December 17, 2024 • 26 mins
The COVID-19 pandemic broke out at the tail end of Baylor Scheierman’s and Anton Watson’s freshman seasons in college. The pandemic wound up shaping the rest of their lives, as both wound up staying in college for five years. The two Boston Celtics rookies and draft picks recall what it was like when COVID hit, how they benefited from an extra year of college basketball, what they’ve learned from being teammates with superstars like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and what they think of head coach Joe Mazzulla.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to season five of You from the Rafters. Behind
the scenes with the Boston Celtics.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
We're sitting here having these conversations.
Speaker 3 (00:07):
Which one sticks out to you?
Speaker 4 (00:08):
What do we craft?
Speaker 2 (00:08):
But we just want a championship that probably happens a lot.
We'll do this every year. Right, This is hard, bro,
Thank you for that. I never thought of it that way.
Speaker 4 (00:16):
Be a part of that winning atmosphere.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
All right, Baylor Shireman, Anton Watson. We are making history
right now.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Do you know why?
Speaker 3 (00:26):
You do? Not know what?
Speaker 1 (00:27):
iView from the Rafters has come up to me and
this is the first episode that we have recorded up
here in five years, so we came to you guys.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
We had to do it.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
What's what's being a pro like? So far?
Speaker 3 (00:37):
Man?
Speaker 2 (00:37):
What's the pro life? Ben Man.
Speaker 4 (00:40):
There's a lot of adjustments. I mean, it's a lot
of travel. You know, you kind of just have to
roll with the punches. There's a lot of schedule changes
and you just kind of have to come prepared with
a with a open mind each and every day. And
it's been a lot of fun though.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
As it felt like you're kind of like on call.
You don't know when you're gonna get a call to
shuttle back and forth.
Speaker 5 (01:00):
Yeah, it's uh, you got to stay ready and they
call us to Stay Ready group, So anytime they need something,
call us up and yeah, you gotta be ready.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
To go in.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
Luke Cornette told me before the season that they were
going to come up with.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
A new name.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Not to Stay Ready is anything.
Speaker 4 (01:16):
We haven't We haven't already. It's still Stay Read group
as of now, we haven't came up with anything new yet.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Come on, get that work.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
What have you guys like soaked in and learned so far?
And being not only like around the organization, but you're
around these great players consistently every week, like you were
there all training camp seeing how they prepare for a season.
What have you guys taken from just like being here
and being around those guys?
Speaker 4 (01:38):
You know, I think, at least for me, it's just uh,
you know a lot of those guys have routines, and
I think that's pretty important. I think that you know,
regardless of where you're at, whether you're in Maine or in Boston,
having a routine and sticking with it, especially with you know,
the travel and the play and just especially for your body.
I think it's probably the biggest thing that I've taken
away just from all the guys just having a routine
(01:59):
and kind of just stick with that.
Speaker 5 (02:01):
Yeah, I'll just say, like the mentality, even coach Joe,
just how they approach the game, how they approach practice.
You know, he tries to tries to bring you every
single day and they're never satisfied. You know, they just
want a championship, but they want to win more, so
you know they.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
A lot more.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
Yeah, they they They did.
Speaker 5 (02:18):
A good job of bringing me and Baylor in and
giving us that same mentality and yeah, the standards higher.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
Does it feel like you guys just got drafted like
the other day? Like has have these months flown by?
Speaker 3 (02:29):
Okay?
Speaker 2 (02:30):
Yeah, I'd say like four or five months, a couple
of weeks.
Speaker 4 (02:35):
Yeah, Yeah, There's a lot's happened since those four or
five months, you know, training camp, Summer League training camp,
Summer League training Campidabi. Yeah, Like, yeah, there's been a
lot that's gone. So for sure.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
What was the trip overseas?
Speaker 5 (02:47):
Like I thought it was. I thought it was pretty fun.
That was my first time out the country.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
So, you know, the first time ever Bahamas.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
I've been to Bahamas.
Speaker 5 (02:56):
But yeah, I've never been out the country, so going
to abidaby Is would experience that culture and even just yeah,
first playing our first NBA game, like it was pretty dope.
Speaker 4 (03:06):
What was it like for you, b Yeah, I'd say
the same thing. It was. It was my first time
out of the country as well, other than the Bahamas, and.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Were those both for basketball?
Speaker 4 (03:13):
Bahamas?
Speaker 1 (03:13):
Yeah, so basketball is taking you outside the US pretty much.
Speaker 4 (03:18):
But yeah, it was great. Like Anton said, it was
kind of our first like NBA type minutes in the preseason,
and it was just cool to go over there and
kind of just you know, be immersed in that culture
and kind of learn, you know, new things that you
know you don't you don't necessarily know about until you're there.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
So all right, so we touched on like how the
time has kind of flown since you guys got drafted.
You went through Summer League, you went through training camp,
another training camp, Like now you've been playing actual games. Now,
where do you guys think you are now compared to
that first day.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
Of Summer League practice a few months ago in.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Terms of like understanding what you're trying to do on
the court, because that they flood you with a lot
of information.
Speaker 4 (03:58):
Oh, for sure. I think that's a good to put it.
I think just like understanding what what we're trying to
do on the offensive defensive end, the calls, the verbiage
of everything, and you know, now four months later, you
know a lot of practices, you know, finally playing some games.
Just feel uncomfortable out there with you know what we're
trying to accomplish and time.
Speaker 5 (04:20):
Yeah, that's all I would say, just feeling more comfortable.
You know, we've been around the guys, got to meet
all the coaches and yeah, starting to learn the plays,
and the more time we play on the court, I
think the more comfortable we get.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
So yeah, it's been good so far.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
We're going to touch on the coaches later because Joe
is weird and we got to touch on that. Like
I got to hear some stories about your conversations with him.
But what I really want to talk to you guys
about today a little less about like in the moment,
but about a little bit of your history. I want
to tell you guys, I'm very jealous of you, not
only because you're professional basketball players, but because you got
the five year college experience, both of you guys. What
(04:56):
what was that like having like that extra year and
it kind of almost being like gifted to you a
little bit, because usually you got to get injured and
have a red shirt to have that fifth year. But
you guys got it through the COVID. We're going to
talk about that a little more. But what was that
like to have that extra kind of free year to
be around your your teams and kind of lift your
draft stock.
Speaker 5 (05:15):
Yeah, for me, it was it was nice because I
got injured my freshman year, and then my senior year,
I had a good year at Gonzaga, and then I
had one more year. I put my name in the
drafts my senior year and then I returned to g
u and then that year that's when I kind of
took off and you know, I was the man of
the team, and yeah, I just felt felt comfortable. I
(05:37):
thought it was a big year for me and I
end up here, so you know, I don't think it's
too bad to stay in college that long. You know
a lot of dudes switch schools.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
And He's got a smile like he enjoyed us.
Speaker 5 (05:50):
I honestly, I like Gonzaga. That's where I'm from. Yeah,
and yeah, it was nice, you know, Yeah, crazy story
for anyone who doesn't know. You actually went to Gonzaga
Prep Gonzaga PREPP and then you went against Are you
like the first person.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
To ever do that? John Stockton did that?
Speaker 1 (06:04):
Okay, so first person like fifty years not bad, not bad?
Speaker 3 (06:08):
How about you, Baylor?
