S2E9: What It’s Like To Be a Boston Celtics Cult Hero

What's it like to bask in the glory of being a Boston Celtics cult hero? It's time to hear straight from the horse's mouth. There’s a long list of obscure players in the team’s history who, for reasons other than their play, became some of the most popular players on their team. In this episode, Marc and Grande talk to not one, not two, but THREE of those players, as Brian Scalabrine, Tacko Fall and Gigi Datome all join the pod to discuss what it was like them to become a cult hero in Boston. How did it happen? Why did it happen? What did it involve? And most importantly – what were their favorite memories from their cult hero days in Beantown? They answer all of those questions and many more.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome everyone. This is View from the Rafters. It is
my absolute pleasure to welcome in one of the pillars
of this organization. Everybody, forget good one go there not yet?
What will We talked about it in our podcast. You
haven't told him he had just come off the battlefield.
I know what a dream is to work with. Half
our listeners probably don't even know what that is. Always
gonna be green Baby. Welcome to View from the Rafters

(00:24):
Behind the Scenes with the Boston Celtics, presented by Cardless.
Here are your host, Mark Demiko and Seawan Grandy. Welcome
everyone into an episode that I've been excited about personally,
Sean for more than a year, since we started talking
about this back during the first season of You from
the Raptors. Behind the Scenes with the Boston Celtics. Before
we jump into it, I just want to remind everyone

(00:45):
to please rate, subscribe, and download. Thank you for listening.
But Sean, I've been excited about this forever. It's a
really cool angle and story that really no one has
ever talked about, and that is being a cult hero
for the Boston Celtics. I know you're closer to that
status than I am, but I really wanted to talk
to some people who have gone through and experienced what

(01:08):
it's like to be that guy who doesn't play more
than ten minutes a game, doesn't average more than four
or five points a game, Yet for some reason, every
fan of the Boston Celtics is a rabid fan of
that that person and that player. We've got a long
list of those types of guys. Aaron Baines, Yabu sel A, Jerebko, Steams,

(01:29):
Eddie House. I mean, the list goes on and on,
and we've got three of them coming on this episode
today and Brian Scalabrini Taco following Gig to Tom, Why
do you think this happens in Boston? Like, why do
people attach themselves to these players who are kind of
obscure and don't even really make that much of an
impact on the team on the court on a daily basis. Well,

(01:49):
first of all, you are the rock star that is
the voice of the Celtic I've loved long since blown
past that kind of status. I guess called here, you've
got kind of gotta be on the sideline as what
you're seeing. I love. I think the reason you were
excited about the episode and the reason that makes this
so interesting, and it's funny because you have Kevin Garnett
day and the number goes to the rafters, and you

(02:11):
have these iconic players that have played here. But it's
far more of an insight into the fans to the
players that they love beyond all world championship ability. And
this has to do with connections. And there are cities
we've seen them in the NBA where fans come to
games but they are not connected to their franchise. They

(02:34):
are not connected to the players that came here. And
we have seen players come here. Alphrel Horford comes to
mind right away, players who wanted to be in that
environment who hadn't previously because they saw something. I told
the story many times. But the Celtics lost the playoff
series to the Hawks in but they gained out Horford
out of that by the fans did, by the way

(02:55):
they saluted the Celtics at the end of Game six.
I was looking over his shoulder soaking that in as
the Hawks went onto the next round, and when he
was looking for a place to go next year, he
and his dad were like, that's where you need to play,
that's where you need to be and these individuals that
we're going to talk to and some of the others
that you and I will talk about afterwards. I really
think it's far more of an insight into the fan

(03:17):
of the Boston Celtics. Yeah, and it's what's really interesting
to me and what we'll hear this and discuss it
as we go through this podcast episode. But what's so
interesting to me is that, I mean, Horford would say,
even though he's a guy who's been a multiple multiple time,
I'll start with the Celtics multiple multiple time, all start
throughout his career. But these other guys who have they've

(03:38):
played in Boston, but in gg T Toomes situation, he's
played all over the world. Um, You've got these other guys,
Taco fall In, Brian Scalabrini, who will have also played
in multiple locations in the NBA, in college, etcetera. Nowhere
else have any of them been recognized and connected to

(03:59):
the city the way that they did in Boston. It's
just it kind of blows my mind that it's like
every year there's a player that the fans choose that
are that guy. I don't even know who that player
would be this season, probably Robert Williams, even though he's
an All Star level player now, but he came in
as the time lord. Everyone attached to him before he
was playing big time minutes. But uh, that's the most

(04:20):
interesting thing to me that all of these players feel
this attachment right back to the fan base into the
city that they just didn't experience anywhere else in their career. Well,
it has to do with something that you know, I've
talked about over the years, which is Boston as a
city for free agent players, for different athletes. It's one
of those things that it is an acquired taste from afar.

