the first dynasty chapter of Celtics basketball history, playing alongside fellow icons Bill Russell, K.C. Jones and Tommy Heinsohn under the great Red Auerbach — over seven decades ago. Cousy experienced the original Boston Garden, played years before the NBA introduced the 3-point line, and was nicknamed “The Houdini of the Hardwood,” finishing as the league leader in assists for an eight-consecutive-year span (1953-1960) with passes way ahead of Cousy’s time.
“I think they have the potential to create a mini-dynasty, obviously because of their age, their motivation,” Cousy claimed as the Celtics enter a potential repeat campaign, per Doyle. “Joe (Mazzulla) seems to be a good coach. So on paper, if I would choose who is going to be the favorite the next few years, I’d say the Celtics again.”
So far, there isn’t much keeping the Celtics from bringing Cousy’s vision to life. Even though Eastern Conference rivals such as the New York Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers made progressive offseason moves, Boston is the proven team to beat until further notice. The front office stood by its word, retaining Jayson Tatum and Derrick White this offseason, along with everyone from the championship roster — aside from Oshae Brissett and Svi Mykhailiuk — keeping the dynasty window wide open. Perhaps in 10-plus months, TD Garden, again, will be plastered in celebratory confetti and champagne, leaving the organization to tirelessly work at designing its next ring. Cousy sees the vision.