BOSTON (AP) -Local troubadour James Taylor welcomed his hometown team back to the NBA finals on Thursday night, singing the national anthem before Game 1 of the Boston Celtics' championship series against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Actors Bruce Willis and Leonardo DiCaprio, who have made the TD Banknorth Garden a second home wile filming movies in town, were also in the star-studded crowd. So were ``Grey's Anatomy'' star Ellen Pompeo and Chris Tucker of the ``Rush Hour'' movies.

The court was ringed by members of the New England Patriots - including Randy Moss, Richard Seymour and Rodney Harrison - and Celtics and Lakers alumni from Bill Russell and John Havlicek to Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

The crowd also took time out to send its best wishes to U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy, the Massachusetts Democrat who is recovering from brain surgery.Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.