Speaker 4 (06:09):
Yeah, I mean I love my college experience and kind
of like Anton, I mean I switched schools. I was
at South Dakota State for three years. Yeah, I loved
my time there. It was great. We had three great
successful years there and then transferred to Creighton for my
last two. But just having that fifth year was was
great because after my fourth year, obviously had a really
(06:29):
great team year at Creighton, but I didn't feel like
I had a great year individually, and having that fifth
year to kind of really hone on my.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
Just put your name in the draft too, right year
after my junior year.
Speaker 4 (06:39):
Junior year, Yeah, I went through the draft process and
then that's when I decided to transfer. But yeah, I
love my five years at college, and I tell anybody
stay in college as long as you can.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
I feel the same way.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
Man, what like not basketball related, Like, what did you
enjoy most that we can actually talk about about the
fifth year of college. Because I'm sure you got some
parties in here and there, but like, what did you
enjoy about, like being able to get that extra year
of like with the college boys, But it was.
Speaker 4 (07:02):
Just the relationships, you know, It's kind of just I
mean what not necessarily college, but just life is all about, honestly,
just the relationships. And for me especially, you know, being
able to have that extra year at Creighton, where like
if I wouldn't have the extra year, I would have
been at Craton for one year. And not that I
didn't build good relationships through that one year, but just
having that second year kind of just really hone those
(07:23):
in and now like those guys like just my brothers
and just all the memories we made on the court,
but then off the court as well.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
And it's a different situation as we talked about, like
you transferred, you were there for five years, you rose
up with a few, probably a few guys on the
team for four years. Then you probably saw some new
guys come in while you were what do you even
call it, like a super senior grat grad student.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
I don't even know what you call it.
Speaker 4 (07:45):
It wasn't a grad student. I only got one degree.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
But so what do you call that's fifth year? You
were a grad student? What'd you call it? I'm just.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
Here.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
So but you guys, experiences were different because you went
to two different schools. You went to one for you, Like,
what did you enjoy about being a Gonzaga for five
years as opposed to, you know, having to switch places
in the middle of your career?
Speaker 5 (08:06):
Yeah, or kind of like what Bailey said, like the
relations I may have my teammates and the coaches. I
feel like in college it's a little bit different. You know,
you go to class with your teammates, and you eat
with your teammates. You pretty much do everything with them.
So yeah, that was that was super special. And then yeah,
playing in the kennel, like the fans are going to
(08:27):
be there every single game, you know it's going to
be sold out. It was it was special doing that
every single night.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
So yeah, class is a key word that I want
to ask about here when you're in your fifth year,
how much of class actually happened?
Speaker 4 (08:39):
Well for me? I had For me, I had a lot,
not a lot, but like I had a good amount
one degree because I transferred to When I transferred your
credit it's pretty you know, high end. Yeah, academic school.
And so when I TRANSFERREDM South Dakota State, the major
that I had of South Dakota State, they didn't have
a Creighton so I lost.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
So he started over.
Speaker 4 (09:00):
I didn't start over, but like I lost a lot.
So like I was, I was grinding to get that.
Oh my god, shout out for my moms.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
How many credits did you have that year?
Speaker 4 (09:10):
So I don't know exactly what it was that year,
but I know in the two years I had to
do forty eight credits, So that's crazy. Yeah, I was grinding.
Speaker 1 (09:19):
For anyone who has not gone to school yet, like,
that's a lot of credits there.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
A short time. Yeah, I was. I was chilling. Last year.
I was chilling.
Speaker 5 (09:26):
I had like twelve credits for the whole year for
for the I think it was each semester.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
And that's another question that I want to ask.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
Did you guys stay all the way through your grad
year and like to the end, because you guys were
also prepping for the NBA draft at that point, So
did you stay and like finish the academic year, did
you like move on and start with your agent, start
getting on the court.
Speaker 4 (09:49):
So I stayed. I actually did all my pre draft
like workouts and everything, like training before like the combine
and everything at Craton. Okay, I didn't. I had an
agent and everything, but normally, you know, guys go to
where their agents are located and work out. I stayed
at Creighton and just worked out there because I just
felt more comfortable there and with my schedule, I had
a good routine and everything. So I stayed at Creighton.
Speaker 5 (10:11):
Yeah, I ended up finishing and I went to Tampa
I think with like a month left with school, but
I ended up finishing before.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
Just get it out of the way.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
Yeah, there you go. It's a good decision. Move on
to the big stuff. I kind of got an NBA career.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
I got a prep for all right.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
So we touched on this that, like.
Speaker 1 (10:29):
The whole reason that this happened is because of COVID,
which it's crazy to think about. It was almost five
years ago at this point, but you guys were both freshmen.
What do you remember about when that happened. I know
you were out with an injury, but your team was
number two in the country. You were thirty one and two,
Like we're thinking maybe a championship, So.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
What do you guys remember about I was. I do
not remember the record, No, I did not.
Speaker 4 (10:52):
We were So I was at South Dakota State at
the time.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
You put me on the spot there. I appreciate it.
Speaker 4 (10:58):
That's funny. No, I was at South Dakota State and we.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
I remember you were there. Yeah, we just didn't know
you guys.
Speaker 4 (11:04):
Read we uh we we won. Yeah, we won the
Summer League regular season title and we just played our
first round in the Summer League tournament. And I don't
know if anyone knows, but like at South Dakota State,
you have to win the tournament championship to make the
game tournament, like you don't get an automatic bid. We
ended up losing the first round, got upset by Perdue
Fort Wayne at the time, and so I just remember
(11:26):
going home and finally having a break and you know,
freshman year of college, like it's a lot to take in,
especially when you're playing sports. And so I just remember
having that break. We had like a week to go
home because it was spring break.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
And then turns out you had a long break halfway through.
Speaker 4 (11:40):
Halfway through it like that thing, it all broke out
and got the news that like I remember coach Endo
texted and was like, you guys aren't coming back, like
and I was. I was happy. Yeah, I was like
we got like a four month summer vacation. Like it
was great. I loved it.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
But yeah, Anti, what was it like for you guys
and not just see I mean, as we talked about,
you were out with a.
Speaker 1 (12:02):
Shoulder injury, right, Yeah. But for the team, I mean
that had to be brutal experience.
Speaker 5 (12:08):
No, it was tough. We had a lot of seniors too.
We had Killian Tilly, he played on the summer league team.
He was on the squad, Adamon Gilder Ryan. But yeah,
for them, they came into the locker room and it
was it was pretty down. You know, it's their last
time being on college court and for them to just say, yeah,
(12:29):
season's over. It was tough. So the bad, the the
vibes were bad after that. But yeah, for me, nothing
really changed.
Speaker 3 (12:36):
I was injured.
Speaker 5 (12:37):
I was doing rehab and actually I was excited to
go to the tournament. You know, experience that went to
the the conference Sermon in Vegas won that, so you
know I thought we were rolling, and yeah, it was
just tough.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
Yeah, it was crazy.
Speaker 1 (12:51):
I mean I remember we were just coming back from
I think it was Milwaukee when the league was like nope,
we're done, and it's like wait what like the NBA
styf opping and then the whole world wound up stopping.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
It was nuts.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
What were you guys doing, like during those months of
isolation and like all this stuff, all the rules that
were going out, What were you guys doing well? I
mean I remember coming off freshman year of college.
