Like the Celtics returning to action after the break, we are back as well ☘️ Meghan Ottolini and Chris Forsberg break down Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown’s big moments from All-Star weekend, including a behind-the-scenes look at their time in San Francisco. Plus, did Tatum deserve another ASG MVP? We also catch up with Celtics PR legend Jeff Twiss to reflect on his Hall of Fame recognition and preview an upcoming HBO docuseries featuring the team. Then, it’s time to lock back in as the Celtics get the regular season back underway against the Cavs, Knicks and Raptors.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Coming up on this edition of Celtics Weekly, Tatum and
Brown show out at All Star weekend, we go court
side with a Celtics legend, and the schedule rams back up.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Against three division foes. All that and more Now welcome
into Celtics Weekly.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
Thanks for joining us on a Thursday rather than our
usual Wednesday, coming out of the All Star break. Megan
ott Alini here with the All Star of NBC Sports Boston,
Chris Holsburg. Chris, have any good trips over All Star breaks?
Speaker 3 (00:44):
Yeah, we're recording on a Thursday, maybe because someone had
a little trouble getting home on a Wednesday.
Speaker 4 (00:48):
But I appreciate the patience.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
And I just look, I knew after a couple of
weeks and Drew Cotter, you guys needed a little bit
of an upgrade, a little bit of a real All
Star in the See.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
I'm not stepping into that. I'm not even touching that.
That's between you win him. That's a beef for another show.
Mabey Irata, I love you.
Speaker 4 (01:03):
I'm just saying, like, you know, sometimes you need a
little Jason Tatum.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
On the program.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
Okay, let's get right into our weekly rewind because I
feel like the Celtics haven't played basketball in a year,
but it's only been about a week and the last
time that we talked, we were previewing this game between
the Celtics.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
And the Spurs.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
What a great win it was for Boston won sixteen
one oh three. You see jt there and Jason Tatum
scored thirty two points on the night. Christops Porzingis squaring
off with women and Yana there and that was one
of the most fun highlights of the entire game to me.
Speaker 4 (01:36):
Yeah, maybe the season.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
It's good to see that the real elite seven footer
showed itself in that game. But no, like, I mean, well,
we know what the web is. I'm just slandering everybody
for that. My favorite part about this game was that
Jason Tatum after that Miami win, had sort of called
out the team and said they've got to play better
at home.
Speaker 4 (01:53):
I felt like there was a true emphasis.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
On trying to set a tone and who came out
and had a monster first quarter, But Jason Tate, he
was fantastic at the finish line of that first half
and got the Celtics seven wins in eighteen.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
So during the break, Derek White had a notable visit.
He went back to his alma mater, University of Colorado.
The Buffs of course had some family time because he
received a huge honor. He was among ten honorees. Colorado
just debuted their Wall of Honor and you get to
see the moment of his jersey getting unveiled.
Speaker 4 (02:28):
It's so amazing.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
Think about Derek's journey from you know, second Division two
college to go into Colorado to now NBA champion, gold
medal because the man has had an amazing year contract extension.
Should have been an NBA All Star one of these
two seasons. This has been great for Derek.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
And then of course the highlight of the entire week
was the All Star Game really more of a tournament,
just to switch the format.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
Out in the Bay.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
Both Jay's out there a lot of time with the kids.
Let's take a listen to what they had to say
about it.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
Just an honor to compete against guys that maybe you
looked up when you.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
Were in high school.
Speaker 5 (03:06):
Especially because I went to school with the college here,
so I got a lot of family of friends here
at Coos Bay.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
Out.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
I love that raising the trophy.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
Let's look at the All Star Game highlights from those
two games that the Days got to play together with
Team og S and Jalen also called them Team.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
Old d.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
So perfect. Let's just say it, let's let's let's not
dance around it. Jason Tatum was got true. He should
have been the MVP of this game, as even Steph
Curry admitted Lifetime Achievement Award.
Speaker 4 (03:51):
If this game had been in any other location, Jason
Tatum would have been MV.
