LAST SUMMER, AFTER the duck boats had paraded through downtown Boston, the confetti had been swept, the cigars had been smoked, and the photos with the trophy taken, only then was it time for business.
On Monday morning, July 1, 10 days after the Boston Celtics' championship celebration, team governor Wyc Grousbeck shocked the NBA world when he announced his family was putting the controlling interest in the franchise up for sale.
Even so, the Celtics, loaded with in-their-prime talent, ran it all back. They kept their roster intact and pressed the gas pedal down, chasing a repeat and a 19th banner.