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This is my first article for Celtics Nation, and instead of giving you my views on the salary and luxury caps, off-season trades, Ray Allen, or David Stern, I’ve decided to write about something we ALL know about—what it means to be a Boston Celtics fan.

For most of us, we were not transported through space and time and trades of certain players to become Boston Celtics fans. We’re Boston Celtics fans for any one of a number of reasons; perhaps because of family, or maybe because we’re from Massachusetts born and raised (like me), or because we were introduced to the Celtics by a father, brother, uncle, sister, aunt, or through friends. Whatever the reason or circumstance, the bottom line is this:  Once we become a Celtics fan, we remain Celtics fans for life because we understand the tradition and the legacy that the name “Celtics” stands for.  We understand that there are no shortcuts to greatness, that winning is cherished and losing is a learning curve that we all go through in life, that legends are created and championships are won much in the same way that we live life—with patience, perseverance, hard work and determination.  We also understand that it takes a combination of consistency and vision, and that while adversity will come we must weather all the storms of life - through failure, through success, through the highs and lows, through the joy and pain, and through all of the other emotions involved in life.  These are the things that the Celtics understand as well, and that these things are the foundation upon which a championship mentality is built.

As Celtics fans, there are things we will NEVER forget—the ball hitting the guide wire and the ball bouncing into Bill Russell’s hands, followed shortly by Johnny Most’s most famous line in the playoffs: “…Havlicek stole the ball!…”; Red’s cigars, the dash to the locker room, the deaths of Len Bias and Reggie Lewis; great players like Cooz, DJ, Sam, Larry Legend, Chief, Lurch, Hondo, Nellie, Truth, and all the rest.

We’ve had some disappointments to deal with at the end of the 2012 season, but the thing to remember is that we WILL prevail because we ARE the Boston Celtics. So remember, the rest of your Celtics fans are with you, and that we are still part of THE best basketball family in the NBA world. Our time WILL come again very soon–just be patient, because winning is what we do better than ANY other franchise. Keep the faith, hold your heads high and be proud of last season, and know that the world is ours for the taking once again in the 2012-2013 season.

Go Celtics!!!

John Felder is a lifelong Celtics fan and a new blogger at Celtic Nation.  Be sure to follow him on Twitter @PariahJF