Speaker 3 (03:55):
He was phenomenal in that finish line game with the
way he was scoring. I need that three point percentage
to carry over into the regular season again.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
With the Boston's great look for Jalen Brown too though,
as we see here in the first game, he had
eight straight points to really lift up the team the
way that we've seen him do with the Celtics a
lot of times early on in games. He'll get hot
from the jump, let everybody warm up a little bit.
And so I think we got to see both sides,
like what makes this duo great for the Celtics.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
For Team OG's old knees.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
I like Wenby just with the dismissive ah, the new
got the Jay's were too good on that court. There
was no way the Ogs were letting that win slip away.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
Absolutely, we have even more all star action in our
next segment that's Small Lights. It's a bite sized segment
that packs the punch of a full course meal. And
you saw that behind the scenes footage at the very
beginning of the J's in the locker room. We've got
something really fun here because it's Jaylen Brown hanging out
with maybe the most famous at this point guy within
(04:57):
the Celtics family.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
That's Deuce Tatum.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
Baby, you are right? Baby? Here is you gard me
in a post? Can you guard me in a post?
Speaker 4 (05:16):
You see you got no mus.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
You got some muscles.
Speaker 5 (05:21):
You gonna be doing no push up? Okay? I see,
I see, I see how many pushers can you do?
Speaker 1 (05:29):
There?
Speaker 5 (05:30):
You could do a push up?
Speaker 3 (05:30):
Down there? You could do this.
Speaker 5 (05:32):
You could do a push up.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
Okay. Seriously, listen, is he saying zero with you? And
what is he?
Speaker 4 (05:38):
I think I think you said. I'm done with this conversation. Okay.
Speaker 3 (05:41):
I feel like there's gonna be a documentary in twenty
years of like when when Deuce Tatum is an NBA
All Star and he's gonna be like and Jalen Brown
was critical of my muscles and I took that personally.
And so he goes out there and then like goes
full rocky training videos of him doing push ups and
getting an NBA dad like muscles.
Speaker 4 (05:57):
It's been Uh.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
I assume is gonna bottle this up and find a
way to use that as motivation long term.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
It's just such a fun dynamic between the two of them.
Like I do feel like if we need some kind
of side reality show Deuce with everybody and Deuce and Jalen, you.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
Know, just walking out.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
You're a baby, and then then we integrate Chris Stops
somehow and they're just all having fun out there.
Speaker 4 (06:21):
I'm all for it.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
Super fun.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
All right, Well, don't go anywhere because on the other side,
we have an incredible interview. We are sitting down with
a Celtics legend and Jeff Twist as we go courtside
right after this break, Welcome back everyone. What an incredible
(07:05):
treat we have. We have the recipient of the John W.
Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
That is Jeff Twist.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
He's vice president of Media Services with the Celtics. Jeff
read Auerbach once said the Celtics are a way of life,
and many people I've heard say that you are the
living embodiment of that. So we're starting off. We're starting
off here down here right with a lot of flattery,
but it is a tremendous award that you're receiving from
(07:33):
the Basketball Hall of Fame. And I just got to
ask you, in your years of service to the Celtics,
when you first started that first season, did you ever
imagine that it would be what it is today with
the NBA, with this particular franchise.
Speaker 5 (07:49):
Not in my wildest dreams how things have changed over
the years since nineteen eighty one when I first kind
of came in my very first day of the job,
was an intern and the team had just won the
title in eighty one against Houston, and all of a sudden,
you go to the airport to greet all the players
and all the kind of stumbling off the plane. As
we all know, we celebrated and not me, but they didn't.
(08:11):
My first new inclination was, so this is what pro
sports is all about?
Speaker 2 (08:14):
Huh.
Speaker 5 (08:14):
So I got an early baptism into how the Celtics
way was to always be excellent, always try to win
the title. And then very fortunate to be hired in
October of nineteen eighty one, been there causing trouble ever since.
