The Unvarnished Truth: Celtics Biggest Comeback Remembered By Dime Magazine

Dime Magazine...you complete me.

Okay, let me explain...

A couple of days ago, Dime Magazine posted a story about one of the greatest comebacks in NBA Playoff history that just so happened to be led by one of the greatest Celtics of all-time.

In case you've forgotten (I'll only forgive you if you were a newborn in 2002 or have some sort of illness that affects recollection), the 2002 Boston Celtics consisted of a motley crew that included one Antoine Devon Walker, Kenny Anderson, Walter McCarty, Rodney Rogers, Tony Delk, Vitaly Potapenko, Tony Battie, Coach Jim O'Brien and one young gun who would one day grow up to be the NBA's great purveyor of Truth.

The team was playing against the odds-on favorite to make the NBA Finals New Jersey Nets (seriously, don't laugh...and take your meds...) to a 1-1 series tie and our C's were in a world of hurt heading into the 4th quarter of Game 3. Co-Captain Walker appeared to be tearing a new one into 4th year phenom Paul Pierce as he sat pensively on the bench. I'll leave it at that and let the fine folks over at Dime Magazine tell you how it all went down from there. Then, once you've read it, come on back and watch the 4th quarter (posted below) so you can see it all happen just the way you imagined/remembered it.

I will just say this about the aforementioned game: it will forever live in my brain, seared into my consciousness as one of my sweetest memories. I can recall standing in the back of a bar on Bourbon Street in New Orleans (ahhhh, destination bachelor parties....), beers were being slung 2 for the price of 1 (let's just say that this place made a LOOOOT of money that day). A teeny-bikini contest was being judged up on stage at the front of the house, so you can just imagine where our combined 18 eyeballs (for the mathematically impaired, that's nine people -- or a whole bunch more with some seriously unfortunate stories) were glued for the next hour.

Wrong.

The Celtics were on...Game 3...down 20 heading into the 4th and we had the bouncer put the game on the flatscreens in the back. If you've read the above story by now or watched the video, you wouldn't be surprised to hear that the MC of the bikini contest broke off from calling the competition to remark, "apparently, we have a few people from Boston in the house!"

Pure Nirvana.

At least I THINK that was the name of the woman who won the bikini contest.

Kidding. I meant the game.

I will never be able to separate the New Orleans Experience from the transcendent joy that I felt that day watching the Celtics come roaring back to make history on the shoulders of the man who shall forever be known as "The Truth." Nor will I forget how I felt later on that night after many more 2 for 1's, a couple of Hurricanes and other assorted celebratory libations (I can, without reservation, say that it was decidedly less transcendent and leave it at that).

Thanks, Dime Magazine, for calling out such a special memory.

Here's hoping for a few more to come from 'ol #34 before the Hall calls.

THE BUZZ:

TONIGHT!

Boston Celtics vs. Atlanta Hawks
@ 8:00pm
Boston Garden, Boston, MA