The Celtics are one of the NBA’s original franchises and have played 30 Christmas games in their storied history.
But all 30 have been on the road or at a neutral site. Boston hasn’t hosted a single Christmas game.
That’ll change tomorrow, when the Celtics have a home game against the Wizards.
What took so long?
The NHL’s Boston Bruins routinely skated at the Garden on Christmas Day, playing 34 games at home between 1928 and 1971. The Bruins, who own TD Garden and have priority, were home for Christmas during each of the Celtics’ first 19 holiday games starting in 1948.
In recent years, the Disney On Ice crew would load in on Christmas Eve and set up the staging for its extended holiday run that typically kicked off with an afternoon show on Dec. 26. The tour made its final late December visit in 2012, and Christmas has been an available date to the NBA in each of the past four years.
This such a remarkable oddity. It’s like the Bucks’ three-decade streak of opening on the road – just much more distinguished. The Celtics are a flagship franchise, and Christmas is the NBA’s premier regular-season date.
Considering the Celtics’ bright future, at least Boston should be in the regular rotation for Christmas games now.
