Local troubadour James Taylor welcomed his hometown team back to the NBA finals on Thursday night, singing the national anthem before Game 1 of the Boston Celtics’ championship series against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Actors Bruce Willis and Leonardo DiCaprio, who have made the TD Banknorth Garden a second home wile filming movies in town, were also in the star-studded crowd. So were “Grey’s Anatomy” star Ellen Pompeo and Chris Tucker of the “Rush Hour” movies.
The court was ringed by members of the New England Patriots — including Randy Moss, Richard Seymour and Rodney Harrison — and Celtics and Lakers alumni from Bill Russell and John Havlicek to Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
The crowd also took time out to send its best wishes to U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy, the Massachusetts Democrat who is recovering from brain surgery.
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