The New York Knicks defeated the Boston Celtics 121-113 in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, extending their series lead to 3-1. During the Knicks’ celebration at Madison Square Garden, Rick Pitino clapped and smiled as if he had never worn green.
The sight of the former Celtics head coach reveling in their defeat stung deeply, reopening wounds from a turbulent chapter in Boston’s basketball history.
A Painful Flashback for Celtics Fans
Pitino’s history with both teams makes this moment particularly loaded. For those who might not know the whole story, Pitino first made his mark in the NBA with the Knicks, taking over as head coach in 1987.
Watching former Celtics head coach Rick Pitino celebrate the Knicks beating Celtics today just hits different. There’s something especially painful about seeing someone who once led your team cheer for their downfall. Heartbreaking day to be a Celtics fan. pic.twitter.com/FUDTJtwehG
— Andrew Carrillo (@AndrewCarrillo0) May 13, 2025
The team was struggling at the time, coming off a 24-win season. In just two years, Pitino turned things around, leading them to a 90-74 record and their first division title in nearly two decades. Knicks fans fondly remember those days, and Pitino’s connection to the franchise remains strong.
Pitino landed in Boston in 1997, taking the helm of a Celtics team desperate to reclaim its glory. The hire was seen as a coup. After all, Pitino had just won an NCAA championship with Kentucky in 1996, and his reputation as a master motivator was sky-high. But the NBA is a different beast, and Pitino’s time in Boston was a disaster.
Over three and a half seasons, he went 102-146, never sniffing the playoffs. His frustration with the league’s dynamics was palpable, and he famously declared in a 2000 rant, “Larry Bird is not walking through that door.” By January 2001, he’d had enough and resigned, disappointing Celtics fans.
Seeing Pitino cheer for the Knicks in 2025 felt like a betrayal to many in Boston. The image of him courtside, grinning as the Knicks celebrated their victory, quickly spread across social media.
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Some observers took a more pragmatic stance, pointing out that Pitino’s deep ties to New York, as a native New Yorker and former Knicks coach, give him every reason to support them.
They acknowledged the harsh reality of his failed stint with the Celtics, suggesting that fans might need to let go of any expectations of loyalty from someone who never truly meshed with the team or the city.
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