Speaker 3 (08:26):
Tell me about the process, Like, so you had to
meet with Red hourback, and like what was that like?
And like how did how was the job explained to
you in that moment?
Speaker 5 (08:33):
Sure, very simply, Chris. We were coming back from a
preseason game in Providence, Rhode Island, and one of my
duties at the time was to drive coach Charbeck. He
was not God rests soul, not the greatest driver in
the world. And so he's sitting there like I'm driving
the car and says, h you really want to work
for us? I said, yes, sir, I'd be an honor. Well,
come in and see me tomorrow morning. We'll talk about it. Okay.
(08:54):
So I get here in my one wool suit in
the middle of the summer and sweat to death, and
he says, okay, come on in and sit down and
talk about it. And his talk about it version was Okay,
you're gonna get this, this, and this, take her to
leave it. And I said, okay, thanks very much and
stood up and he goesget now, get your butt out
of here and go to work.
Speaker 3 (09:13):
When you kind of in this I guessume when award
like this makes you reflect, do you have favorite moments?
Like what's the first thing that jumps to mind? Is
you reflect on all these years.
Speaker 5 (09:21):
When you win a title. Of course being part of
a and now do you too sentimental there? But when
you're part of a team, there is a unity, there's
a brotherhood. There's a real sense of camaraderie there that
really people can't and I wish they could it really
experienced going through year from day one to day end.
And you've made it through it, you survived it, and
you've done it together. And that's a great feeling. So
(09:44):
eighty four is the first championship as a part of
and very fortunate and blessed to be part of three
others do along the way.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
You had a little bit of a gap in the
middle of the well what was that?
Speaker 2 (09:52):
I mean, did you? Did you?
Speaker 5 (09:53):
Did it?
Speaker 3 (09:54):
Can you? I mean, you come into a team that's
so successful, did you think, man, we just do this
every year?
Speaker 4 (09:58):
How much and more?
Speaker 3 (09:58):
Did that make you appreciate? Maybe too that exactly?
Speaker 5 (10:01):
You go through situations and here again go back to
coach ourback right, I was used to say, you know
you're gonna have peaks and valleys, and when you have
the valleys, try to make sure you try to keep
the maintain the service and the respect and the care.
If someone has a request, big or small, you honor
it and you try to work through it and try
(10:21):
to help that person. So I think that that was
you appreciate more the championships when you go a long gap,
as you said, Chris, but when you come back around again,
you savor it and it's like, boy, you know, you're
really fortunate to be part of an organization. To quote
do it again.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
Larry Bird, Kevin McHale.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
These were guys who I heard that you went to
barbecues when apple picking with and then sat down and
actually baked something out of the apples.
Speaker 4 (10:48):
Can you tell us time to change?
Speaker 2 (10:49):
It's hard to.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
Imagine Larry Bird or any NBA superstar doing that.
Speaker 5 (10:54):
Yeah, and then here again, the mindset going back forty
years now was you do things that get away from
the court, no offense, but get away from media interviews
and all the policity or notaride that you want to
get through your own platform. Nowadays we none of that.
So how can we get together and just kind of
celebrate us as in the time of year we went
apple picking is one example. We'd have Halloween parties. At
(11:17):
the end of the year, we'd have barbecues and Larry
was a big barbecue guy, and we had guys on
the team. Rick Roby comes to mind that really got
into this, and we all chipped in. We all paid
for whatever the meats or the burghers or whatever it was.
We all just had a good time. And it's we're
much more of a smaller family unit back then because
we could because we were smaller, and not to say
(11:38):
we aren't today, but we have grown expotentially that you know,
it kind of prevents a little bit of that.
Speaker 4 (11:43):
So when the Hall of Fame calls you to let
you know about this, what's that moment like?
Speaker 3 (11:48):
And you know, what have you have? You had a
chance to process at all in the aftermath.
Speaker 5 (11:52):
Well, and I'll tell a long story. I've told us
a couple of staff members already. I got the call
and I look at the phone dial. This is four
one three, must be okay, Western part of the state
for Springfield.
