The simple answer would be to say my Dad, but that doesn’t do him justice.

My Dad was the first superhero in my life and still holds that title today.

But, it wasn’t always that way.

When I was five years old, I came home from school one day to find my Dad with his bags packed. My mom simply told me that he was going away for a bit. It wasn’t unusual for Dad or Mom to go on a trip unannounced. We have family all over the continental United States (and in Spain), but days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months. Dad still wasn’t home.

Around the same time, a lot of my friends’ parents were getting divorced, so when I started to visit my Dad at coworkers’ homes and other random places, I began to think my parents were headed on the same path. Luckily, we found Christ along the way, and my parents reconciled. But the father wound still remained.

Was the reason he left because of me? What did I have to do to be worthy in his eyes?

Was I good enough?

Did I have what it takes?

Fast forward to present day and I’m still learning to believe that the last two questions are true, but my Dad and Mom, along with many wonderful people I’ve encountered, have helped me to believe that all the other questions were lies and simply just not true. I’m so thankful that I’ve exorcized those demons (figuratively, no exorcisms have been performed or attempted on this writer). However, I still yearned for that one thing as a child – to connect with my dad.

Enter: the Boston Celtics.

17 championships, including nine straight in the ’60s. Larry Bird, John “Hondo” Havlicek, Robert Parish, and Bill Russell. Those were the glory days of the franchise, and the era of basketball that my dad grew up in – the team(s) he fell in love with when he was my age. It’s always nice to hear my dad recount iconic moments and his memories of watching the C’s, but that was well before my time. How could I possibly compete with Larry Legend?

To be honest I don’t remember a whole lot of my childhood. Not because it was bad or scarring, but for whatever reason, I have difficulty recalling childhood memories without some sort of trigger. What I do remember is watching Celtics games with my dad. This was before I understood what the difference between a three-point shot and a three-point play was – before was really into sports at all. It was a time to connect with my dad. I was honestly was watching the games to spend time with him. I didn’t have a favorite player.

Enter the Big 3.

Yeah, I hear you. I seriously started rooting for the Celtics “coincidentally” before they won their most recent championship. But, it wasn’t about that.

It was about KG, the “Truth,” Rondo, and Ray.

Kevin Garnett is the most intense athlete I’ve ever watched, with all due respect to Russell Westbrook.

Paul Pierce is the cockiest and goofiest basketball player I’ve seen. He’s my favorite basketball player of all-time.

Garnett was definitely the heart of those teams, but Rondo was the blood pumping through Celtics fans.

Ray Allen had one of the smoothest and quickest releases. If you blinked when he shot, you probably missed the bucket.

It was about Nate Robinson and his competitiveness despite giving up at least a foot to every player he guarded. And, it was about Kendrick Perkins bulldozing his way in the paint.

It was all of that and more.

When I watched Celtics games with these teams and these players, I wasn’t just watching a game with my dad. I was cheering with him. We were invested in these teams and had something to talk about. It then would spiral into hundreds and thousands of future conversations about the Nationals, Orioles, Redskins, Vikings, and Wizards, but it sparked my passion for sports, and more specifically, basketball.

It seems silly to be invested in a game where grown men get paid millions of dollars to hit and throw a ball up and down a court, but that’s the beauty of it – it’s just that simple.

Why I like the Boston Celtics isn’t just because they have good players, they just add to the viewing experience.

I don’t like the Boston Celtics just because they’re the winningest franchise in NBA history. I was only alive for their most recent championship.

Why I like the Boston Celtics isn’t because their mascot is a leprechaun and the majority of my ancestors are Irish; although that’s a bonus.

I don’t like the Boston Celtics just because they’ve had a lot of Hall of Famers come through.

Why I like the Boston Celtics is because they helped me see the amazing leader, father, and man my dad is and who I want to be like as I grow older.

@_Mason_Jar