Super Fan Spotlight

Dave Bromley - Portland, ME

Simply put: Dave bleeds green. He’s been a die-hard his whole life…through the good times and the bad. 

We sat down with him in this exclusive Super Fan Spotlight to discuss the Celtics and some of his favorite memories as a fan.

What classifies you as a Celtics Superfan? 

My first memories of the Boston Celtics were the twilight hours of Larry Bird's career, the Dream Team, and that McDonald's commercial with Michael Jordan playing H.O.R.S.E. Then, the darkness came. The Celtics would struggle for years and as I learned to play basketball myself, I also learned the history and rich heritage of the team. Basketball teaches so many important life lessons including teamwork, sacrifice, and bouncing back quickly. The historic Celtics teams played the right way and were obviously very successful. The team struggled to bounce back across the 1990's but the parquet floor and green & white jerseys cemented their place in my heart during the Paul Pierce & Antoine Walker era. Tommy Heinsohn's love for Walter McCarty showed me you don't have to be the most talented player to make an oversized impact. 

I watched Paul Pierce's entire career under a microscope hoping he'd carry on the proud traditions. I will never forget sitting on the floor of the living room with a Sports Illustrated during draft night updating my dad pick by pick, so perplexed that he fell to Boston in the draft. The bad luck lingering from the deaths of Reggie Lewis & Len Bias seemed to finally turn around. A couple years later, The Truth shook off a stabbing right before the season and didn't miss a game endearing himself to us forever. He still needed a championship to take his place among the Celtics legends, though. 

Around this time, I went down to my first game: an 80-78 battle with the Iverson 76ers. Then, I attended Northeastern University so I could go to more. New additions Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen showed great passion and exemplified elite work ethic. The 2008 championship team was the end of a long journey back to the mountaintop. It's impossible to ignore their similarities with the current team starring Jayson Tatum & Jaylen Brown. I hope they have similar success and take their places among the legends but the team's mascot is the concept of luck itself. Sometimes it's good and sometimes it's bad. I've learned so much from being a Celtics fan. Most importantly, the journey filled with adversity is necessary - but it's all about the destination.

What's your favorite moment as a fan? 

Finally celebrating on Causeway in 2008 with my friends as the duck boat parade approached the Garden and everyone in the streets was wearing green and going crazy. I loved seeing the players get to be themselves with the hard work done, finally celebrating with each other and their families. We yelled "MCI" at Sam Cassell and he looked right at us, shocked. Cassell played at Maine Central Institute before college, so he's a local legend up here.

What's the best game you've ever attended for your team?

I've seen prime Iverson, Shaq & Kobe, Vince Carter & T-Mac, KG, Carmelo, Durant & Westbrook & Harden and more, but a lot of times the Celtics lost those games. Until recently, I hadn't been to a playoff game since 2002 against the Stackhouse Pistons: a 90-79 win where Pierce had 25 & 17. 

In May 2024, with one of my friends I saw that 2002 playoff game with, we watched the Celtics beat the Miami Heat in a "Gino" game. It was legendary broadcaster Mike Gorman's last game and we got to be a part of his well-deserved standing ovation. It was a magical night and I left my voice in the Garden. I wish the Heat had been at full strength, but I was happy to see the maturity and urgency needed to close this first round playoffs series out.

What's the craziest thing you've ever done as a fan?

I went to an Idaho Stampede at Maine Red Claws D-League game in 2010, specifically to watch Antoine Walker play for the Stampede. He was attempting a comeback and scored 25 points! The Maine Celtics, formerly the Red Claws, play in a small arena and I made eye contact with Toine several times because I was yelling a lot.

What's the most memorable fan item you've ever spent money on?

I love my NBA Jam t-shirt with Jayson Tatum & Jaylen Brown. It's the perfect mix of retro & modern and I start heating up the moment I put it on.

Your fandom deserves recognition. Want to be featured in the app? Share your fandom with us for your chance to be highlighted.