Even to their own fans, a group who has waited for 21 seasons for the green-and-white to win another championship, these Celts are mercenaries as depicted in the movie The Magnificent Seven. But rather than rescuing a small Mexican village, this band of hired guns saved the proud Boston franchise from another embarrassing and meaningless season.

Five Celtics were retained from last year’s team that finished fifth in the Atlantic Division, last in the Eastern Conference and 29th of 30th in the league. Holdovers Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, Kendrick Perkins and Leon Powe have contributed mightily to the Celtics’ playoff run, but without the contributions of Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, James Posey, Eddie House, P.J. Brown, Sam Cassell and rookie Glen Davis this team may have been first-round fodder for the Atlanta Hawks. Even then, it took Boston seven games to capture that series and another seven to oust the Cleveland Cavaliers.

But, in the few days, Boston will roll out the red carpet on the steps of Faneuil Hall and salute the city’s latest champions. Fans will recall the hard times. Players will mention that after so many years — they have brought the city a championship. Danny Ainge will hearken back to the days when his teammates Bird, McHale, Parrish, Carr, Henderson, Johnson and others owned the city with their perennial playoff runs and three NBA crowns in the span of six seasons. He’ll mention that he stuck to his game plan, one that Red Auerbach would be proud of, to bring the city of Boston and Celtics fans everywhere a championship.

Ainge probably won’t get into details that if his star player, Pierce, hadn’t held him hostage by demanding a trade, that Garnett, Allen and Posey likely wouldn’t have made the trip to Boston in the first place. There are many other teams in the NBA (and in other professional leagues) that have gone out of their way to buy championships. Some have succeeded. Some have not. In this case, it looks as if Ainge pushed the right buttons and he should be given credit for one move in particular — retaining Doc Rivers as the Celtics’ head coach.

During the parade and subsequent celebration, some current Celtic will say, “Somewhere in Heaven, Red Auerbach is smiling down upon us and puffing away on his victory cigar!”

And, in his other hand, Auerbach will be looking over a game program trying to determine who wore his beloved Kelly green this season. The only ones he is likely to recognize are Pierce, Ainge and head trainer Ed Lacerte, who joined the team the year after the Celtics' last championship.