Before I was born, My Great-Grandfather, Sydney Hedley, immigrated to Albany, New York from Ireland. He then went on to owning a car dealership for the better portion of his life, creating a bigger name and legacy for himself in the Hedley family. He then started gaining interest in basketball, his favorite team being the Boston Celtics because of his Irish background. This sent a surge through our family as the Celtics quickly became everyone’s favorite team, myself included. This is why the Boston Celtics are such a huge staple in my family’s culture and life. My dad and I often attend games to support players like Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Kemba Walker play as TD Garden has started to feel sort of like a home away from home for us (this hoodie being from the third time seeing them play). I believe this story is unique because not many people immigrated from Ireland in the early days of American immigration and, like many other families, my Great-Grandfather came from a very rough background. However, through hard work and perseverance, he paved the way for a new generation of Hedley’s like Larry Bird in the 1986 NBA Finals, a champ, and I couldn’t be more thankful.

– Evan Hedley

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