Part 1: Summer of ‘05
The Boston Celtics entered the 2005-‘06 season with the winds of a misguided optimism at their backs. The previous season – the team’s second under the executive direction of former Toronto Blue Jays infielder Danny Ainge and first with head coach Glenn Rivers, Ph.D on the sidelines – had been a surprisingly successful one. Though they had muddled along at a sub-.500 clip for the better part of their first 50 games, the Celtics had taken first place in the Atlantic Division, finishing with a record of 45-37. It had been their best regular season campaign since 2002 (49-33), and second-best since 1993 (48-34).
