The heartbreak of 2025 should help you appreciate the magic of 2024 even more

This year’s setback will slowly start to fade away after time, but Banner 18 lasts forever.

Whenever anyone asks me my favorite basketball memory or my least favorite basketball memory, I don’t have to think too hard about my answers.

Personally, nothing will ever beat Game 6 of the 2008 NBA Finals, when the Celtics thrashed the Lakers to clinch their 17th championship.

Nothing will ever sting more than Game 7 in 2010, when Kobe Bryant willed the Lakers to an 83-79 victory and deprived Boston of a second title.

That was the peak of my fandom as a high-schooler who had watched since early childhood and endured years of mediocrity prior to the Big Three. That 2008 title meant everything, then 2010 was the one that got away.

It felt like that team should have won two, maybe three titles, just like it does with this current squad. With a core so talented and so perfectly assembled, it felt like more was in store.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized just how difficult it is to win multiple titles. Everything has to go exactly right one year, then it has to happen again another year. That’s far from a guarantee, especially in today’s NBA, where parity reigns supreme and no one has repeated since 2017-18.

The Bucks and Nuggets both had similar magical championship seasons and haven’t been able to break through since. Think about how incredible Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic are, and they still just have one ring apiece.

I’m not saying the Celtics’ championship window is closed, but it does appear likely that the championship window for this exact group is closed, barring a surprising twist.

With Jayson Tatum out for at least part of next season, and offseason moves surely coming, it’s OK to feel a sense of sadness and disappointment. That’s part of being a fan and part of life.

The 2022 Celtics got a taste of the limelight. The 2023 Celtics left you wanting more. The 2024 Celtics are forever NBA champions. The 2025 Celtics underachieved. The 2026 Celtics may look very different.

Enjoy the journey. The triumphs mean even more after the setbacks.

When the 2008-2010 Celtics get together, they do so as champions. I’m sure the 2010 heartbreak comes up in conversation sometimes, but I’m guessing when it does, they flash their rings and their smiles quickly return.

The same will be true for these Celtics, and for you as fans. 2025 will always sting, because it was right there for the taking, but don’t let that alter the way you view 2024. No one can take that title away. It will always be there.

I’m sure are many 15-year-old fans out there who celebrated the 2024 title and are now crushed by the 2025 lack of title. Trust me, you’ll remember 2024 more than 2025. If you travel abroad every month, each trip starts to blend together; if you go on a trip once in a while, it means even more.

Winning two or three championships should be the goal, and there’s a chance this team still will. But, regardless of how it shakes out, this era has been a success. This group ended a 16-year drought and finally clinched Banner 18.

Think about how long the Celtics were saying “It’s all about 18.” Now it’s about 19, and it may be for a while. Or maybe it won’t, but either way is OK.

With each loss, each “what if” and each roster move, it simply adds a new page to the book. The next time the Celtics do win it all again, whether it’s 2026 or 2056 (don’t worry, it’s not going to happen), you’ll be ready to celebrate accordingly.

The setbacks slowly start to fade away after time. Championships last forever.