Speaker 4 (12:02):
So my first.
Speaker 5 (12:03):
Reaction was, oh, oh, I picked it up as from
the Hall of Fames at Hall of Fame. Oh oh,
because we have a vault, a special exhibit called the
Vault over there, and one of our trophies at eighty
one trophy is at the exhibit. So my first reaction was, uh, oh,
something happened to the trophy? Not to say bad news first,
you know, So I sat down and news John to
leave the president. He goes, I got some news. Are
you sitting down? My heart's still going fluttering, like, oh no,
(12:25):
something did happen to the trophy? You you've been the
recipient name the recipient of the bund Awards for this year.
And first it was a sigh release that nothing happened
to the trophy, was like, are you sure you got
the right guy? You want me?
Speaker 4 (12:35):
No eight of it?
Speaker 5 (12:35):
You know so?
Speaker 2 (12:37):
And then they follow up in the trophies.
Speaker 4 (12:39):
Okay, trophies five.
Speaker 5 (12:41):
An exhibit is still there if you want to go
visit it. Now we just kidn't go.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
Well, Jeff, we could truly talk to you for a
half hour. You could, you could take up a whole
episode for us and we would be thrilled. But I
know you've got places to be, You've got you've got
a lot of other interviews to do because a lot
of people want to talk to you, and you're gonna go.
Speaker 3 (12:56):
Check on all the other trophies. Make sure they're not, like,
you know, sneaking off.
Speaker 5 (12:59):
That's good point.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
Absolutely keep an eye on this one right over.
Speaker 4 (13:03):
Here in the middle.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
It's a replica, but we do care about it, and
we do have to look ahead because the Celtics are
back in action and we've got three games coming up
in Future focus.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
Future Focus is when.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
We take a look at what's on the horizon for
your Boston Celtics and they're coming back from the All
Star Break against a bunch of Atlantic Division rivals, starting
with the Sixers. Tonight, Sixers were hoping will be healthier
than they were going into the break with Embiat and
Maxie Back. These are two different teams that are on.
Speaker 2 (13:33):
Pretty different trajectories going into the break.
Speaker 3 (13:36):
Chris, and the only thing I'm interested in is making
sure Lonnie Walker isn't out there. Obviously in camp with
the Celtics, I worry all the time about revenge games.
I don't think he has any malice towards the Celtics,
but you know, we had a chance, what body might
latch on here. But if the Sixers are at full strength,
that adds a letter to this.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
It should be a fun matchup, a big showdown.
Speaker 1 (13:53):
This weekend when the Celtics come back at home, will
be against the Knicks. So the Celtics before the break,
they beat the Knicks by twenty plus pointy for the
second time this season at MSG in that game. What
do you expect from this game and the impact that
Carl Anthony Towns might finally have against.
Speaker 3 (14:13):
The celton It's going to be very interesting again, two
teams back to back in the standings here two to three.
You know, the Knicks want to make a surge, want
to show they can hang with the Celtics. Boston has
played some of the best basketball this season against this
Knick team, so they're reminding everybody where they stand in
that Eastern Conference hierarchy. I expect the cell to be
ready to go against the.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
Knicks and finally see that awesome block from Derek Waye
so that they are starting off the first of a
back to back against the Toronto Raptors in Toronto.
Speaker 2 (14:40):
Last time they met, it was a loss, but.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
What's a fantastic Payt Pritcher game.
Speaker 4 (14:45):
He had twenty on that and that's what I was
going to say.
Speaker 3 (14:47):
Like the Celtics, if they need any motivation, it was
one of those games where they just didn't have it,
let their foot off the gas a little bit, and
I wonder if they'll have a little extra motivation seeing
that team on the other side and wanted to get
right against the round.
