Wyc Grousbeck teases 'massive' Celtics championship rings before raising banner

Joe Mazzulla has been trying to avoid thinking about the Celtics' 2024 NBA championship since the team reconvened for training camp last month.

But before Boston kicks off its new season on Tuesday evening against the New York Knicks, it will have one more well-deserved celebration.

The opening ceremonies at the TD Garden will feature the raising of the Celtics' 18th championship banner from the TD Garden rafters and the presentation of the team's championship rings.

Team owner Wyc Grousbeck declined to reveal details about the rings' design during a Tuesday morning appearance on WEEI's “The Greg Hill Show.” But one word he used to describe them was “massive.”

Grousbeck commissioned a small group to design the rings, including his wife Emilia Fazzalari and the Beverly Hills jewelry company Jason to create them. Although the ring committee received “a little stylistic input from some players,” the finished product remained hidden from the team until Tuesday night's ceremony.

“Really, the players didn’t want to have any influence,” Grousbeck said. “They wanted to be completely surprised tonight, and they will be completely surprised. You didn’t see the ring.”

Immediately after the unveiling of the rings and the raising of the banner, the Celtics will focus on the task at hand: They want to become the first NBA team since 2018 to become champions again.

Grousbeck, whose family is in the process of selling the legendary franchise, is entering the season with high expectations.

“It's like the boys are completely on a mission and more confident. Confident boys on a mission,” Grousbeck said. “I don't know what's going to happen. We have some great teams ahead of us or with us. We have one with the Knicks tonight. I don't know what's going to happen, but Jaylen (Brown) and Jayson (Tatum) and (Payton) Pritchard and (Al) Horford and everyone are focused. And (Kristaps) Porzingis looks pretty good in practice. So I hope we can get off to a good start this season.”

Originally published: October 22, 2024 at 1:16 p.m

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