John Havlicek. Bill Russell.

Red Auerbach. Larry Bird.

Kevin McHale. Robert Parish.

Tommy Heinsohn.

For 21 years, those names -- hallowed, among Boston sports fans -- lingered around the old and new Boston Gardens like the 16 NBA championship banners that hung from the rafters.

Those were the days, long-time Celtics fans said wistfully.

Remember Russell playing against Wilt? Bird saying he'd rather be in French Lick? Red lighting cigar after cigar after cigar?

It can be fun and pleasing to recall great sporting events from yesteryear. But it's not an altogether good sign. It means your team probably hasn't won in quite some time. For the Celtics, perhaps the most storied franchise in all of sports, the last NBA title came in 1987.

Until Tuesday night.

The hurriedly configured, 2007-08 Celtics throttled the Los Angeles Lakers, their historic nemesis, in the National Basketball Association Finals.

It really wasn't close. The Celtics took the best-of-seven series four games to two. They beat the Lakers by an astonishing and record-setting 39 points, in Boston, in the decisive sixth game.

And wouldn't you know it, there was some 21st century, new age "coaching" behind this team's success.

Before the start of the season, the Celtics' coach fretted about how he would weave three individual stars from Boston, Minnesota and Seattle into one cohesive team. Then he read about "Ubuntu," a term that the Bantu in Africa use to stress that collective goals -- team goals -- are more important than individual ones. Sometimes this season, fans could even hear the Celtics yell "Ubuntu!" as they broke from huddles.

Looks like it worked. The team that basically didn't play together prior to this season united in a most impressive fashion.

Reminisce all you want, New England sports fans, but celebrate the present, too. These are the days.

Paul Pierce. Kevin Garnett.

Ray Allen. Doc Rivers.

Danny Ainge.