Speaker 4 (13:13):
So I'm from a small town in a Roora, Nebraska,
Like in a Roora, Nebraska, so like not a lot
changed for us living there, Like it was still kind
of the same in a sense.
Speaker 1 (13:25):
Was everyone kind of like out and about because it's
such a small Yeah, everyone was, so you didn't have
to isolate, No, not really social distance.
Speaker 4 (13:31):
Yeah, all my all my high school buddies were back
from freshman like obviously freshman year, so we were just
kicking it. I was just working out in the morning
and then golfing in the afternoon with the high school.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
A little different for you, way different.
Speaker 4 (13:47):
That's all I was doing for like four months, going
to the lake like.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
It was now I got another reason to be jealous.
Speaker 3 (13:52):
Yeah, it was great. It was great.
Speaker 5 (13:54):
We was we were sneaking in the gym trying to
get workouts, like yeah, it was were they like trying
to keep every going out, like everything was locked up
and yeah, like everything you literally had to sneak into
the gym. Yeah, like Gonzaga was locked up. We couldn't
go there, And there's a gym right next to it
called the Warehouse, and like we would go in there
playing three on three, like play runs, just to do something.
Because yeah, we went to the park a couple of
(14:17):
times outside and shooting on that double rims.
Speaker 3 (14:20):
It was like, yeah, it was pretty bad.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
You weren't chilling with the boys and golfing.
Speaker 5 (14:25):
I was on the game a lot. Like COVID, you
got lots so much free time. Yeah, so you had
to find stuff to do. So that's freshman year.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
It's kind of crazy, like that's your introduction to college
is like the season stops.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
But it did lead to you, guys, get in an
extra year.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
It gave you an opportunity to transfer to Creaton and
play for two years, opportunity to play five years at
one of the best programs in the country.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
How do you think that that.
Speaker 1 (14:50):
Impacted you in the long run of being able to
get that extra year, and it's like more training, it's
more like growing up. I would assume, like mentally all
that st up. How did that impact you guys in
the long run.
Speaker 4 (15:05):
I think it. I think it impacted me a lot,
just like you said, the extra training, the extra year
to grow my girl as an individual off the court,
but then also grow on the court. It allowed me
to kind of honestly become like who I was and
where I am today. Like I don't think if I
had if I don't have the extra year, I don't
know if I'm a necessarily a first round pick this
last year. So it did a lot for me.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
Anton, did you feel like it impacted you significantly having
that extra year?
Speaker 5 (15:32):
Yeah, I feel like later my college career impacted me,
like my senior in this past year because like I
don't know, I just feel like I'm matured. And then
I was one of the older guys on the team.
I wasn't really going out to parties, you know, I
was kind of chilling, and Yeah, the.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
Fifth year was quiet for Anton Waite. Yeah, it's like
off the court, you kind of would have been out
every night, you know.
Speaker 5 (15:57):
I definitely had a good time on weekends hanging with
my teammates. But some you're twenty four years old in college,
at some point you're like, you know, it.
Speaker 4 (16:07):
Gets monotonous at some point.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
Yeah, you trying to.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
Get out of there.
Speaker 5 (16:10):
You're trying to see the bigger picture, trying to get
to the next level in Yeah, you just gotta locked in.
Speaker 1 (16:15):
Did you guys have any classes with freshmen during your
grad year?
Speaker 3 (16:18):
I think probably not.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
There's like eighteen year olds.
Speaker 4 (16:22):
I don't know if it was my grad year, but
I know my first year of creating, I had a
lot of freshman courses because I just transferred. Like I said,
I lost all those credits.
Speaker 2 (16:30):
So they're like, that's that basketball guy.
Speaker 4 (16:32):
Yeah, crazy fool school too. I don't know how big
Gonzai is.
Speaker 3 (16:36):
I think the same size. Really yeah really.
Speaker 4 (16:38):
So it's like six thousand, seven thousand. Yeah, so that's
really small.
Speaker 1 (16:41):
So so tournament time, you guys get into the tournament,
both of you. Obviously in your grad student years, you
guys actually not creating out what was it your.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
Actual senior year in the tournament?
Speaker 3 (16:53):
I appreciate you creating.
Speaker 2 (16:54):
You didn't hit any of the.
Speaker 1 (16:55):
Tournaments, Okay, I must, I must be pulling some missed
I misquotving the information.
Speaker 4 (17:00):
I think Gonzaga played South Dakota State one year must
have been I think it was my senior of high school.
Speaker 2 (17:06):
Yeah, I just missed it.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
Yah, okay, But you guys both get tournament experience and
like that to me when I watched, like it's invaluable
to be able to get in that environment.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
To be able to play like at that level.
Speaker 1 (17:17):
How do you feel that that might have impacted you
guys of getting tournament NCAA tournament experience which you literally
weren't allowed to do during your freshman years.
Speaker 5 (17:26):
It's yeah, just getting that experience is once in a lifetime.
I think when you're a little kid, it's like that's
where you want to be. You want to be at
the Big Dance.
Speaker 1 (17:36):
Championship game, by the way, if everyone doesn't remember, yeah.
Speaker 5 (17:39):
You want to be there. And yeah, it's it's a
lot of take in. Sometimes I feel like I take
it for granted just because you know, our team made
it to the March Madness every single year, and yeah,
it's just those moments you got to you gotta be
in the moment enjoying with your teammates. But yeah, the crowds, everything,
the energy is just different and it's definitely special being
(18:02):
in those games.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
Final four is nuts. I've been there as a fan once.
I'm like, is this real?
Speaker 3 (18:07):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:07):
I could barely see the players on the court because
we was.
Speaker 5 (18:10):
In the COVID Final four, so that was a little
bit different, but it was it's still.
Speaker 1 (18:14):
Like, tell me about that. What was that because I
don't remember what was that? Like were their fans.
Speaker 5 (18:18):
They had like cardboard people set up in the stands
and that. Yeah, so it was kind of it was cool,
but it was in Lucas Oil Stadium, which is huge.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
That's where I went to the final four back in
the day.
Speaker 5 (18:31):
Yeah, so it was huge and it felt a little empty,
but it was still like the intensity was still there.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
It was you said something that like you may have
kind of took taken it for granted because you guys
were in the tournament every year. You obviously didn't get
that experience, So like, how much do you value being
able to get that experience while you were at Creating?
Speaker 4 (18:50):
I mean I definitely valued it a lot, Like you said,
I think, you know, starting at a smaller school where
like you don't get an automatic bid so like it's
a lot harder to get there. My first two years
in college we didn't We obviously didn't make it. Then
we made it my third year, and it just felt
different kind of at South Dakota State. Then it did
it Creighton, honestly, because as South Dakota State, like you
almost you win your conference tournament and then like that's
(19:10):
like you're like, that's what you're working for all years. Creighton,
you know, we're like trying to win a national championship.
So it's a little different, but still like the runs
we had at Creighton my two years when we made
the tournament was special, and like like Anton said, it's
just like a different feel in the tournament. The electricity
in the air and just the vibe is just is
really special and something that you know, I definitely loved
(19:34):
playing and all the games I played in the tournament.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
You guys got to see sixteen.
