Wish It Lasted Forever - Life With The Larry Bird Celtics

I just read the introduction to a new book from Dan Shaughnessy titled Wish It Lasted Forever. I was misty eyed after reading just the intro with the last paragraph from Bill Walton. I’m going to copy that last paragraph below, to me it resonates deeply and is a big reason why I love the Boston Celtics.

When I told Walton why I was writing about my days with the Larry Bird Celtics of the 1980s, he said, “You cannot overemphasize in your book how much fun this was. It was better than perfect. Everybody couldn’t wait to get to practice every day. Everybody couldn’t wait to get to the airport, to get on a bus, to get to the games. Empty the thesaurus when you write this. You have license to print whatever superlative you can find. The basketball was superb and the community was remarkable. The people in my neighborhood in Cambridge and all the Celtics fans - the guy running the parking lot outside the Garden, the people in the restaurants, the people running the airport, and the people in the tollbooths at the tunnels. It was such a joy. It was what you dream about and I wish it lasted forever.”

To hear Bill Walton talk about his short time with the Celtics is easily my favorite sports activity. Hope the rest of the book is as good as the introduction!

I would love to write it on a chalk board and put it in the Celtics locker room. It is funny, throughout this, for lack of a better word, horrible, year we are going through, I explained. To my son how I have never felt this way. We went through an 18 game losing streak, everyone wanted Doc fired, and then, all of a sudden the sun came out. I had the joy of talking to Bill Walton at a mall one day. All I did was ask him ? Was it like backing up the big guy (Parish), and he went on and on and on, over ten minutes of joy spewing from his mouth. And me, I just stood there with a huge smile on my face, it was a joy. I just wish there was one guy on this team that would make me feel that way again.
I will not resort to negativity, I will stay watching them, and pray that a miracle like Kevin Garnett walks in the door and smacks them all in the head!!!! I just wish I could have one conversation with one of “them”. I wish I could tell them that we have buried more “true Celtics” in the last couple of years . Let them know that they are taking the :”joy” away from the name of the Boston Celtics.
I have gone on too long, and many will laugh, but let me tell you, you may not see me but I will be here

Rosie, you have helped me, a Celtic fan circa 1972, who has never stepped foot in Massachusetts see and understand the Camelot that was 60’s Celtics basketball. The round table knights of roundball led by Sir Red of Auerbach. You my dear are the Queen Guinevere of fans. Your love and faith in this team, this franchise is incredible. You are the very definition of die never, bleeds green Celtic love and lore. Your heartfelt dedication to this team is both a testament and an inspiration. We all hope to see our Celts pull out of this 2 and a half year streak of mediocrity because we’re fans, but even more so because you Rosie deserves better from them. You are as much a representative of “Celtic Pride” as any banner or retired number. We can only hope that the current players realize the legacy that the great players and loyal fans have entrusted to them…and do their best to live up to it!

Thank you, I appreciate your kind words

Just finished the book. If you are a fan of the 80s Celtics I highly recommend it!

That was a quick read!!! Looks like I am going to have to buy it!

RosalieTCeltics wrote:That was a quick read!!!  Looks like I am going to have to buy it!

Or your local library. Definitely worth it, Shaughnessy takes a lot of heat locally but I think he is a very good writer.

I have never been a Shaughnessy fan, find him a bit arrogant. But, he has written books with Bird, Auerbach, and a few others. So if I want to look back at that time, I will read this because Bird must have had a hand in the substance