Celebrities at Game 1 of 2024 NBA Finals: Mark Wahlberg, Dana White, Eagles stars among biggest names at TD Garden | Sporting News Canada

TD Garden has seen its share of stars walk through the door in these playoffs, from Guy Fieri and Ed Sheeran to David Ortiz and Drake Maye.

There was little doubt Game 1 of the NBA Finals would attract some big names on Thursday night.

While Ortiz and Maye sat this one out, plenty of stars from across the sports world attended the game, which saw the Celtics take a sizable early lead over the Mavericks. The NFL was well represented, but it wasn’t only members of the Patriots who showed up to see the Eastern Conference champions try and fend off Dallas.

From coaches to players, and even to 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 at Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday.

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Celebrities at Game 1 of 2024 NBA Finals

The NBA released a list of celebrities attending Game 1 of the NBA Finals at TD Garden. Here’s a look at the list and a few other notable attendees who were spotted in the building on Thursday:

The Wahlberg brothers are regulars when the Celtics play especially meaningful games, but the sports world really showed out for Game 1. Several members of the Philadelphia Eagles attended the game, as did UFC president Dana White, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola and legendary UConn women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma.

Here’s what you need to know about the Eagles’ trip to Game 1.

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Why are the Eagles at the NBA Finals?

The Eagles weren’t known to have any events in Boston on Thursday. In fact, they held mandatory minicamp in the Philadelphia area earlier in the day. That makes it likely several members of the team took a trip to Boston for Game 1 with owner Jeffrey Lurie.

Why? Lurie’s connection to Boston could be the reason. Lurie was born in Boston and has degrees from three Massachusetts colleges: Clark University, Boston University and Brandeis University. Lurie even served as an adjunct professor at Boston University before entering the business world. 

Lurie’s prized possession is the Philadelphia Eagles, who developed a bit of a rivalry with the Patriots with Super Bowl matchups at the end of the 2004 and 2017 seasons. That might have created a bit of an awkward dynamic for Lurie, but he clearly still holds the Celtics close enough to his heart to make the trip back to Boston and bring some of the Eagles’ most critical players along.