Celtics Honor Boston Marathon Bombing Survivors at Center Court

Before bringing a forgettable season to a close, the Boston Celtics did something rather wonderful, honoring survivors of the Boston Marathon bombings. 

ProBasketballTalk's Kurt Helin spotted video of the survivors who wore Celtics gear right along with their smiles, waving to a crowd that cheered them on: 

On Wednesday night, the Celtics lost to the Washington Wizards, 118-102, ending their season at a dismal 25-57 record. However, the game was secondary to a beautiful moment shared among Boston faithful. 

Last year's tragic bombings, as Helin notes, "killed 3 people and wounded 264 more near the finish line of the race."

This week has been all about harnessing as much goodwill ahead of the annual marathon, taking place on Monday. 

As evidenced in a poignant and moving picture used for Sports Illustrated's cover, those in Boston remain very much strong, the camaraderie echoing beauty throughout the nation: 

The Celtics nod remains just one way many around the event are choosing to garner smiles amid such harrowing memories. 

One Celtic decided to don memorial sneakers of sorts. MassLive's Jay King reports that despite injury, Rajon Rondo wore special shoes from the bench on Wednesday night. 

Here are those shoes via Abby Chin of CSNNE: 

Rondo had this to say after an emotional game, via ESPN: 

"

Pretty much everywhere you go, you learn that, to Bostonians, sports means a lot to this city. Our four sports are big here. It’s not just one team, one fan. It’s a collective group of guys. The Red Sox, the Bruins, the Patriots, and ourselves. We’ve taken pride in playing for this city. This was a special week for us, every athlete in the city along with all Bostonians as well. It means a lot.

"

There was also Red Sox slugger David Ortiz who had this to offer in a special piece for Sports Illustrated: 

"

I've seen so many great things since coming to this country from the Dominican Republic, and one of them is how strong we can be in tough times. I will never forget that. Seeing Boston regroup the way it has over the last 12 months has been awesome.

"

A year later, thankfully, smiles and cheers fill the arena as locals prepare for a great run throughout the city, garnering necessary goodwill. 

Whether it is sneakers, epic magazine covers or curtain calls at center court, Boston is doing everything in their power to put strength and fortitude in the spotlight. 

Boston remains strong; Boston remains beautiful and there aren't enough standing ovations to show our affection. 

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