The Celtics have history that few, if any, professional sports franchises can match, so they put it on display. Hall of Fame point guard Bob Cousy, who won six NBA titles from 1957-63, was introduced before he was brought onto the court in a wheelchair.

Cousy was followed by 1981 NBA Finals MVP Cedric Maxwell, and then the Garden truly erupted when Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen, the stars of the 2008 title team, came out together. Allen’s presence was particularly notable given his sometimes strained relationship with the others following his decision to leave the Celtics and sign with the Heat in 2012.

Pierce was carrying the 2024 Larry O’Brien Trophy, and when he reached midcourt he passed it off to Al Horford, who gently placed it on a display table. NBA commissioner Adam Silver was angry when he was introduced, but he quickly flipped that reaction with one simple, factual line.

“The Boston Celtics are now the winningest franchise in NBA history,” Silver said.

The ownership group of Wyc Grousbeck, Steve Pagliuca, and Bob Epstein was introduced next. It may have been a bittersweet moment for Grousbeck, the lead owner whose family is selling the team and currently accepting offers from prospective buyers.

Grousbeck has made it clear he hopes to stay in control through 2028, but it remains to be seen whether a buyer will accept that plan. Regardless, Grousbeck took the microphone and soaked up the scene.

“The statistics don’t lie,” he said. “You are looking at one of the finest teams ever assembled in the history of the NBA.”

Grousbeck then ran through the Celtics’ list of 2024 playoff wins, encouraging the crowd to help. When he reached the Eastern Conference finals win over the Pacers, he held up the microphone while the fans roared, “Sweep!”

Then it was time for the rings, which were predictably extravagant. Grousbeck and his wife, Emilia, helped design the jewelry that is certainly not meant to be worn around.

The 18 emerald-cut diamonds on the outer bezel represent the franchise’s number of championships, and the 84 points of diamonds on the side bezel represent Boston’s playoff winning percentage last season.

There are 16 more diamonds representing the playoff wins, and 30 more to show the seasons played by the Celtics at TD Garden. The word “champions” is made up of 80 white diamonds. Put more simply, there are all kinds of diamonds all over the place.

When the top of the ring is removed, it reveals a piece of the Garden’s parquet floor, as well as the date and score of the Celtics’ clinching win over the Mavericks in Game 5 of the Finals on one side, and the championship banner and the player’s jersey number on the other.

The owners were the first to receive their rings, followed by assistant coaches and players. When coach Joe Mazzulla was introduced, he stopped just inside the free throw line, bent down, and kissed the parquet floor.

The ovations grew louder as the players became more significant, reaching a crescendo when Brown and Tatum were introduced at the end. The soft-spoken and generally introverted Tatum then took a rare turn as a public speaker and addressed the crowd.

With his new ring on his finger, he said nothing at first. He simply smiled and lowered his head as the crowd took it from there. Tatum told the fans he couldn’t have done it without them, and then offered the first signal to move on to what’s next.

“Let’s enjoy this moment together,” Tatum said. “I can honestly say to the best fans in the world, let’s do it again.”

As an organic “Let’s go, Celtics” chant filled the arena, the players made their way toward midcourt, where Banner 18 was waiting. It was raised slightly above their heads for some team pictures before making the slow, calm journey to the rafters, where it joined the 17 others. The 2023-24 Celtics’ place in history was finally cemented.

After the house lights came back on and the floor was quickly cleared, the Knicks returned to the court to resume their warm-ups and were greeted with a chorus of angry. When the game began, a few stray pieces of leftover confetti fluttered onto the hardwood, final reminders of that magical season.

Adam Himmelsbach can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @adamhimmelsbach.