(04:43):
I know there are a lot of players who look
at it like Boston, Why would I want to go
to Boston? And then the ones that have been here
say oftentimes it was the best experience they ever had. Yeah,
it is, and I saw it. I it just made
me remember. And this is more of a story about
why Boston different. But I remember back in two thousand ten,
during the NBA Finals, the Lakers flu a bunch of

(05:06):
their staff into Boston to take in the game, and
some of those staff members were actually interns um and
they were up on the top level of the arena
looking down and watching just before the game started. For
I can't remember what game it was in Boston, the
game three, year, Game four, whatever, that first one was
in Boston, and they were looking at each other like

(05:26):
this place is crazy, Like this is not the same
as it is in l a. And it isn't. I
mean this this what we're talking about today, and the
connection between the players and the fan base in the
city is different than you get anywhere else in the
n B a uh. And that's why we wanted to
talk about these guys. So, as I said, we've got

(05:46):
Brian Scalabrini, we've got Taco Fall, and we've got G
two tomb. But first up, we've got the man, the myth,
the legend. He is Brian Scalabrini. Let's jump right into
the conversation. Oh, Scalabrini, Capelli ross Uh. This is Brian Scalabrini.
And that's the chant that all of the Italians were

(06:07):
chanting when you were over there during the lockout. Brian,
you were a cult hero in both Italy and in
Boston at least, that's the term that I would use
when you get everyone amped up from when you check
into the game. But what's it like to be that
player that all of the fans just fall in love with,
regardless of what your role is on the team. Yeah,
you'd be surprised. Like when I was a sophomore in

(06:30):
high school, I started out on the JV team and
eventually I got called up to varsity and we'd blow
a team out and the coach will put me in
and the crowd would go nuts, even when I was
in high school. So I don't know, like the think
about I was. I ended up being the best player
to ever come in, like from that high school. And
but it was like a thing. It's always been a
thing that followed me around. Wasn't like that in in

(06:51):
college because I played like every minute right from the start.
But with the Nets, it was like that with the Celtics,
with the Bulls, and then um when I was with Introvites.
So I think the biggest thing and I would advise
like every player who ever has to go through this,
Like I wish I would have embraced it more when
I was in the NBA, like especially in Boston. I

(07:12):
really and it wasn't like it wasn't about my selfishness
of saying, oh I deserve to be respected, and I
didn't care about that. I always felt like, you know,
like the guys who built the twenty point lead, like
they should get the attention, um and we should be
cheering them, not cheering me. That comes in at the
end of the game. Right, But when I went to
Chicago and when I was in Italy, I fully embraced

(07:37):
all of it, and it was much better. I was
a much happier person embracing all that and trying to
fight it. Well, So do you think since it's followed
you basically since high school is what you're saying, do
you think that this is like a personality thing, Like
your personality just so happens to connect that way with
fan bases? Like, is that why you think this comes about? No?

(07:57):
I mean I think if people see me, they don't
think I like an NBA basketball or I look even
like as a high school kid, you know, in my
big size seventeen feet, I'm six foot three, and like
I'm long and lanky, I got small shoulders, you know,
like you just don't look at me and say, wow,
what what a that guy is just gonna like, you know,
like oozing with talent. Right, So I think you know

(08:18):
when you look at there, it's like, yeah, even our
worst player is scoring on you, you know, but they don't.
Like people don't realize like the stuff that I do
outside of you know, the the games that they go to.
So yeah, I mean, I um, yeah, I think it's
because I look like an underdog. I look like a
guy that can't play. I look like whatever whatever you
want to, you know, go down that road. And I'm not.
I'm not oblivious to it. I get it. Like I

(08:40):
go against dudes that look like Greek gods and I'll
play them all the time. But it's just it's one
of those things where it is what it is. But uh,
I think that fans like they want to make that well,
like how is he doing this? He's a normal guy.
If I got the chance, I would be that too,
And I want to rooper at that time if I
was seven to fifty and could shoot from the outside. Yeah,

(09:02):
doesn't you know. Not all of us have that have
that those special abilities. Hey, but in Boston it seems
like it happens like more often than anywhere else in
the country. I know, you just said that it happened
in Chicago and over in Italy as well, but I
feel like it happens almost every single year in Boston.
There's someone that everyone just latches onto and loves, like
yabusel A out of nowhere. We're talking to Taco on

