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A recap of the Boston Celtics’ 2024 NBA championship duck boat parade
In case you missed it, enjoy some of the best moments from the Celtics' rolling rally.
On Monday night, the Boston Celtics put the finishing touches on a historic season and clinched their 18th title. After a quick trip to party in Miami, the NBA champions came back to Boston, dishing out chicken fingers to massive crowds, strolling through the North End, and buying shots for surprised diners.
A mid-week heat wave led to an unusually long wait between the final game and the championship parade, but Boston turned out to celebrate on Friday.
The champs made their way from TD Garden to Boylston Street atop the city’s iconic duck boats, cheered on by thousands of fans. Here’s a look back at some of the best moments as they happened:
Fans chase Jaylen Brown’s duck boat
After the parade finally ended near Hynes Convention Center, fans were not eager to see Finals MVP Jaylen Brown go. Aerial cameras from WCVB captured footage of fans chasing the duck boat he was riding in, which also had the Celtics’ championship banner attached to it, down a street.
Al Horford and WBZ’s Steve Burton played catch.
Continuing a tradition that started with Tom Brady during a Patriots victory parade, WBZ’s Steve Burton had a catch with Al Horford and a few other duck boats mid-parade.
The Celtics (and Mike Gorman) are living their best lives.
With the parade going, the duck boats are in full flow. Joe Mazzulla, Jayson Tatum, and even Mike Gorman were in their element savoring the celebratory moment.
And Derrick White tossed beers to the crowd:
Parade officially begins
The championship parade officially began around 11:20 a.m., with 23 duck boats rolling out of TD Garden to loud cheers. Vehicles with Head Coach Joe Mazzulla and General Manager Brad Stevens led the way, followed shortly by members of the 2008 team hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy from that year. Jayson Tatum was carrying the 2024 trophy, while Jaylen Brown clutched the finals MVP trophy. “Shipping up to Boston,” the Dropkick Murphy’s anthem that exploded in popularity during the 2007 Red Sox World Series win, was blasting from speakers as confetti fell on the thousands lining Causeway Street.
The crowd is rocking:
Catching up with the team before the parade
Before taking to the duck boats, a few Celtics sat down for a quick interview inside TD Garden.
Celtics stars arrive
Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and other Celtics players made their way through TD Garden ahead of the start of the parade, showing off some interesting fashion choices.
Tatum rocked a shirt with his own face on it, Al Horford donned a cowboy hat, and Brown was decked out in all black with a shirt displaying the words “state your source.”
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It was an apparent reference to a moment this May when ESPN pundit Stephen A. Smith cited an anonymous source who said Brown’s ego prevented him from being more marketable. Brown tweeted “state your source” in response.
The Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy is here
Celtics lead owner Wyc Grousbeck walked down Causeway Street holding the recently won Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy, with the 18th banner in tow. The crowd’s excitement level unsurprisingly picked up.
‘This is a uniquely Boston thing’: Duck boats are ready to go
Boston’s first “Rolling Rally” was in 2002, after the New England Patriots won their first Super Bowl. The idea was a hit, and the city’s fleet of duck boats have been used to celebrate major Boston championships since.
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How did duck boats become synonymous with Boston’s best teams, and what goes on behind the scenes to make each parade run smoothly? The Boston Globe took a deep dive this week.
The amphibious vehicles were initially manufactured by General Motors and designed to carry troops during World War II. Their involvement in D-Day cemented their place in American history, and the nation’s first duck tours were offered in Wisconsin in 1946.
In 1994, Boston Duck Tours started out with 15 employees and four vehicles. Today, a 25-member crew works to keep a fleet of 28 duck boats operational in a Dorchester garage. While the company used original World War II vehicles at first, maintenance became too difficult and replica duck boats were introduced around 15 years ago specially designed for sightseeing, per the Globe. The current boats should stay useful for decades to come, but Boston Duck Tours is already thinking about a future where electric-powered boats are the norm.
Friday’s parade will feature at least 24 duck boats and require around 50 staff members. The drivers who get to participate are prioritized by seniority with the company, experience in past parades, and full-time status.
“You really have to earn it. No first year employees get to do it,” Cindy Brown, chief executive of Boston Duck Tour, told the Globe. “It’s an honor and a privilege, so we take that seriously.”
Fans show out early
Diehard Celtics fans started securing their spots along the parade route as early as 2:30 a.m. Friday.
See photos from the Boston Celtics’ 2024 NBA championship duck boat parade
Check out photos from the Boston Celtics’ 2024 NBA championship duck boat parade.
Boston.com will continue to share sights and sounds throughout the festival via this live blog, as well as an updating parade photo scroll.
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