With the arrival of a new year comes the arrival of a new decade for the Boston Celtics — one that will likely revolve around the growth of its talented young core.
But much of the last decade we’re about to be finished with was about assembling that core.
Through trial-and-error and some cagy moves by team president Danny Ainge and the rest of the front office, fans had the luxury of having a watchable team in a rebuild through the genius of having another team tank for you (sorry, Brooklyn Nets fans).
And before that, in the first years of the decade, the Banner 17 squad was still at it, grinding out some near-misses that would ultimately lay the groundwork for that Nets trade (and a certain Adam Sandler film) that would define the direction of the team today.
Throughout that ten-year span, there were a lot of amazing games filled with the plays that made our mouths hang agape, fists pumping in the air while hapless friends, family — and sometimes, neighbors — shook their heads in disbelief at our reactions.
In the above video, check out some of the best of the best of the 2010s, a most awkwardly-named decade to match a transition that was awkward for a bit in the middle — and quite amazing on the bookends.