Celtics touring Boston via duck boat today

It was six years ago this month that Doc Rivers asked Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen to join him for a ride around Boston on a duck boat, the message behind the meeting unmistakable. The coach wanted to show the Celtics' captain and the team's two prized acquisitions the city's ultimate victory vessels, explaining that when titles are won in this town, that's how the champions are paraded through the streets.

With Rivers in Los Angeles, Allen in Miami, and Pierce and Garnett both in Brooklyn, nobody expects a new-look Celtics team to be requiring use of the duck boats come early summer, like those legends did in 2008. But eight of the new players will begin their time in Boston the same way Garnett and Allen did, boarding the ducks Wednesday afternoon for a tour of the city -- and, additionally, supporting the team's Read to Achieve Program in the process.

The players will read "Make Way for Ducklings" to children from Holland Elementary School, discuss the importance of reading, then hop on with the students for a tour of Boston's historic sites. Scheduled to be in attendance are first-round pick Kelly Olynyk and veteran big man Kris Humphries, as well as DeShawn Sims, Chris Babb, Phil Pressey, MarShon Brooks, Damen Bell-Holter, and Kammron Taylor. Jordan Crawford, a holdover from last year's roster, is slated to be there, too.

They'll be riding around from 3-4:30, so keep an eye out -- because after this we might not see a Celtic on a duck boat again for a while.