On May 5, 1995, the Boston Celtics played their last game at the original Boston Garden. They were defeated by Shaquille O'Neal, Penny Hardaway, and the Orlando Magic, 95-92, in an Eastern Conference playoff game. In a vintage performance recalling his glory days in Atlanta, Dominique Wilkins put up 22 points and grabbed 18 rebounds in the losing effort. The fans didn't say goodbye to the old building, just yet, since the Bruins were to use it until September, but NBA basketball was done there.

And so time marched on, and the arena was no more. But it seems a lucky few came into possession of various pieces of the arena and have kept them for over a decade. Now, someone, allegedly a former player, is selling one of the Garden's backboards.

Assume the piece is authentic. Imagine how many people from Maine to Connecticut dreamed of throwing down a breakaway slam off an outlet pass from Larry Legend, or of hitting a fadeaway three over Kareem's outstretched hand to win a title for the Celtics while the Garden crowd roared. This is, literally, the basket of their fantasies.

Even if you didn't grow up in New England idolizing championship team after championship team dressed in green and white, the notion of owning an integral object of basketball history is alluring. Having the backboard and rim brings the owner just that much closer to the magic of moments that helped define the game. Was this the basket under which Bird stole the inbound from Isiah? Was this the basket under which Parrish punched Laimbeer? Did Russell ever swat a layup attempt off this glass? Indulge the fantasies.