Speaker 4 (19:37):
Yeah, so yeah, so yeah, my first year we lost
an lait eate to San Diego State by one a
controversial call, but uh.
Speaker 2 (19:47):
To bring up subject.
Speaker 4 (19:49):
But then yeah, this past year we actually played in
the same Yeah, if we would have won the Sweet sixteen, yeah,
we lost it. To see.
Speaker 1 (20:02):
All right, let's get back to some Celtics stuff. We
talked about Joe Missoula, Like, what what's the experience been
like playing under him? Because I don't know, every time
I talk to him, I feel like he's he's like
interrogating me, like interview mar like reading me every time
I speak to him, and I feel like he every
day he comes to work, he comes with like this
new unique perspective that he brings to the table. What
(20:23):
was your guys like first interpretations of when you met
him and started playing for him.
Speaker 4 (20:27):
I mean, I just enjoy like his just like he's
very blunt, Like he just he just kind of tells you.
The fact that he just tells you how it is.
I really like that. I really respect that, and you
know that's kind of something that I enjoy about him,
is just the fact that he just tells you how
it is. Yeah, it's not going to mess around. He
just he doesn't beat around the bush and just very direct.
And I really like that.
Speaker 1 (20:47):
I saw after a practice he kind of pulled you
aside and was having It's probably not the first or
last time that you guys had a conversation, but what
have your interactions been like with him, and what do
you take from those conversations.
Speaker 5 (20:56):
Yeah, like Bayley say, he is he's very blunt and
he's gonna let you know. Yeah, he told me Bailey,
he said, we don't like freshman.
Speaker 3 (21:04):
I mean.
Speaker 5 (21:07):
Like, yeah, okay, you got to take it with a
grain of salt.
Speaker 2 (21:11):
You know.
Speaker 5 (21:11):
He wants the best for us and he wants us
to get better and developed. So yeah, his mindset is
definitely different, but you know, you gotta love it.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
He's been known to say some like weird quotes in
the public and even in practice, like what did Derek
White was asked us in the finals last year, what's
the weirdest thing he's ever said?
Speaker 2 (21:30):
And what did he say? Like, nobody cares. I think
it was just.
Speaker 4 (21:33):
Quote to say, that's my favorite thing that nobody cares.
Speaker 2 (21:37):
Nobody cares.
Speaker 1 (21:38):
He actually was our first episode this season on View
from the Raptors, and we went through a bunch of
his his lines and I was like, what did you
mean by nobody cares. He's like, well, I mean he's like,
you ever been to a funeral? I'm like, yeah, I've
been to a funeral. He's like, everyone's telling jokes they
don't care about the dead person. There's like nobody cares.
I'm like, okay, interesting perspective. Are there any other like
one liners that you remember that he's said so far
(22:00):
this year?
Speaker 4 (22:01):
Oh? I don't know if there's one liners. I just
like watching those interviews, like you guys go on watch it. Yeah.
My favorite thing that was he was like he was
talking to the media and he was like, none of
you guys are invited to my funeral or y whatever
you like. I love that. That was funny. That was funny.
Speaker 1 (22:16):
What else have you guys taken around, like particularly Jalen
and Jason and those guys, and the way that they
approach the game, what they bring to the table, like
both ends of the court, because there's I mean you
could probably count of them on two hands of like
the superstars in the league who do it at both ends.
Speaker 4 (22:32):
I mean kind of what I said earlier, just like
the routines they have. You know, they're very anything in particular.
I mean just like uh, pre court, but you know
before they get on the court, how they're taking care
of their bodies. I mean obviously, like it's a long year.
They play a lot of minutes, so I think there's
that and then just like the details. They're focused on
the details, like you said, on both ends of the
court and just being in the right spot and trying
(22:54):
to make the right reads all the time.
Speaker 1 (22:55):
So anten anything in particular you've taken from those guys.
Speaker 5 (22:59):
Yeah, I think the biggest thing I noticed is like
just the way they can be coached. Like, you know,
they're two of the highest played players in the league.
You know they've been in the league for a while,
but you know they listened to the they listened to
Joe and the game plan, and you know they do
they do what they have to do to win, So
(23:19):
you know that's that's something you can respect. And yeah,
just their coachability.
Speaker 1 (23:24):
I know they came in early in September and you
guys were all getting runs in before training camp. What
was that like of like I don't know if that's
the first time you met them in person, but like
actually getting on the court and playing against them or
with them. I don't know what the splits were, but
what were those runs like of like for the first
time being on the court with JT and JB.
Speaker 5 (23:40):
Yeah, it's kind of crazy, just because you know, you're like,
I'm here you see, you see them on TV all
the time, and it's like you really here in the
moment and you guarding JT JB. And yeah, it's it
was a cool moment once they first started practicing us.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
What do you remember about this?
Speaker 4 (23:56):
Kind of the same thing. You know, it was just
a cool moment, you know, growing up, you know, watching
them for the past six years however long they've been
in and then sharing the court with them, it's kind
of like that wild factor. But then you know, you
start playing and you just realize, you know, just basketball
at the end of the day. So but it was
definitely a cool moment.
Speaker 2 (24:13):
How'd you guys do in those early scrimmages? Did you.
Speaker 3 (24:18):
We go? I like it?
Speaker 1 (24:20):
What are the goals this season? I mean rookie seasons
for both of you guys. You've been having some time
with Maine, having some time down in Boston. What are
the goals like for when you're looking at the end
of the season. Individually? Obviously you want to win at
both levels, but individually, what do you guys want to accomplish?
Speaker 4 (24:35):
I mean, for me, I just want to continue to
grow and get better. Obviously, you know the goal is
to work so you can you know, find you know,
minutes in the rotation in Boston, but you have to
understand the situation. And you know, we just came off
a championship, just brought everyone back, and so the opportunities
there are probably going to be limited, and so just
you know, taking you know, a step every single day,
(24:58):
just coming to work every day, whether that's in or Boston,
and just trying to grow and get better to put
yourself in a position to you know, contribute. When your
name's called.
Speaker 2 (25:06):
What do you think, Anton, what's the year looking like
for you?
Speaker 5 (25:09):
Just? I think it's gonna be a big year developing
and learning. You know, it's gonna have to be patient.
You know, there's a lot of guys in rotation above us,
but it's like, yeah, it's gonna be a big learning year.
You know, this's our first year playing in the league,
so catching up to the pace, you know, just everything.
Speaker 3 (25:29):
Yeah, I think it's gonna be a big year.
Speaker 1 (25:30):
Listen, if NBA players want to develop, this is the
place to be, Like, that's what we do here at
the Celtics. It's the pro You've you see him in practice, right,
Luke Corn, that's sound like these guys have come up
through the program. This is a great place to develop.
So glad you guys are here. Glad that we came
and brought view from the Raptors to you up here
in Maine.
Speaker 2 (25:47):
We appreciate you guys coming on for sure.
Speaker 1 (25:49):
And do you want to tell all the kids out there,
if you get a fifth year, like, stay in school,
enjoy it.
Speaker 5 (25:54):
Stay in school, get good grades, do the dishes, you know,
help your moms out.
Speaker 2 (26:00):
Amazing advice, amazing advice. Stand school, enjoy your fifth year
if you get again.
Speaker 1 (26:04):
Sure, all right, fellas, I appreciate you coming out and
good luck the rest of the season.