Speaker 1 (14:59):
Be interesting to see if the Raptor's new acquisition, Brandon Ingram,
will be playing. He's been dealing with an injury and
ankle injury even though he got that one hundred and
twenty million dollar extension.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
Would be fun to see him out there, but we'll.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
See one hundred percent. Always root for the guys like
the superstars. To be on the other side makes the
matter for a little more.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
Fun, especially with these Celtics. We'll be with you next Wednesday.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
Thanks christ So
Coming up on this edition of Celtics Weekly, Tatum and
Brown show out at All Star weekend, we go court
side with a Celtics legend, and the schedule rams back up.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Against three division foes. All that and more Now welcome
into Celtics Weekly.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
Thanks for joining us on a Thursday rather than our
usual Wednesday, coming out of the All Star break. Megan
ott Alini here with the All Star of NBC Sports Boston,
Chris Holsburg. Chris, have any good trips over All Star breaks?
Speaker 3 (00:44):
Yeah, we're recording on a Thursday, maybe because someone had
a little trouble getting home on a Wednesday.
Speaker 4 (00:48):
But I appreciate the patience.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
And I just look, I knew after a couple of
weeks and Drew Cotter, you guys needed a little bit
of an upgrade, a little bit of a real All
Star in the See.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
I'm not stepping into that. I'm not even touching that.
That's between you win him. That's a beef for another show.
Mabey Irata, I love you.
Speaker 4 (01:03):
I'm just saying, like, you know, sometimes you need a
little Jason Tatum.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
On the program.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
Okay, let's get right into our weekly rewind because I
feel like the Celtics haven't played basketball in a year,
but it's only been about a week and the last
time that we talked, we were previewing this game between
the Celtics.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
And the Spurs.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
What a great win it was for Boston won sixteen
one oh three. You see jt there and Jason Tatum
scored thirty two points on the night. Christops Porzingis squaring
off with women and Yana there and that was one
of the most fun highlights of the entire game to me.
Speaker 4 (01:36):
Yeah, maybe the season.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
It's good to see that the real elite seven footer
showed itself in that game. But no, like, I mean, well,
we know what the web is. I'm just slandering everybody
for that. My favorite part about this game was that
Jason Tatum after that Miami win, had sort of called
out the team and said they've got to play better
at home.
Speaker 4 (01:53):
I felt like there was a true emphasis.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
On trying to set a tone and who came out
and had a monster first quarter, But Jason Tate, he
was fantastic at the finish line of that first half
and got the Celtics seven wins in eighteen.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
So during the break, Derek White had a notable visit.
He went back to his alma mater, University of Colorado.
The Buffs of course had some family time because he
received a huge honor. He was among ten honorees. Colorado
just debuted their Wall of Honor and you get to
see the moment of his jersey getting unveiled.
Speaker 4 (02:28):
It's so amazing.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
Think about Derek's journey from you know, second Division two
college to go into Colorado to now NBA champion, gold
medal because the man has had an amazing year contract extension.
Should have been an NBA All Star one of these
two seasons. This has been great for Derek.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
And then of course the highlight of the entire week
was the All Star Game really more of a tournament,
just to switch the format.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
Out in the Bay.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
Both Jay's out there a lot of time with the kids.
Let's take a listen to what they had to say
about it.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
Just an honor to compete against guys that maybe you
looked up when you.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
Were in high school.
Speaker 5 (03:06):
Especially because I went to school with the college here,
so I got a lot of family of friends here
at Coos Bay.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
Out.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
I love that raising the trophy.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
Let's look at the All Star Game highlights from those
two games that the Days got to play together with
Team og S and Jalen also called them Team.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
Old d.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
So perfect. Let's just say it, let's let's let's not
dance around it. Jason Tatum was got true. He should
have been the MVP of this game, as even Steph
Curry admitted Lifetime Achievement Award.
Speaker 4 (03:51):
If this game had been in any other location, Jason
Tatum would have been MV.
Speaker 3 (03:55):
He was phenomenal in that finish line game with the
way he was scoring. I need that three point percentage
to carry over into the regular season again.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
With the Boston's great look for Jalen Brown too though,
as we see here in the first game, he had
eight straight points to really lift up the team the
way that we've seen him do with the Celtics a
lot of times early on in games. He'll get hot
from the jump, let everybody warm up a little bit.
