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Ubuntu.  The word that seemed so hip in ’08 seems so dated now, proof that times change and that time marches on, moment-by-moment, day-by-day, until an era disappears without our even noticing it.  Think about it: The Great Ubuntu Breakup of 2012 didn’t happen at all; KG is back, Pierce didn’t end up following him out the door, and Rajon Rondo dodged two serious trade rumors before last season’s trade deadline.  But everyone got older while the NBA’s elite got better.  Miami won a title and LeBron looks like he’s on the cusp of scary-as-hell championship run.  The Lakers not only kept pace, they upped the ante; working trades for Steve Nash and Dwight Howard catapulted them into the championship mix, and possible catapulted them over our very own Celtics in terms of the overall titles race.

Oh, and Ray Allen defected.

Hard to forget about that, right?  And just like that, Ubuntu ain’t what it used to be.  Maybe it never was what we thought.  Ray was the first big move made by Danny Ainge in the whirlwind summer of ’07, but in retrospect Ray was simply the bait to lure KG to Boston.  Ray may have given all the right answers, but maybe he always felt like a second class citizen in the Celtics’ hierarchy.

Whatever the case, time marches and Allen bolts and the whole notion of Ubuntu seems not just quaint, but antiquated.

But that’s okay, life is about moving forward.  What’s done can’t be undone.  Our stash of 17 NBA Championships is secure, and we’ve got an architect in Ainge that feels he can wring one more out of Garnett and Pierce.  Hell, the Original Big Three were broken down versions of themselves at this point in their careers, either retired or a shell of what used to be.  KG and PP appear to have quality basketball left in their legs, as long as the minutes can be managed and the playoff grind doesn’t take a toll on their health.

And with that, I look foward to a brighter day.  Ainge has brought in reinforcements to give the old guys a legit shot at another title.  Doc is still in Boston, one of the best in the biz.  We actually have some size and a stable of young legs.  Jason Terry, IMHO, will prove to be an upgrade over Ray Allen.  Yes, you read that right.  I can see him besting Ray in the quantifiable categories like shooting percentage, and I can see him being a quantum leap forward in terms of intangibles – better teammate, less injury-prone, just an overall better personality to be around.

So it’s time to huddle up, Celtics fans.  Let’s come together and go all in on this new version of Ubuntu, whatever that means.  This is the start of something new, and who knows, we may come to think of this championship season as the best one ever.