Speaker 4 (26:07):
Working forward to thank you for so.
Speaker 5 (26:14):
M m hm
Speaker 4 (26:20):
M hm
Welcome to season five of You from the Rafters. Behind
the scenes with the Boston Celtics.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
We're sitting here having these conversations.
Speaker 3 (00:07):
Which one sticks out to you?
Speaker 4 (00:08):
What do we craft?
Speaker 2 (00:08):
But we just want a championship that probably happens a lot.
We'll do this every year. Right, This is hard, bro,
Thank you for that. I never thought of it that way.
Speaker 4 (00:16):
Be a part of that winning atmosphere.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
All right, Baylor Shireman, Anton Watson. We are making history
right now.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Do you know why?
Speaker 3 (00:26):
You do? Not know what?
Speaker 1 (00:27):
iView from the Rafters has come up to me and
this is the first episode that we have recorded up
here in five years, so we came to you guys.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
We had to do it.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
What's what's being a pro like? So far?
Speaker 3 (00:37):
Man?
Speaker 2 (00:37):
What's the pro life? Ben Man.
Speaker 4 (00:40):
There's a lot of adjustments. I mean, it's a lot
of travel. You know, you kind of just have to
roll with the punches. There's a lot of schedule changes
and you just kind of have to come prepared with
a with a open mind each and every day. And
it's been a lot of fun though.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
As it felt like you're kind of like on call.
You don't know when you're gonna get a call to
shuttle back and forth.
Speaker 5 (01:00):
Yeah, it's uh, you got to stay ready and they
call us to Stay Ready group, So anytime they need something,
call us up and yeah, you gotta be ready.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
To go in.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
Luke Cornette told me before the season that they were
going to come up with.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
A new name.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Not to Stay Ready is anything.
Speaker 4 (01:16):
We haven't We haven't already. It's still Stay Read group
as of now, we haven't came up with anything new yet.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Come on, get that work.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
What have you guys like soaked in and learned so far?
And being not only like around the organization, but you're
around these great players consistently every week, like you were
there all training camp seeing how they prepare for a season.
What have you guys taken from just like being here
and being around those guys?
Speaker 4 (01:38):
You know, I think, at least for me, it's just uh,
you know a lot of those guys have routines, and
I think that's pretty important. I think that you know,
regardless of where you're at, whether you're in Maine or in Boston,
having a routine and sticking with it, especially with you know,
the travel and the play and just especially for your body.
I think it's probably the biggest thing that I've taken
away just from all the guys just having a routine
(01:59):
and kind of just stick with that.
Speaker 5 (02:01):
Yeah, I'll just say, like the mentality, even coach Joe,
just how they approach the game, how they approach practice.
You know, he tries to tries to bring you every
single day and they're never satisfied. You know, they just
want a championship, but they want to win more, so
you know they.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
A lot more.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
Yeah, they they They did.
Speaker 5 (02:18):
A good job of bringing me and Baylor in and
giving us that same mentality and yeah, the standards higher.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
Does it feel like you guys just got drafted like
the other day? Like has have these months flown by?
Speaker 3 (02:29):
Okay?
Speaker 2 (02:30):
Yeah, I'd say like four or five months, a couple
of weeks.
Speaker 4 (02:35):
Yeah, Yeah, There's a lot's happened since those four or
five months, you know, training camp, Summer League training camp,
Summer League training Campidabi. Yeah, Like, yeah, there's been a
lot that's gone. So for sure.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
What was the trip overseas?
Speaker 5 (02:47):
Like I thought it was. I thought it was pretty fun.
That was my first time out the country.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
So, you know, the first time ever Bahamas.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
I've been to Bahamas.
Speaker 5 (02:56):
But yeah, I've never been out the country, so going
to abidaby Is would experience that culture and even just yeah,
first playing our first NBA game, like it was pretty dope.
Speaker 4 (03:06):
What was it like for you, b Yeah, I'd say
the same thing. It was. It was my first time
out of the country as well, other than the Bahamas, and.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Were those both for basketball?
Speaker 4 (03:13):
Bahamas?
Speaker 1 (03:13):
Yeah, so basketball is taking you outside the US pretty much.
Speaker 4 (03:18):
But yeah, it was great. Like Anton said, it was
kind of our first like NBA type minutes in the preseason,
and it was just cool to go over there and
kind of just you know, be immersed in that culture
and kind of learn, you know, new things that you
know you don't you don't necessarily know about until you're there.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
So all right, so we touched on like how the
time has kind of flown since you guys got drafted.
You went through Summer League, you went through training camp,
another training camp, Like now you've been playing actual games. Now,
where do you guys think you are now compared to
that first day.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
Of Summer League practice a few months ago in.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Terms of like understanding what you're trying to do on
the court, because that they flood you with a lot
of information.
Speaker 4 (03:58):
Oh, for sure. I think that's a good to put it.
I think just like understanding what what we're trying to
do on the offensive defensive end, the calls, the verbiage
of everything, and you know, now four months later, you
know a lot of practices, you know, finally playing some games.
Just feel uncomfortable out there with you know what we're
trying to accomplish and time.
Speaker 5 (04:20):
Yeah, that's all I would say, just feeling more comfortable.
You know, we've been around the guys, got to meet
all the coaches and yeah, starting to learn the plays,
and the more time we play on the court, I
think the more comfortable we get.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
So yeah, it's been good so far.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
We're going to touch on the coaches later because Joe
is weird and we got to touch on that. Like
I got to hear some stories about your conversations with him.
But what I really want to talk to you guys
about today a little less about like in the moment,
but about a little bit of your history. I want
to tell you guys, I'm very jealous of you, not
only because you're professional basketball players, but because you got
the five year college experience, both of you guys. What
(04:56):
what was that like having like that extra year and
it kind of almost being like gifted to you a
little bit, because usually you got to get injured and
have a red shirt to have that fifth year. But
you guys got it through the COVID. We're going to
talk about that a little more. But what was that
like to have that extra kind of free year to
be around your your teams and kind of lift your
draft stock.
Speaker 5 (05:15):
Yeah, for me, it was it was nice because I
got injured my freshman year, and then my senior year,
I had a good year at Gonzaga, and then I
had one more year. I put my name in the
drafts my senior year and then I returned to g
u and then that year that's when I kind of
took off and you know, I was the man of
the team, and yeah, I just felt felt comfortable. I
(05:37):
thought it was a big year for me and I
end up here, so you know, I don't think it's
too bad to stay in college that long. You know
a lot of dudes switch schools.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
And He's got a smile like he enjoyed us.
Speaker 5 (05:50):
I honestly, I like Gonzaga. That's where I'm from. Yeah,
and yeah, it was nice, you know, Yeah, crazy story
for anyone who doesn't know. You actually went to Gonzaga
Prep Gonzaga PREPP and then you went against Are you
like the first person.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
To ever do that? John Stockton did that?
Speaker 1 (06:04):
Okay, so first person like fifty years not bad, not bad?
Speaker 3 (06:08):
How about you, Baylor?