And so I think we got to see both sides,
like what makes this duo great for the Celtics.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
For Team OG's old knees.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
I like Wenby just with the dismissive ah, the new
got the Jay's were too good on that court. There
was no way the Ogs were letting that win slip away.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
Absolutely, we have even more all star action in our
next segment that's Small Lights. It's a bite sized segment
that packs the punch of a full course meal. And
you saw that behind the scenes footage at the very
beginning of the J's in the locker room. We've got
something really fun here because it's Jaylen Brown hanging out
with maybe the most famous at this point guy within
(04:57):
the Celtics family.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
That's Deuce Tatum.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
Baby, you are right? Baby? Here is you gard me
in a post? Can you guard me in a post?
Speaker 4 (05:16):
You see you got no mus.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
You got some muscles.
Speaker 5 (05:21):
You gonna be doing no push up? Okay? I see,
I see, I see how many pushers can you do?
Speaker 1 (05:29):
There?
Speaker 5 (05:30):
You could do a push up?
Speaker 3 (05:30):
Down there? You could do this.
Speaker 5 (05:32):
You could do a push up.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
Okay. Seriously, listen, is he saying zero with you? And
what is he?
Speaker 4 (05:38):
I think I think you said. I'm done with this conversation. Okay.
Speaker 3 (05:41):
I feel like there's gonna be a documentary in twenty
years of like when when Deuce Tatum is an NBA
All Star and he's gonna be like and Jalen Brown
was critical of my muscles and I took that personally.
And so he goes out there and then like goes
full rocky training videos of him doing push ups and
getting an NBA dad like muscles.
Speaker 4 (05:57):
It's been Uh.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
I assume is gonna bottle this up and find a
way to use that as motivation long term.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
It's just such a fun dynamic between the two of them.
Like I do feel like if we need some kind
of side reality show Deuce with everybody and Deuce and Jalen, you.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
Know, just walking out.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
You're a baby, and then then we integrate Chris Stops
somehow and they're just all having fun out there.
Speaker 4 (06:21):
I'm all for it.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
Super fun.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
All right, Well, don't go anywhere because on the other side,
we have an incredible interview. We are sitting down with
a Celtics legend and Jeff Twist as we go courtside
right after this break, Welcome back everyone. What an incredible
(07:05):
treat we have. We have the recipient of the John W.
Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
That is Jeff Twist.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
He's vice president of Media Services with the Celtics. Jeff
read Auerbach once said the Celtics are a way of life,
and many people I've heard say that you are the
living embodiment of that. So we're starting off. We're starting
off here down here right with a lot of flattery,
but it is a tremendous award that you're receiving from
(07:33):
the Basketball Hall of Fame. And I just got to
ask you, in your years of service to the Celtics,
when you first started that first season, did you ever
imagine that it would be what it is today with
the NBA, with this particular franchise.
Speaker 5 (07:49):
Not in my wildest dreams how things have changed over
the years since nineteen eighty one when I first kind
of came in my very first day of the job,
was an intern and the team had just won the
title in eighty one against Houston, and all of a sudden,
you go to the airport to greet all the players
and all the kind of stumbling off the plane. As
we all know, we celebrated and not me, but they didn't.
(08:11):
My first new inclination was, so this is what pro
sports is all about?
Speaker 2 (08:14):
Huh.
Speaker 5 (08:14):
So I got an early baptism into how the Celtics
way was to always be excellent, always try to win
the title. And then very fortunate to be hired in
October of nineteen eighty one, been there causing trouble ever since.
Speaker 3 (08:26):
Tell me about the process, Like, so you had to
meet with Red hourback, and like what was that like?
And like how did how was the job explained to
you in that moment?
