WALTHAM -- The Celtics 2009-10 season officially kicked off less than three hours ago when they held their annual Media Day.

More than 50 reporters flocked to the Celtics practice facility in Waltham where the players held interviews, signed autographs, posed for pictures, and did commercial spots.

While today is the official first day that the Celtics got together as a team, coach Doc Rivers said that he asked several of the players to report to duty early so that the hungry Celtics could get a jump on training camp, and almost all of them volunteered to do so.

Pierce continues to tell everyone that will listen that the Celtics are the team to beat this year if they are healthy, while Kevin Garnett said that his surgically-repaired knee is almost 100 percent and that he has been medically cleared to practice at full speed.

Ray Allen said that he doesn't foresee any chemistry problems with Boston's new acquisitions -- Rasheed Wallace, Marquis Daniels, Sheldon Williams and Lester Hudson -- while Pierce said that the Celtics have an empty banner hanging up next to their 2008 championship banner in the practice facility to give them motivation to fill it in by winning the NBA title this year.