Speaker 4 (06:09):
Yeah, I mean I love my college experience and kind
of like Anton, I mean I switched schools. I was
at South Dakota State for three years. Yeah, I loved
my time there. It was great. We had three great
successful years there and then transferred to Creighton for my
last two. But just having that fifth year was was
great because after my fourth year, obviously had a really
(06:29):
great team year at Creighton, but I didn't feel like
I had a great year individually, and having that fifth
year to kind of really hone on my.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
Just put your name in the draft too, right year
after my junior year.
Speaker 4 (06:39):
Junior year, Yeah, I went through the draft process and
then that's when I decided to transfer. But yeah, I
love my five years at college, and I tell anybody
stay in college as long as you can.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
I feel the same way.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
Man, what like not basketball related, Like, what did you
enjoy most that we can actually talk about about the
fifth year of college. Because I'm sure you got some
parties in here and there, but like, what did you
enjoy about, like being able to get that extra year
of like with the college boys, But it was.
Speaker 4 (07:02):
Just the relationships, you know, It's kind of just I
mean what not necessarily college, but just life is all about, honestly,
just the relationships. And for me especially, you know, being
able to have that extra year at Creighton, where like
if I wouldn't have the extra year, I would have
been at Craton for one year. And not that I
didn't build good relationships through that one year, but just
having that second year kind of just really hone those
(07:23):
in and now like those guys like just my brothers
and just all the memories we made on the court,
but then off the court as well.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
And it's a different situation as we talked about, like
you transferred, you were there for five years, you rose
up with a few, probably a few guys on the
team for four years. Then you probably saw some new
guys come in while you were what do you even
call it, like a super senior grat grad student.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
I don't even know what you call it.
Speaker 4 (07:45):
It wasn't a grad student. I only got one degree.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
But so what do you call that's fifth year? You
were a grad student? What'd you call it? I'm just.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
Here.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
So but you guys, experiences were different because you went
to two different schools. You went to one for you, Like,
what did you enjoy about being a Gonzaga for five
years as opposed to, you know, having to switch places
in the middle of your career?
Speaker 5 (08:06):
Yeah, or kind of like what Bailey said, like the
relations I may have my teammates and the coaches. I
feel like in college it's a little bit different. You know,
you go to class with your teammates, and you eat
with your teammates. You pretty much do everything with them.
So yeah, that was that was super special. And then yeah,
playing in the kennel, like the fans are going to
(08:27):
be there every single game, you know it's going to
be sold out. It was it was special doing that
every single night.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
So yeah, class is a key word that I want
to ask about here when you're in your fifth year,
how much of class actually happened?
Speaker 4 (08:39):
Well for me? I had For me, I had a lot,
not a lot, but like I had a good amount
one degree because I transferred to When I transferred your
credit it's pretty you know, high end. Yeah, academic school.
And so when I TRANSFERREDM South Dakota State, the major
that I had of South Dakota State, they didn't have
a Creighton so I lost.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
So he started over.
Speaker 4 (09:00):
I didn't start over, but like I lost a lot.
So like I was, I was grinding to get that.
Oh my god, shout out for my moms.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
How many credits did you have that year?
Speaker 4 (09:10):
So I don't know exactly what it was that year,
but I know in the two years I had to
do forty eight credits, So that's crazy. Yeah, I was grinding.
Speaker 1 (09:19):
For anyone who has not gone to school yet, like,
that's a lot of credits there.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
A short time. Yeah, I was. I was chilling. Last year.
I was chilling.
Speaker 5 (09:26):
I had like twelve credits for the whole year for
for the I think it was each semester.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
And that's another question that I want to ask.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
Did you guys stay all the way through your grad
year and like to the end, because you guys were
also prepping for the NBA draft at that point, So
did you stay and like finish the academic year, did
you like move on and start with your agent, start
getting on the court.
Speaker 4 (09:49):
So I stayed. I actually did all my pre draft
like workouts and everything, like training before like the combine
and everything at Craton. Okay, I didn't. I had an
agent and everything, but normally, you know, guys go to
where their agents are located and work out. I stayed
at Creighton and just worked out there because I just
felt more comfortable there and with my schedule, I had
a good routine and everything. So I stayed at Creighton.
Speaker 5 (10:11):
Yeah, I ended up finishing and I went to Tampa
I think with like a month left with school, but
I ended up finishing before.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
Just get it out of the way.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
Yeah, there you go. It's a good decision. Move on
to the big stuff. I kind of got an NBA career.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
I got a prep for all right.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
So we touched on this that, like.
Speaker 1 (10:29):
The whole reason that this happened is because of COVID,
which it's crazy to think about. It was almost five
years ago at this point, but you guys were both freshmen.
What do you remember about when that happened. I know
you were out with an injury, but your team was
number two in the country. You were thirty one and two,
Like we're thinking maybe a championship, So.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
What do you guys remember about I was. I do
not remember the record, No, I did not.
Speaker 4 (10:52):
We were So I was at South Dakota State at
the time.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
You put me on the spot there. I appreciate it.
Speaker 4 (10:58):
That's funny. No, I was at South Dakota State and we.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
I remember you were there. Yeah, we just didn't know
you guys.
Speaker 4 (11:04):
Read we uh we we won. Yeah, we won the
Summer League regular season title and we just played our
first round in the Summer League tournament. And I don't
know if anyone knows, but like at South Dakota State,
you have to win the tournament championship to make the
game tournament, like you don't get an automatic bid. We
ended up losing the first round, got upset by Perdue
Fort Wayne at the time, and so I just remember
(11:26):
going home and finally having a break and you know,
freshman year of college, like it's a lot to take in,
especially when you're playing sports. And so I just remember
having that break. We had like a week to go
home because it was spring break.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
And then turns out you had a long break halfway through.
Speaker 4 (11:40):
Halfway through it like that thing, it all broke out
and got the news that like I remember coach Endo
texted and was like, you guys aren't coming back, like
and I was. I was happy. Yeah, I was like
we got like a four month summer vacation. Like it
was great. I loved it.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
But yeah, Anti, what was it like for you guys
and not just see I mean, as we talked about,
you were out with a.
Speaker 1 (12:02):
Shoulder injury, right, Yeah. But for the team, I mean
that had to be brutal experience.
Speaker 5 (12:08):
No, it was tough. We had a lot of seniors too.
We had Killian Tilly, he played on the summer league team.
He was on the squad, Adamon Gilder Ryan. But yeah,
for them, they came into the locker room and it
was it was pretty down. You know, it's their last
time being on college court and for them to just say, yeah,
(12:29):
season's over. It was tough. So the bad, the the
vibes were bad after that. But yeah, for me, nothing
really changed.
Speaker 3 (12:36):
I was injured.
Speaker 5 (12:37):
I was doing rehab and actually I was excited to
go to the tournament. You know, experience that went to
the the conference Sermon in Vegas won that, so you
know I thought we were rolling, and yeah, it was
just tough.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
Yeah, it was crazy.
Speaker 1 (12:51):
I mean I remember we were just coming back from
I think it was Milwaukee when the league was like nope,
we're done, and it's like wait what like the NBA
styf opping and then the whole world wound up stopping.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
It was nuts.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
What were you guys doing, like during those months of
isolation and like all this stuff, all the rules that
were going out, What were you guys doing well? I
mean I remember coming off freshman year of college.
Speaker 4 (13:13):
So I'm from a small town in a Roora, Nebraska,
Like in a Roora, Nebraska, so like not a lot
changed for us living there, Like it was still kind
of the same in a sense.
