Brody Ernst and his friend Kaleb Cagnon, both 20 years old from South Portland, Maine, were just toddlers when the Celtics won in 2008, and Friday’s championship parade marked the first in their lives.

“They can’t say anything,” Ernst said of critics. “If you’re going to say this ring is a Mickey Mouse ring or whatever it is, you’re silly.”

Connor Eifert and his father Jim Eifert, walking through the Common after the parade, said they’re proud lifelong Celtics fans even though they live in Pennsylvania, not too far from Philadelphia.

They called out Joel Embiid, a star on the 76ers who last week said he hates Boston and that the “whole East was kinda hurt this year, myself included,”

“He hates us because we are winners,” Jim Eifert said.

Worcester resident Stephanie Rodriguez held her 1-year-old son Nick in front of Hynes, minutes before the Duck Boats made their way past. Her husband Justin highlighted how this year’s Celtics played as a team.

“It’s great for him to have role models to look up to, especially if he gets into sports,” Stephanie Rodriguez said of raising her son as a Celtics fan. “He’ll probably look back at this team and be proud.”

After the duck boats reached the route’s end, city employees used leafblowers to sweep up the confetti-ridden streets, with thousands of fans continuing the party and looking forward to the years ahead.

©2024 MediaNews Group, Inc. Visit at bostonherald.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.