Ray Allen and the Holocaust Memorial

Ray Allen has one of the sweetest jump shots in the NBA. He was a vital component of the Boston Celtics first championship since 1986. It turns out he’s also a mensch. 

I was very surprised to read in the Boston Herald that Allen has visited the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum a number of times and took the Celtics there last week. I’d love to learn more of the background on what prompted Allen to begin visiting the site.

“So many times we get caught up in our everyday lives and what’s going on around us, and that was an opportunity for us to see something that I think is about the human condition,” Allen said before last night’s 122-88 win over the Washington Wizards. “I’ve been five times. It’s something that’s affected all of us, and it affects society today. It gets to you. (Glen Davis), it affected him greatly. When you see stuff like that, you think about how you can take better care of humankind now in the position we’re all in.”

Righteous!

Boston Globe Celebrates Celtics Rolling Rally

The Boston Globe ran a beautiful special section on the Boston Celtics championship rolling rally today.
Here’s a Stan Grossfeld pic that was particularly nice.

Celtic Pride

I just returned from downtown. I met the Fabulous Dana at her office in the Bullfinch Triangle and walked across the Greenway to J. Pace.

Already 9 hours before the Boston Celtics face off against the Los Angeles Lakers tonight in an attempt to win their first championship since 1986, the whole area was buzzing. Green and white balloons adorned buildings and garages from the Garden to Haymarket.

We crossed the Greenway, where young people were arrayed on the grass sunbathing, and entered Pace, the salumeria and grocery, closed during the years of Big Dig construction. As excitement over the Celtics and the downtown revival hung in the air, I noticed the next customer wearing a nifty black Boston Celtics polo shirt. It was the man largely responsible for the resurgence of the Celtics, managing partner, Wyc Grousbeck.

I credit Grousbeck for putting together an investment team to buy the club, tapping Danny Ainge to serve as the general manager, and, most importantly, for having faith. At a time when I thought the teams fortunes were without hope, Grousbeck had the vision to see what the new era Celtics could become.

Grousbeck is also a philanthropist and a decent guy. He flew back to Boston between Celtics games in LA to attend his son’s graduation from the Perkins School for the Blind.

Nobody can predict what will happen in sports. I’m hoping that Celtics, who despite all their championship banners over the years, can earn their first ever rolling rally.

In the meantime, the city is in championship form.

Goin’ Back to Cali

Now that the Boston Celtics have defeated the Detroit Pistons, it is only fitting that they face their historic foe, the Los Angeles Lakers. Just as in Greek mythology, where heroes had to vanquish great enemies before being allowed to enter the pantheon, the Garnett-Pierce-Allen trio must defeat Kobe and the team from the West. To get us ready for this tremendous battle, I’m posting some links.

1. Randy Newman singing “I Love LA.”

2. 2 Pac and Dr. Dre performing “California Love.”

3. Cool J’s “Goin’ Back to Cali.”

4. Kevin McHale taking Kurt Rambis down in the 1984 Finals.