Speaker 1 (13:25):
Was everyone kind of like out and about because it's
such a small Yeah, everyone was, so you didn't have
to isolate, No, not really social distance.
Speaker 4 (13:31):
Yeah, all my all my high school buddies were back
from freshman like obviously freshman year, so we were just
kicking it. I was just working out in the morning
and then golfing in the afternoon with the high school.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
A little different for you, way different.
Speaker 4 (13:47):
That's all I was doing for like four months, going
to the lake like.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
It was now I got another reason to be jealous.
Speaker 3 (13:52):
Yeah, it was great. It was great.
Speaker 5 (13:54):
We was we were sneaking in the gym trying to
get workouts, like yeah, it was were they like trying
to keep every going out, like everything was locked up
and yeah, like everything you literally had to sneak into
the gym. Yeah, like Gonzaga was locked up. We couldn't
go there, And there's a gym right next to it
called the Warehouse, and like we would go in there
playing three on three, like play runs, just to do something.
Because yeah, we went to the park a couple of
(14:17):
times outside and shooting on that double rims.
Speaker 3 (14:20):
It was like, yeah, it was pretty bad.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
You weren't chilling with the boys and golfing.
Speaker 5 (14:25):
I was on the game a lot. Like COVID, you
got lots so much free time. Yeah, so you had
to find stuff to do. So that's freshman year.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
It's kind of crazy, like that's your introduction to college
is like the season stops.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
But it did lead to you, guys, get in an
extra year.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
It gave you an opportunity to transfer to Creaton and
play for two years, opportunity to play five years at
one of the best programs in the country.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
How do you think that that.
Speaker 1 (14:50):
Impacted you in the long run of being able to
get that extra year, and it's like more training, it's
more like growing up. I would assume, like mentally all
that st up. How did that impact you guys in
the long run.
Speaker 4 (15:05):
I think it. I think it impacted me a lot,
just like you said, the extra training, the extra year
to grow my girl as an individual off the court,
but then also grow on the court. It allowed me
to kind of honestly become like who I was and
where I am today. Like I don't think if I
had if I don't have the extra year, I don't
know if I'm a necessarily a first round pick this
last year. So it did a lot for me.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
Anton, did you feel like it impacted you significantly having
that extra year?
Speaker 5 (15:32):
Yeah, I feel like later my college career impacted me,
like my senior in this past year because like I
don't know, I just feel like I'm matured. And then
I was one of the older guys on the team.
I wasn't really going out to parties, you know, I
was kind of chilling, and Yeah, the.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
Fifth year was quiet for Anton Waite. Yeah, it's like
off the court, you kind of would have been out
every night, you know.
Speaker 5 (15:57):
I definitely had a good time on weekends hanging with
my teammates. But some you're twenty four years old in college,
at some point you're like, you know, it.
Speaker 4 (16:07):
Gets monotonous at some point.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
Yeah, you trying to.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
Get out of there.
Speaker 5 (16:10):
You're trying to see the bigger picture, trying to get
to the next level in Yeah, you just gotta locked in.
Speaker 1 (16:15):
Did you guys have any classes with freshmen during your
grad year?
Speaker 3 (16:18):
I think probably not.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
There's like eighteen year olds.
Speaker 4 (16:22):
I don't know if it was my grad year, but
I know my first year of creating, I had a
lot of freshman courses because I just transferred. Like I said,
I lost all those credits.
Speaker 2 (16:30):
So they're like, that's that basketball guy.
Speaker 4 (16:32):
Yeah, crazy fool school too. I don't know how big
Gonzai is.
Speaker 3 (16:36):
I think the same size. Really yeah really.
Speaker 4 (16:38):
So it's like six thousand, seven thousand. Yeah, so that's
really small.
Speaker 1 (16:41):
So so tournament time, you guys get into the tournament,
both of you. Obviously in your grad student years, you
guys actually not creating out what was it your.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
Actual senior year in the tournament?
Speaker 3 (16:53):
I appreciate you creating.
Speaker 2 (16:54):
You didn't hit any of the.
Speaker 1 (16:55):
Tournaments, Okay, I must, I must be pulling some missed
I misquotving the information.
Speaker 4 (17:00):
I think Gonzaga played South Dakota State one year must
have been I think it was my senior of high school.
Speaker 2 (17:06):
Yeah, I just missed it.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
Yah, okay, But you guys both get tournament experience and
like that to me when I watched, like it's invaluable
to be able to get in that environment.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
To be able to play like at that level.
Speaker 1 (17:17):
How do you feel that that might have impacted you
guys of getting tournament NCAA tournament experience which you literally
weren't allowed to do during your freshman years.
Speaker 5 (17:26):
It's yeah, just getting that experience is once in a lifetime.
I think when you're a little kid, it's like that's
where you want to be. You want to be at
the Big Dance.
Speaker 1 (17:36):
Championship game, by the way, if everyone doesn't remember, yeah.
Speaker 5 (17:39):
You want to be there. And yeah, it's it's a
lot of take in. Sometimes I feel like I take
it for granted just because you know, our team made
it to the March Madness every single year, and yeah,
it's just those moments you got to you gotta be
in the moment enjoying with your teammates. But yeah, the crowds, everything,
the energy is just different and it's definitely special being
(18:02):
in those games.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
Final four is nuts. I've been there as a fan once.
I'm like, is this real?
Speaker 3 (18:07):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:07):
I could barely see the players on the court because
we was.
Speaker 5 (18:10):
In the COVID Final four, so that was a little
bit different, but it was it's still.
Speaker 1 (18:14):
Like, tell me about that. What was that because I
don't remember what was that? Like were their fans.
Speaker 5 (18:18):
They had like cardboard people set up in the stands
and that. Yeah, so it was kind of it was cool,
but it was in Lucas Oil Stadium, which is huge.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
That's where I went to the final four back in
the day.
Speaker 5 (18:31):
Yeah, so it was huge and it felt a little empty,
but it was still like the intensity was still there.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
It was you said something that like you may have
kind of took taken it for granted because you guys
were in the tournament every year. You obviously didn't get
that experience, So like, how much do you value being
able to get that experience while you were at Creating?
Speaker 4 (18:50):
I mean I definitely valued it a lot, Like you said,
I think, you know, starting at a smaller school where
like you don't get an automatic bid so like it's
a lot harder to get there. My first two years
in college we didn't We obviously didn't make it. Then
we made it my third year, and it just felt
different kind of at South Dakota State. Then it did
it Creighton, honestly, because as South Dakota State, like you
almost you win your conference tournament and then like that's
(19:10):
like you're like, that's what you're working for all years. Creighton,
you know, we're like trying to win a national championship.
So it's a little different, but still like the runs
we had at Creighton my two years when we made
the tournament was special, and like like Anton said, it's
just like a different feel in the tournament. The electricity
in the air and just the vibe is just is
really special and something that you know, I definitely loved
(19:34):
playing and all the games I played in the tournament.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
You guys got to see sixteen.
Speaker 4 (19:37):
Yeah, so yeah, so yeah, my first year we lost
an lait eate to San Diego State by one a
controversial call, but uh.
Speaker 2 (19:47):
To bring up subject.
