TD Garden has seen its share of stars walk through the door these playoffs, from Guy Fieri and Ed Sheeran to David Ortiz and Drake Maye.
There was little doubt that Game 1 of the NBA Finals would attract some big names on Thursday night.
While Ortiz and Maye did not participate in this game, many stars from around the sports world attended the game, in which the Celtics took a considerable early lead over the Mavericks. The NFL was well represented, but it wasn’t just members of the Patriots who showed up to watch the Eastern Conference champions attempt to fend off Dallas.
From coaches to players and even executives, sports fans wouldn’t have to look far to find a familiar face at TD Garden.
Here’s a list of the biggest names in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday.
Celebrities at Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals
The NBA released a list of celebrities who attended Game 1 of the NBA Finals at TD Garden. Here’s a look at the roster and some other notable attendees who were spotted in the building on Thursday:
| Celebrity | Qualification |
| Mark Wahlberg | Actor |
| Donnie Wahlberg | Actor |
| Jenny McCarthy | Actress |
| Kenny Anderson | Former Celtics player |
| Geno Auriemma | University of Connecticut women’s basketball coach |
| Dana Barros | Former Celtics player |
| AJ Brown | eagles player |
| Dallas Goedert | eagles player |
| Brandon Graham | eagles player |
| Jalen hurts | eagles player |
| Jeffrey Lurie | owner of eagles |
| Jordan Mailata | eagles player |
| By Vonta Smith | eagles player |
| darius kill | eagles player |
| Zdeno Chara | former Bruins player |
| Andre Drummond | bull player |
| Max Crosby | raiders player |
| Autumn Tacko | Former Celtics player |
| pep guardiola | Manchester City manager |
| Eddie House | Former Celtics player |
| Anfernee Jennings | patriots player |
| jonathan jones | patriots player |
| Matt Judon | patriots player |
| Keion Blanco | patriots player |
| christian wilkins | raiders player |
| Cam Neely | President of the Bruins, Hall of Famer |
| Shaquille O’Neal | NBA legend |
| Terrell Owens | NFL Hall of Fame |
| Leon Powe | Former Celtics player |
| Daniel Robinson | heat player |
| Jason Terry | former NBA player |
| Dana Blanco | ufc president |
The Wahlberg brothers are regulars when the Celtics play particularly significant games, but the sports world really showed itself in Game 1. Several members of the Philadelphia Eagles attended the game, as did UFC president Dana White, the coach of the Manchester City, Pep Guardiola, and the legendary UConn women’s team. Basketball coach Geno Auriemma.
Here’s what you need to know about the Eagles’ trip to Game 1.
Why are the Eagles in the NBA Finals?
The Eagles were not known to have any events in Boston on Thursday. In fact, they held a mandatory minicamp in the Philadelphia area that same day. That makes it likely that several members of the team traveled to Boston for Game 1 with owner Jeffrey Lurie.
Because? Lurie’s connection to Boston could be the reason. Lurie was born in Boston and holds degrees from three Massachusetts universities: Clark University, Boston University and Brandeis University. Lurie even worked as an adjunct professor at Boston University before entering the business world.
Lurie’s most prized possession is the Philadelphia Eagles, who developed something of a rivalry with the Patriots with Super Bowl matchups at the end of the 2004 and 2017 seasons. That might have created a slightly awkward dynamic for Lurie, but he clearly still maintains the Celtics close enough to his heart to make the trip back to Boston and bring some of the Eagles’ most critical players with him.
