Gov. Healey delivers message to Celtics, champs on and off the court

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey kicked off the championship festivities Friday with a heartfelt message to the Boston Celtics, not just for winning Banner 18, but for their impact on the community.

Before players and staff piled into the duck boats for the Rolling Rally through the streets of Boston, Gov. Healey spoke on the court at TD Garden to congratulate the team — and thank them.

“I just want to say on behalf of our administration and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, we are so grateful to the Celtics organization to Wyc (Grousbeck), to (Steve Pagliuca), to the entire ownership team for delivering us Banner 18,” Healey said.

Healey then rattled off a lengthy list of Celtics players who have made an impact during the years, starting with the stars of her generation, including Larry Bird, Robert Parrish and Kevin McHale.

She then highlighted players from previous generations, including Bill Russell, KC Jones and Bob Cousy. The governor also shouted out the likes of Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce, who led the way for the ‘08 championship team.

Healey thanked this generation of players and leadership for “honoring the Celtics tradition.” The governor put stress on the word team, highlighting the way different players contributed on the court on a given night — and the way the organization contributed to the community.

“We are in love with this team, because it is a team. It is a team,” Healey said. They have given us so much. But to a person, and here’s the thing about basketball, it’s a team game. Everybody’s got a role, everybody’s got a part. Some nights, it was a different person stepping up. But they got it done as a team.

“As great as they are on the court, these men are even better human beings,” she added. “I think we just all got to show love and appreciation, not just for the trophy, but for what they give to community, to the state to the region. They are role models. They are leaders and today we’re going to party and celebrate the Boston Celtics.”

After comments from Healey and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, Celtics players and staff made their way to the duck boats to start the Rolling Rally to greet the thousands of fans that had been lining the streets of Boston since early Friday morning.