Even Sean Grande Didn’t See This Celtics Season Coming
“This team has forced me to say the words ‘I was wrong’ more than any other time in my life,” he said. “And I’ve been married twice.” – Sean Grande
By-Hank Stolz
Photo-Linkedin
Boston, MA- Even the most seasoned voices around the Boston Celtics didn’t see this coming.
Sean Grande, the longtime radio voice of the Celtics, described the team’s 2026 season as nothing short of a “fever dream” as Boston heads into the playoffs as the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Grande was candid about how wrong he,and many others were heading into the year.
“This team has forced me to say the words ‘I was wrong’ more than any other time in my life,” he said. “And I’ve been married twice.”
Expectations were modest at best. Many analysts projected a middle-of-the-pack team hovering around a .500 record. Instead, the Celtics delivered one of the most surprising and complete seasons in recent memory.
Grande pointed to a few key factors behind the turnaround.
First, health.
In a league where injuries often dictate outcomes, Boston has benefited from remarkable consistency and availability among its core players.
Second, what Grande described as “championship DNA.”
The Celtics’ foundation players who understand the demands of winning at the highest level has shown up throughout the season in big moments and tight games.
And finally, coaching.
Grande made a strong case for head coach Joe Mazzulla to be recognized as Coach of the Year, citing his ability to guide the team through expectations, adversity, and growth.
Looking ahead, Grande made it clear that the playoff path may matter less than the mindset.
“The first-round opponent doesn’t matter,” he said. “Enjoy this run and stop pretending that you’re the favorites.”
Instead, he urged fans to embrace the moment.
“This is all house money,” Grande said. “You’re not going to get a season like this again because all the pressure will be back in October.”
For now, the message is simple: appreciate what’s happening while it’s happening.
Because even those closest to the team didn’t see it coming.
Celtics Playoff History & Championships
The Boston Celtics are one of the most successful franchises in professional sports history, with a postseason legacy that spans generations. Since their founding in 1946, the Celtics have reached the NBA Playoffs nearly 60 times, making them a consistent presence in the league’s championship chase.
Of those appearances, 17 seasons ended with an NBA Championship, tying them for the most titles in league history. Their championship years are:
1957, 1959–1966, 1968, 1969, 1974, 1976, 1981, 1984, 1986, and 2008.
The most dominant stretch came during the Bill Russell era, when Boston won 11 titles in 13 seasons between 1957 and 1969, a run that still defines excellence in team sports.
More recently, the Celtics returned to the top in 2008 and have remained a frequent playoff contender in the modern era, continuing a tradition where postseason basketball is not the exception in Boston, it’s the expectation.
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