"Unforgettable Moments: Reflecting on the Boston Celtics Championship Parade"

Despite the menacing hot weather conditions, Celtics fans were undeterred as they gathered in large numbers for the parade on Friday to commemorate the team's first championship win since 2008.

Throughout New England, individuals rose early and boarded the T in order to secure a prime viewing spot along the two-mile parade route. Although early predictions anticipated around a million attendees, the actual turnout surpassed expectations, with commentators suggesting that the crowd size may have even reached close to 1.5 million.

"Right now, it's very hot but I wouldn't trade it for anything," Mufaro Mutuswa of Billerica said as the parade was beginning.

Mutuswa said she is a Celtics fan because of her Boston pride, and because she likes winning.

"I like to be a part of this," Mutuswa said. "This is absolutely amazing, it's always worth it in the end."

It is widely recognized that the Celtics' 18th banner victory surpasses the Los Angeles Lakers, establishing a new record. Despite their record-breaking wins, many doubted the Celtics' ability to succeed throughout the season.

Nine out of 13 pundits predicted the Dallas Mavericks would emerge victorious, a topic former Celtic and current broadcaster Brian Scalabrine discussed with Jaylen Brown in a Q&A session prior to the duck boats' departure.

Brown's response to the skeptics was concise and direct, stating, "we're here."

Both Brown and Jayson Tatum had something to say to those who doubted them. Brown donned a shirt with the words "Reveal Your Source," aimed at a pundit who relied on an anonymous NBA source to discuss why Brown's marketability and popularity were supposedly lacking. On the other hand, Tatum sported a shirt that read "Never cease doubting," in response to the numerous sports pundits who questioned his capability to lead the team to a championship in the previous year.

The entire team had commissioned a total of 18 celebratory cigars, each adorned with messages from their skeptics, which they symbolically smoked to dismiss any lingering doubts. However, amidst the crowd on Friday, it appeared that there was not a single person questioning the team's abilities.

"It used to be the city who's always expecting a loss," Steve Gladstone of Needham said. "Now, we're ready to win every year."

While the parade was to celebrate the winning, Governor Maura Healey, who used to be a professional basketball player herself, made a point that the Celtics win represents a little more when she spoke before the parade.

"We are in love with this team because it is a team. And they had given us so much, " Healey said.

As great as they are on the court, she said they are even better off the court.

She told people to "show love and appreciation not just for the trophy, but for what they give to community, to the state, to the region. They are role models. They are leaders. And today we're going to party and celebrate the Boston Celtics," she said.