By Jayden Simmons
If there are three things that Boston natives love, they are Dunkin Donuts, drinking, and talking about sports. I got the chance to talk to 18-year-old Boston native and my good friend Myles Ribeiro about his favorite basketball team, the 17x Champions themselves.
Myles has been a diehard Celtics fan his whole life, “being born in Boston there’s really no other choice.”
The Celtics have a very storied rivalry with the Los Angeles Lakers, but Myles also has disdain for the Washington Wizards. “When I really started paying more attention to basketball, it was around the time that IT and John Wall were going back-and-forth. That series was heated.” Having the most championships can definitely put a target on your back.
Now sure, being a Boston sports fan comes with very few lows, and Myles is aware of that. “It’s a blessing and a curse, I can’t ever regret being a fan because that would be kinda spoiled. The team was never truly bad, just kinda disappointing at times.” But it’s not all salted caramel lattes and apple cider donuts as a Celtics fan. “Game 7 of the 2018 Eastern Conference Finals kinda hurt, but we dodged the Warriors in the Finals. What REALLY killed me was that Bam Adebayo block in the 2020 Bubble. Just killed the whole team really. I also remember sobbing violently when we lost the 2010 Finals.”
But of course, it’s definitely not all bad. “I was a little young when we won in 08, but I definitely recall it. Titletown keeps winning.”
Being a Celtics fan in Boston, Myles definitely fits in with the crowd. “Honestly living in Boston it’s harder to find someone who is NOT a Celtics fan.” He loves every second of it. “I’ve never even THOUGHT about switching teams, you gotta ride it out. Unless for some reason we sign Rick Pitino again, in which case I’d have to rethink those decisions.”
In Boston, every game can get a bit hectic. “One game I went to, we beat the Nets and some dude punched a hole in his pizza. Like the dude literally looked in his lap, picked up a massive slice of pizza and just punched the shit out of it. Clean through, no sauce or anything. Then he threw it down and stomped on it.”
He hasn’t done anything too crazy himself, though. “Honestly the most I’ve done was nearly burn my Kyrie jersey. Like I had the lighter fluid, the matches and everything but y’know…fire safety and stuff so I wasn’t just gonna burn it on the grass.”
Kyrie Irving was definitely a Celtic that left a sour taste in his mouth, but he also wasn’t a fan of Jermaine O’Neal. “I don’t know why he was getting minutes, he wasn’t playing well. My dad was always saying he was a perennial all-star and I was just like perennial all-star my ass, he’s getting bodied by Cavs Shaq!”
He’s a huge Jayson Tatum fan though, “It was always between Pierce and Tatum for me, and at this point I’ve watched Tatum for about the same amount of time that I watched Pierce, so Tatum has taken over as my all time favorite.”
Myles also gives his credit where it’s due to some rival players. “Man I’ve always loved Russell Westbrook, and now he’s fulfilling his duties posing as a double agent and tearing the Lakers down from the inside. You truly love to see it. And all time, there’s a man who brought a championship to my Michigan State Spartans, so it’s always gonna be love for Earvin Magic Johnson.”
With a passionate fanbase comes some passionate superstitions on game day. “I remember back in the Bubble in the series versus Toronto I would only talk to my friend Billy for the entire day. And we ended up winning the series. Had to keep the convos Celtic Green.”
And in typical Boston sports fan fashion, Myles has a message for any other fanbase regarding his Celtics.
“Listen…you can hate us, and you do. But hey, we’re better, we’re gonna continue to be better. And we always have been better. That’s what you get to say when you have 17 championships.”
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