Speaker 5 (08:33):
Sure, very simply, Chris. We were coming back from a
preseason game in Providence, Rhode Island, and one of my
duties at the time was to drive coach Charbeck. He
was not God rests soul, not the greatest driver in
the world. And so he's sitting there like I'm driving
the car and says, h you really want to work
for us? I said, yes, sir, I'd be an honor. Well,
come in and see me tomorrow morning. We'll talk about it. Okay.
(08:54):
So I get here in my one wool suit in
the middle of the summer and sweat to death, and
he says, okay, come on in and sit down and
talk about it. And his talk about it version was Okay,
you're gonna get this, this, and this, take her to
leave it. And I said, okay, thanks very much and
stood up and he goesget now, get your butt out
of here and go to work.
Speaker 3 (09:13):
When you kind of in this I guessume when award
like this makes you reflect, do you have favorite moments?
Like what's the first thing that jumps to mind? Is
you reflect on all these years.
Speaker 5 (09:21):
When you win a title. Of course being part of
a and now do you too sentimental there? But when
you're part of a team, there is a unity, there's
a brotherhood. There's a real sense of camaraderie there that
really people can't and I wish they could it really
experienced going through year from day one to day end.
And you've made it through it, you survived it, and
you've done it together. And that's a great feeling. So
(09:44):
eighty four is the first championship as a part of
and very fortunate and blessed to be part of three
others do along the way.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
You had a little bit of a gap in the
middle of the well what was that?
Speaker 2 (09:52):
I mean, did you? Did you?
Speaker 5 (09:53):
Did it?
Speaker 3 (09:54):
Can you? I mean, you come into a team that's
so successful, did you think, man, we just do this
every year?
Speaker 4 (09:58):
How much and more?
Speaker 3 (09:58):
Did that make you appreciate? Maybe too that exactly?
Speaker 5 (10:01):
You go through situations and here again go back to
coach ourback right, I was used to say, you know
you're gonna have peaks and valleys, and when you have
the valleys, try to make sure you try to keep
the maintain the service and the respect and the care.
If someone has a request, big or small, you honor
it and you try to work through it and try
(10:21):
to help that person. So I think that that was
you appreciate more the championships when you go a long gap,
as you said, Chris, but when you come back around again,
you savor it and it's like, boy, you know, you're
really fortunate to be part of an organization. To quote
do it again.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
Larry Bird, Kevin McHale.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
These were guys who I heard that you went to
barbecues when apple picking with and then sat down and
actually baked something out of the apples.
Speaker 4 (10:48):
Can you tell us time to change?
Speaker 2 (10:49):
It's hard to.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
Imagine Larry Bird or any NBA superstar doing that.
Speaker 5 (10:54):
Yeah, and then here again, the mindset going back forty
years now was you do things that get away from
the court, no offense, but get away from media interviews
and all the policity or notaride that you want to
get through your own platform. Nowadays we none of that.
So how can we get together and just kind of
celebrate us as in the time of year we went
apple picking is one example. We'd have Halloween parties. At
(11:17):
the end of the year, we'd have barbecues and Larry
was a big barbecue guy, and we had guys on
the team. Rick Roby comes to mind that really got
into this, and we all chipped in. We all paid
for whatever the meats or the burghers or whatever it was.
We all just had a good time. And it's we're
much more of a smaller family unit back then because
we could because we were smaller, and not to say
(11:38):
we aren't today, but we have grown expotentially that you know,
it kind of prevents a little bit of that.
Speaker 4 (11:43):
So when the Hall of Fame calls you to let
you know about this, what's that moment like?
Speaker 3 (11:48):
And you know, what have you have? You had a
chance to process at all in the aftermath.
Speaker 5 (11:52):
Well, and I'll tell a long story. I've told us
a couple of staff members already. I got the call
and I look at the phone dial. This is four
one three, must be okay, Western part of the state
for Springfield.
Speaker 4 (12:02):
So my first.
