The same scene plays out in 29 different NBA cities each time the Boston Celtics roll into town.
The arena doors open, a swarm of green-clad fans invade. Wearing jerseys spanning different eras and carrying signs that detail just how far they traveled to see the Celtics, these fans cram along the tunnel leading to the Boston locker room and roar when players emerge for pregame warmups.
Kristaps Porzingis, a pregame espresso in hand and smile on his face, always takes a moment to soak in the roars before he stats getting up shots. The same fans stick around after the final buzzer to cheer again, often serenading Jayson Tatum with MVP chants when he’s the last one to leave the floor following his postgame interview.
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SIGN UP HERE Yes, the Celtics are the Grateful Dead of the NBA. Their fans follow them from city to city to watch each night’s performance. There’s often some green tie-dye in the stands that would most certainly earn Bill Walton’s approval.
That support has helped the Celtics post an NBA-best 33-7 mark on the road this season. On Wednesday night, the C's have a chance to match the best road record in NBA history.
Boston has already assured itself the best road winning percentage in team history, with the 2024-25 crew set to finish ahead of the 1972-73 Celtics squad that posted a 32-8 mark. The C's can match the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors' NBA-best 34-7 road record with a win in Orlando in their regular-season road finale.
When Porzingis gleefully asks, “Where my road doggies at?” in the pregame huddle, his teammates emphatically bark in response. It has become a legitimate rally cry for a Celtics team that has embraced road success since last year’s title run.
"Man, it's a great feeling,” said Al Horford, who was so struck by the passion of Celtics fans during the Hawks’ first-round playoff victory in 2016 that he signed with Boston that summer.
"It's just very special, to see our fans taking over other arenas. And chanting the, 'Let's Go Celtics!' and the Tatum MVP chants and all that stuff -- that’s something that I embrace, something that I enjoy. I don't take it for granted. I know that not all teams get that."
Occasionally, an opposing fan base can stake out a small bit of territory inside TD Garden. The Knicks and Lakers tend to travel well. But it’s almost absurd just how many green shirts and jerseys you’ll find on a random Monday night in Charlotte (maybe some Duke jerseys for Tatum there, too).
“It’s a privilege to play on the road in front of our fans,” said Porzingis. "A lot of times, especially towards the end of the games, when we get all that support, all the, ‘Let’s go Celtics’ chants -- I don't know which other team has this privilege, you know?
"That helps us on the road. It’s been helping us throughout the year. And there's no other organization and no other fans like the Celtics fans.”
Echoed Jaylen Brown: “It’s amazing … Our fans, they travel. They take the time to show up to our games on the road. … That gives us an extra bit of motivation.”
Like any road team, the Celtics hear their share of jeers as well. But that’s music to the ears of head coach Joe Mazzulla.
“You appreciate both. When you hear the good, you appreciate it because it shows that you're a part of something bigger than yourself,” said Mazzulla. "And when you hear the bad, you appreciate it because it shows you've got a lot more work to do. So they're both great.”
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The Celtics benefited for home-court advantage throughout last year’s title run but are faced with the prospects of having to start series on the road against both the Cavaliers and Thunder, should higher seeds prevail in the postseason.
Boston’s road success ought to leave fans confident in the team's ability to overcome that potential obstacle. The Celtics are 11-1 on the road since the All-Star break, with their only loss coming on the second night of a back-to-back against a red-hot Pistons team.
In fact, you’d have to go back to January 15 in Toronto to find the last road loss that wasn’t on the tail end of a back-to-back. Boston is 17-1 on the road since a January 25 win in Dallas.
Most remember the 2015-16 Warriors more for their 73 regular-season wins than their road dominance. Alas, all that success came with a rather large asterisk after they fell to the Cavaliers in the NBA Finals.
This Boston team has carved out another piece of real estate in the Celtics’ record books with its historic road success this season. But it will be remembered even more fondly if it can deliver a second consecutive title.
To get there, the Celtics almost certainly will have to thrive in hostile environments again. But those environments seem a little less hostile given all the green that tends to invade.
