The Boston Celtics youth are paying homage to the legends of old

The Boston Celtics are dominating the Team USA FIBA World Cup roster, as they have four players expected to don the red, white and blue. With this opportunity, some of Beantown’s finest have chosen to honor C’s players of old.

We know that Team USA’s roster heading into the 2019 FIBA World Cup is chock full of Boston Celtics: Kemba Walker, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Marcus Smart. Their participation in the tournament should allow the group to build stronger chemistry which, in theory, should follow them into the 2019 NBA season. Global tournament success puts them in a better position to win this coming season.

An NBA player’s number one goal should always be to win and, for Celtics fans, winning isn’t just something that is longed for — it’s expected.

Boston’s favorite basketball team is one filled with many stories and much success since being established as an NBA franchise in 1946. With 17 championships — league record — and more retired jerseys than you can imagine, the numbers simply speak for themselves; the Celtics are the winningest franchise in league history.

Now, this amazing feat could not have been attained without the help of some star players along the way. Boston’s long list of talented ballers throughout the years will rival any other franchise.

From Bill Russell to Ray Allen, Danny Ainge to Kevin Garnett, Boston has seen its fair share of All-Time greats rep the green and white. While these accomplishments and accomplished players are in fact a part of Boston’s past, they must never be forgotten.

I know this.

You know this.

Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum know this.

Recently, Team USA members selected their jersey numbers for the upcoming showcase in China. As for Boston’s participants, they chose digits that are radically different from what they’ll sport at TD Garden during the NBA regular season. Their choices were numbers they were prohibited from choosing because of the Boston Celtics’ long line of greats.

Tatum and Brown opted to pay homage to the Celtics storied franchise by selecting numbers #34 and #33, respectively.

Obviously, for any fan of Boston, these numbers have a special place in their hearts as #34 belonged to Paul “The Truth” Pierce and #33 belonged to the legend himself, Larry Bird.

Tatum and Brown, Boston’s wings of the future, opting to wear Pierce and Bird’s numbers, the two greatest wings in franchise history, should put a smile on any fan of the Boston Celtics. Frankly, it should put a smile on any fan of the sport, despite their allegiance.

Two of the best young players in the league today are showing that, though the sport is more popular than it’s ever been, the past must never be forgotten. While the game has changed significantly since its inception, the greats from its history should still be perceived as that — great.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are two of the best under-25 players the NBA has to offer. However, even they understand the importance that was the game of old. By selecting these numbers, though subtle, they are giving the respect and remembrance that the league’s history deserves.

Truthfully, I think we all should.