Speaker 5 (12:03):
Reaction was, oh, oh, I picked it up as from
the Hall of Fames at Hall of Fame. Oh oh,
because we have a vault, a special exhibit called the
Vault over there, and one of our trophies at eighty
one trophy is at the exhibit. So my first reaction was, uh, oh,
something happened to the trophy? Not to say bad news first,
you know, So I sat down and news John to
leave the president. He goes, I got some news. Are
you sitting down? My heart's still going fluttering, like, oh no,
(12:25):
something did happen to the trophy? You you've been the
recipient name the recipient of the bund Awards for this year.
And first it was a sigh release that nothing happened
to the trophy, was like, are you sure you got
the right guy? You want me?
Speaker 4 (12:35):
No eight of it?
Speaker 5 (12:35):
You know so?
Speaker 2 (12:37):
And then they follow up in the trophies.
Speaker 4 (12:39):
Okay, trophies five.
Speaker 5 (12:41):
An exhibit is still there if you want to go
visit it. Now we just kidn't go.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
Well, Jeff, we could truly talk to you for a
half hour. You could, you could take up a whole
episode for us and we would be thrilled. But I
know you've got places to be, You've got you've got
a lot of other interviews to do because a lot
of people want to talk to you, and you're gonna go.
Speaker 3 (12:56):
Check on all the other trophies. Make sure they're not, like,
you know, sneaking off.
Speaker 5 (12:59):
That's good point.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
Absolutely keep an eye on this one right over.
Speaker 4 (13:03):
Here in the middle.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
It's a replica, but we do care about it, and
we do have to look ahead because the Celtics are
back in action and we've got three games coming up
in Future focus.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
Future Focus is when.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
We take a look at what's on the horizon for
your Boston Celtics and they're coming back from the All
Star Break against a bunch of Atlantic Division rivals, starting
with the Sixers. Tonight, Sixers were hoping will be healthier
than they were going into the break with Embiat and
Maxie Back. These are two different teams that are on.
Speaker 2 (13:33):
Pretty different trajectories going into the break.
Speaker 3 (13:36):
Chris, and the only thing I'm interested in is making
sure Lonnie Walker isn't out there. Obviously in camp with
the Celtics, I worry all the time about revenge games.
I don't think he has any malice towards the Celtics,
but you know, we had a chance, what body might
latch on here. But if the Sixers are at full strength,
that adds a letter to this.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
It should be a fun matchup, a big showdown.
Speaker 1 (13:53):
This weekend when the Celtics come back at home, will
be against the Knicks. So the Celtics before the break,
they beat the Knicks by twenty plus pointy for the
second time this season at MSG in that game. What
do you expect from this game and the impact that
Carl Anthony Towns might finally have against.
Speaker 3 (14:13):
The celton It's going to be very interesting again, two
teams back to back in the standings here two to three.
You know, the Knicks want to make a surge, want
to show they can hang with the Celtics. Boston has
played some of the best basketball this season against this
Knick team, so they're reminding everybody where they stand in
that Eastern Conference hierarchy. I expect the cell to be
ready to go against the.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
Knicks and finally see that awesome block from Derek Waye
so that they are starting off the first of a
back to back against the Toronto Raptors in Toronto.
Speaker 2 (14:40):
Last time they met, it was a loss, but.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
What's a fantastic Payt Pritcher game.
Speaker 4 (14:45):
He had twenty on that and that's what I was
going to say.
Speaker 3 (14:47):
Like the Celtics, if they need any motivation, it was
one of those games where they just didn't have it,
let their foot off the gas a little bit, and
I wonder if they'll have a little extra motivation seeing
that team on the other side and wanted to get
right against the round.
Speaker 1 (14:59):
Be interesting to see if the Raptor's new acquisition, Brandon Ingram,
will be playing. He's been dealing with an injury and
ankle injury even though he got that one hundred and
twenty million dollar extension.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
Would be fun to see him out there, but we'll.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
See one hundred percent. Always root for the guys like
the superstars. To be on the other side makes the
matter for a little more.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
Fun, especially with these Celtics. We'll be with you next Wednesday.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
Thanks christ So
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