December 2nd evening, Boston Fleet Center, game day.
After enduring the bleak 1996-1997 season, the Celtics now have a sense of relief and excitement, with home fans arriving early to wait for the game to start.
It's important to know that just last season, the Celtics not only recorded the worst regular-season record in history with 15 wins and 67 losses, but also the lowest attendance and poorest ticket sales revenue.
The previous worst record for the Celtics was 29 wins and 53 losses in the 1978-1979 season.
With the arrival of Larry Bird in 1979, the Celtics revived, winning 61 games, reaching the Eastern Conference finals, and winning the championship the following year.
Twenty years later, the same miracle happened again in Boston.
When the Celtics secured the first pick in May and confirmed Tim Duncan's arrival, the season's regular tickets sold out instantly, and the price of remaining tickets doubled, making them hard to get.
