Hats Off to an Old Friend

While nearly everyone understood that the old Boston Garden could not continue to house the Celtics, it was still a sad day when the venerable arena closed in 1995. The team’s last home game took place on May 5, a playoff loss against the Orlando Magic, after which fans rushed the court to kiss the parquet and chant “Beat LA” one last time. The arena sat vacant for two and a half years while it was gutted from the inside out before the walls started to fall to the wrecking ball in April 1998.