Speaker 4 (19:49):
But then yeah, this past year we actually played in
the same Yeah, if we would have won the Sweet sixteen, yeah,
we lost it. To see.
Speaker 1 (20:02):
All right, let's get back to some Celtics stuff. We
talked about Joe Missoula, Like, what what's the experience been
like playing under him? Because I don't know, every time
I talk to him, I feel like he's he's like
interrogating me, like interview mar like reading me every time
I speak to him, and I feel like he every
day he comes to work, he comes with like this
new unique perspective that he brings to the table. What
(20:23):
was your guys like first interpretations of when you met
him and started playing for him.
Speaker 4 (20:27):
I mean, I just enjoy like his just like he's
very blunt, Like he just he just kind of tells you.
The fact that he just tells you how it is.
I really like that. I really respect that, and you
know that's kind of something that I enjoy about him,
is just the fact that he just tells you how
it is. Yeah, it's not going to mess around. He
just he doesn't beat around the bush and just very direct.
And I really like that.
Speaker 1 (20:47):
I saw after a practice he kind of pulled you
aside and was having It's probably not the first or
last time that you guys had a conversation, but what
have your interactions been like with him, and what do
you take from those conversations.
Speaker 5 (20:56):
Yeah, like Bayley say, he is he's very blunt and
he's gonna let you know. Yeah, he told me Bailey,
he said, we don't like freshman.
Speaker 3 (21:04):
I mean.
Speaker 5 (21:07):
Like, yeah, okay, you got to take it with a
grain of salt.
Speaker 2 (21:11):
You know.
Speaker 5 (21:11):
He wants the best for us and he wants us
to get better and developed. So yeah, his mindset is
definitely different, but you know, you gotta love it.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
He's been known to say some like weird quotes in
the public and even in practice, like what did Derek
White was asked us in the finals last year, what's
the weirdest thing he's ever said?
Speaker 2 (21:30):
And what did he say? Like, nobody cares. I think
it was just.
Speaker 4 (21:33):
Quote to say, that's my favorite thing that nobody cares.
Speaker 2 (21:37):
Nobody cares.
Speaker 1 (21:38):
He actually was our first episode this season on View
from the Raptors, and we went through a bunch of
his his lines and I was like, what did you
mean by nobody cares. He's like, well, I mean he's like,
you ever been to a funeral? I'm like, yeah, I've
been to a funeral. He's like, everyone's telling jokes they
don't care about the dead person. There's like nobody cares.
I'm like, okay, interesting perspective. Are there any other like
one liners that you remember that he's said so far
(22:00):
this year?
Speaker 4 (22:01):
Oh? I don't know if there's one liners. I just
like watching those interviews, like you guys go on watch it. Yeah.
My favorite thing that was he was like he was
talking to the media and he was like, none of
you guys are invited to my funeral or y whatever
you like. I love that. That was funny. That was funny.
Speaker 1 (22:16):
What else have you guys taken around, like particularly Jalen
and Jason and those guys, and the way that they
approach the game, what they bring to the table, like
both ends of the court, because there's I mean you
could probably count of them on two hands of like
the superstars in the league who do it at both ends.
Speaker 4 (22:32):
I mean kind of what I said earlier, just like
the routines they have. You know, they're very anything in particular.
I mean just like uh, pre court, but you know
before they get on the court, how they're taking care
of their bodies. I mean obviously, like it's a long year.
They play a lot of minutes, so I think there's
that and then just like the details. They're focused on
the details, like you said, on both ends of the
court and just being in the right spot and trying
(22:54):
to make the right reads all the time.
Speaker 1 (22:55):
So anten anything in particular you've taken from those guys.
Speaker 5 (22:59):
Yeah, I think the biggest thing I noticed is like
just the way they can be coached. Like, you know,
they're two of the highest played players in the league.
You know they've been in the league for a while,
but you know they listened to the they listened to
Joe and the game plan, and you know they do
they do what they have to do to win, So
(23:19):
you know that's that's something you can respect. And yeah,
just their coachability.
Speaker 1 (23:24):
I know they came in early in September and you
guys were all getting runs in before training camp. What
was that like of like I don't know if that's
the first time you met them in person, but like
actually getting on the court and playing against them or
with them. I don't know what the splits were, but
what were those runs like of like for the first
time being on the court with JT and JB.
Speaker 5 (23:40):
Yeah, it's kind of crazy, just because you know, you're like,
I'm here you see, you see them on TV all
the time, and it's like you really here in the
moment and you guarding JT JB. And yeah, it's it
was a cool moment once they first started practicing us.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
What do you remember about this?
Speaker 4 (23:56):
Kind of the same thing. You know, it was just
a cool moment, you know, growing up, you know, watching
them for the past six years however long they've been
in and then sharing the court with them, it's kind
of like that wild factor. But then you know, you
start playing and you just realize, you know, just basketball
at the end of the day. So but it was
definitely a cool moment.
Speaker 2 (24:13):
How'd you guys do in those early scrimmages? Did you.
Speaker 3 (24:18):
We go? I like it?
Speaker 1 (24:20):
What are the goals this season? I mean rookie seasons
for both of you guys. You've been having some time
with Maine, having some time down in Boston. What are
the goals like for when you're looking at the end
of the season. Individually? Obviously you want to win at
both levels, but individually, what do you guys want to accomplish?
Speaker 4 (24:35):
I mean, for me, I just want to continue to
grow and get better. Obviously, you know the goal is
to work so you can you know, find you know,
minutes in the rotation in Boston, but you have to
understand the situation. And you know, we just came off
a championship, just brought everyone back, and so the opportunities
there are probably going to be limited, and so just
you know, taking you know, a step every single day,
(24:58):
just coming to work every day, whether that's in or Boston,
and just trying to grow and get better to put
yourself in a position to you know, contribute. When your
name's called.
Speaker 2 (25:06):
What do you think, Anton, what's the year looking like
for you?
Speaker 5 (25:09):
Just? I think it's gonna be a big year developing
and learning. You know, it's gonna have to be patient.
You know, there's a lot of guys in rotation above us,
but it's like, yeah, it's gonna be a big learning year.
You know, this's our first year playing in the league,
so catching up to the pace, you know, just everything.
Speaker 3 (25:29):
Yeah, I think it's gonna be a big year.
Speaker 1 (25:30):
Listen, if NBA players want to develop, this is the
place to be, Like, that's what we do here at
the Celtics. It's the pro You've you see him in practice, right,
Luke Corn, that's sound like these guys have come up
through the program. This is a great place to develop.
So glad you guys are here. Glad that we came
and brought view from the Raptors to you up here
in Maine.
Speaker 2 (25:47):
We appreciate you guys coming on for sure.
Speaker 1 (25:49):
And do you want to tell all the kids out there,
if you get a fifth year, like, stay in school,
enjoy it.
Speaker 5 (25:54):
Stay in school, get good grades, do the dishes, you know,
help your moms out.
Speaker 2 (26:00):
Amazing advice, amazing advice. Stand school, enjoy your fifth year
if you get again.
Speaker 1 (26:04):
Sure, all right, fellas, I appreciate you coming out and
good luck the rest of the season.
Speaker 4 (26:07):
Working forward to thank you for so.
Speaker 5 (26:14):
M m hm
Speaker 4 (26:20):
M hm
Host
Marc D'Amico
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