I Am Boston, featuring the world's greatest fans: Nicholas O'Leary

The Boston Celtics boast a rich history that began in 1946 and has continued with seventeen championships and millions of memories.

CelticsLife's "I Am Boston" offers a closer look at the individuals that make up the most loyal and supportive professional sports fans in the world.

Profile: Nicholas O'Leary, 51 year old from England, UK

I've been a Celtics fan for 30 years.

I was employed as a sports coach at a summer camp in Maine in the early eighties. The Celtics were playing in the Eastern Conference finals against Detroit and I was sitting in the cafeteria with 300 campers. Bird stole the ball in Game 5 and the noise in the cafeteria was like a hurricane! I was hooked.

I've been fortunate to have collected many Celtics memories throughout the years. Here are just a few:

1. Meeting Darren Daye and having a book personally signed by Red Auerbach.
2. Purchasing a piece of the parquet floor.
3. The great Celtics v Lakers games of the 1980's and the 2008 finals.
4. Complaining about a faulty toy I had bought in the Celtics shop for my son and taken back to England. As a replacement I was sent a box of toys. Always thought the Celtics were a class organization after that show of kindness and effort.

My favorite player from the past is Darren Daye. Despite being a very good player when I met him he was always being asked about Larry Bird. He handled it with a degree of class.

My favorite member of the current team is Avery Bradley, for his great defense on the ball and his becoming an excellent mid-to-long range shooter.

I have been coming from England to Boston for 17 years to watch two or three Celtics every year as part of the Celtics International Fan Club.

Want to be a featured fan in I Am Boston? Email chris@chrisQuimby.com to receive the interview form. All entries and edits are posted at blogger's discretion.

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