It has been four months since the Boston Celtics captured the NBA championship and the players can still smell champagne on their shoes. The memories of celebration are still fresh on their minds and the magnitude of their accomplishments still leave many at a loss for words. A lingering air of victory welcomed the Celtics back home when they played their first preseason game at the Garden this weekend. Returning to the place where they won it all was a long-awaited trip for the team.

Last season the Celtics went 35-6 in Boston during the regular season, a stark contrast to their 12-29 home record the year before. It was only fitting that they would close out their 17th league title on the parquet that donned Red Auerbach's signature. Paul Pierce kicked off the festivities by dousing head coach Doc Rivers with a bucket of Gatorade late in the fourth quarter. The celebration left a mark on Rivers shirt and his perspective on coaching in the Garden.

"I think about it more as it's nice to come back home and feel like that this is a tough place for the opponent to play in," Rivers said. "This feels like you're home. It feels like, this is the building that people don't win in, only us. And that's how you feel and it took obviously a long time to get that feeling here, but that's how you feel when you come back here."

Returning to the Garden affected each player differently. After Game Six of the NBA Finals, Kevin Garnett could not maintain his composure and broke down on the court during a memorable postgame interview. Now, with an offseason to reflect and ready for a possible repeat, Garnett was thrilled to return to the scene of his greatest triumph.

"It was great," Garnett said after his first game back. "I love playing here. I love the atmosphere. I love the people. The fans' energy, everybody seems to be tuned in to what we're doing here. It's great. I don't have one bad thing to say about this arena or the people in it."

While Garnett dominates the parquet, it is a different story for Gabe Pruitt. The second-year point guard bounced back and forth between the NBA Development League last season and did not suit up during the playoffs. As bottles were popped in the locker room, he was more of an onlooker than a participant. This preseason, however, he boasts an undeniable confidence that stems from being part of a championship team.

"I do feel different when I step out on the court now as far as last year," Pruitt said. "When you walk in that's the first situation you think about. This is the building we won our world championship in and that's a great feeling for us."

From established veterans to emerging young players, every member on the 2008 squad will take their winning memories on to the court with them this season. But there are those in the Celtics locker room who cannot relate to those special moments. Players like Darius Miles can only dream of one day lifting a trophy in the Garden.

"Ooh it was crazy, crazy," Miles said of his first time in the building in a Celtics uniform. "I walked in and I hadn't been here in like two years, and you instantly look up in the rafters and see all the championship banners. You just want to be here and feel the history. It feels like Red Auerbach is sitting out there or something."

It has been four months since the Celtics captured the NBA championship and soon the scent of champagne will fade from their shoes. The memories of celebration will be replaced by thoughts of the future and the magnitude of their accomplishments will be mentioned as motivation for another title. But no matter how much time passes, the lingering air of victory in the Garden will always welcome the Celtics back home.

Jessica Camerato covers the Celtics for WEEI.com.