Role players get special respect for their tenacity and grit

The Celtics benefited from huge bench contributions during the season, especially in the playoffs. Sam Cassell (front) received plenty of cheers yesterday as Kevin Garnett held the championship trophy aloft. (David l. ryan/globe staff)

Edward Mendonca of Fall River chanted for Glen "Big Baby" Davis until he was sweaty and plain hoarse.

He might have been wearing a Paul Pierce jersey to yesterday's parade, but his heart and soul went out to the Celtics' bench mob, guys like Davis, Leon Powe, and James Posey.

"The bench came out huge," Mendonca said after Powe passed by in a duck boat. "Pierce and the Big Three get all the [publicity], but we're giving it up to . . . Powe, Baby, Posey. I can't even explain how much they meant to the Celtics this year."

Coach Red Auerbach practically invented the concept of the sixth man with Frank Ramsey in the 1950s. John Havlicek took the role to new heights in 1960s. But this year's Celtics moved the concept a step further with a team that was not about one substitute player as much as it was about a group of lunch-bucket style sixth men who contributed to wins in key ways.

Think of how Leon Powe scored 21 points, including back-to-back dunks, in only 15 minutes of play during Game 2 of the Finals. Or the way Eddie House made an 18-foot jumper with 4:07 remaining in the fourth quarter of Game 4.

Ramsey, who won nine championships with the Celtics, said he liked watching Powe. The best sixth man sits on his ego for the good of the team, Ramsey said.

"The first thing you have to do is be satisfied to be a substitute, not a starter," said Ramsey, now 76 and living in Kentucky. "You can't undermine the team just to be able to start."

Yesterday, fans paid homage to Celtics players who did exactly that this season.

Nate Lawler, an executive chef at a hospital in Portland, Maine, drove to Boston for the parade and to see House. He wore a House jersey proudly as he stood in a sea of green Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen shirts.

"He's awesome coming off the bench," Lawler said of House. "My brother always gives me a hard time because I like him. But he's always so stoked, like a second coach. And he can shoot."

Lawler said House's optimism, plus his ability to shine during the briefest of spotlight appearances, won him over.

"I can't wait to see him," Lawler said, waiting for House's duck boat to pass. "I've got to show him someone's wearing his number (50)."

Posey won the admiration of Bosnian native Enes Zenkic. No. 41 got the trust of coaches with his hard work, but he also showed flashes of greatness, Zenkic said. Posey hit three-point shots throughout the Finals, including two early in the second quarter of Game 6. Zenkic said Posey's defensive game was even better.

"You don't see most guys diving for the ball," Zenkic said. "He hustled, and he's a great team player."

Chris Sabelli of Swampscott said he could not decide who he liked more, House, an "unsung hero," or Posey, who "does the dirty work."

With Boston a city where fans love that a player or team can win with sheer grit and determination, the Celtics' second string gave fans an underdog to cheer.

"These are our favorites because no one talks about them," Sabelli said.

Nadine McCreath of Brockton said the bench players seem more human and are easier to relate to. They are still learning, so they sometimes make mistakes. And they do not make the huge paychecks and don't seem to take themselves too seriously. Big Baby, for example, rode on the duck boat yesterday beaming and shirtless, his near 300-pound mass on display.

"Sometimes when you sit and watch, that's when you learn the most," she said.

Mike Lynch, 16 of Lynn, said he followed Powe this season because he admired both his skill and his story.

Powe grew up poor and often homeless in Oakland, Calif., spending years in foster care. Since making it to the National Basketball Association, he has continued to distinguish himself in his limited time on the court. He finished the 2006-07 Celtics season averaging 4.2 points and 3.4 rebounds in just over 11 minutes per game.

This year, he was called upon much more. Yesterday, Powe waved to fans and chomped a cigar like the other players in the parade, making fans like Lynch gleeful.

"I don't think the guys on the bench got a lot of glory," Lynch said. "But they're definitely getting it now."

Megan Woolhouse can be reached at mwoolhouse@globe.com.