(09:25):
this episode. G To told me he was only here
for a few months, randomly came out of nowhere and
wind up on the team and shot from three. But
why do you think that this is the case in
Boston in particular? This is the market that you know
the best, So why do you think it happens here? Um?
So one, I think I think it always like coincides
with a really good team, Like can you imagine the

(09:47):
Taco mania if he was on our team this year
as we blow everybody out, like it would be insane.
Because there was a time when the O eight O
seven away Celtics would I mean, we were just like
destroying team. So I would play the last six six
eight minutes and it was a big thing, you know.
So I think you have to be on a good team,
Like if you're on a bad team and that's happening,

(10:07):
it doesn't like it doesn't play as well. So I
was fortunate to think about it. I got drafted by
the Nets and where I'm going to the NBA Finals
my first two years, so it kind of like grew
from there. I go to the Celtics the two years
before Darnett got there, it was none of that stuff,
like like I was playing awful and our team sucked
and and you know, I was getting booed and stuff
like that. But the following year, you're a good team.

(10:28):
You know, you're you're putting your heart and soul into this,
and that's I think. I think that Colt heroes and
stuff like that, like are attached to teams that, like
the fans really love and connect with, and like it's
PRETI and the team that know that guy is this year,
but they're really starting to connect with this team. And
in the past, like the fans obviously connected with our

(10:49):
o A team. Tell me people love that team. Team
was like a bunch of underdogs. So I think you
have to have that type of connection for this to happen. Yeah,
Grandy and I were actually just talking about that who
is that guy on this team? I threw out Rob
William's name, and obviously he's well he's a starter now, right,
But but everyone has been in love with like the

(11:11):
Timelord Aura since he got to Boston. Now he's just
happened to develop into this player this year. But I
don't know who else it would be. Does anyone else
come to mind for you for this team? No, I don't,
I don't. I don't think so. Um. I think at
the beginning of the year it was a little bit
of like Peyton Pritchard, but they like Peton pritchho man,
and like we were all more scratching our heads, like

(11:32):
why is he not in the rotations. Let's get paid
Pritchard in the game and see him play at the end.
So there's been a little bit of roster turnover. So
there was a moment there when uh and his freedom
changed his name that he kind of like jumped off
who really liked him, but not like this team right
now doesn't have you know, a guy like that. I
think could probably if you would think about it. And

(11:53):
people love me Smith because he's just like flying all
over his throwing his body. I thought he was gonna
die the other night in Toronto. He's just like falling
on his head about five times that It is so funny, dude,
such Toronto, we're looking at him like man, you're tripping man,
keep chill out, you know. So these bids had a
little bit of that characteristic as well, so maybe you
know it might be him, and by the way, it

(12:14):
could take a life of its own through the playoffs.
And you know, another thing was there were times this
year that he may has put in the backups at
the end of games and they like, we're awful, I
mean kind of embarrassing. Now be smart or paid him
or brown on the floor with them. So you know,
there's it's just that we don't have that connection at

(12:37):
this point. But who knows these last couple of games.
Who knows, Like what happens in the playoffs, you never
know how this thing is gonna enfold. But there should
have been thinking about all the time the Celtics have
blown he's out the last thirty games, there should have
been somebody that has emerged as, you know, sort of
crowd favorite. I don't think we've got the crowd favorite
thing yet, but I do see every time the ball

(12:59):
touches am Houser's hands, when when he's when he catches it,
everyone stands up and it's like, okay, this is going in.
It's like duncan Duncan ball out in Miami. Every time
he touches the ball, you think it's going in. But
you just mentioned that, like it changed with that two
eight teen that won the championship for you in particular,

(13:20):
do you remember like a specific moment where you were like,
what is going on right now? I mean, like I said,
I've been through all that before, so I just I
was just like, um, I didn't want I said. I
think it was a mistake on my part to be
honest with you, like if I could relive, I don't
have a lot of regrets, but there's a few things.
And I know it sounds like like insignificant, but man,

(13:43):
like I really wish I would have embraced that whole thing.
I should have embraced that whole thing. I should have
went in there and instead of playing quote unquote I'm
like using air quotes right now, like team basketball, and
actually went out there, got a bucket. You know, I'll
go That's what I did in Chicago. I was like,
not full on selfish, you know, but I was like,

(14:06):
you know what, I'm gonna give these people what they want.
So in my mind, I was like, I gotta make
sure if the people want to bucket. I gotta give
him a bucket, you know. And my teammates wanted me
to get a bucket. I gotta get him a bucket, right.
But it's just it's just a mentality, you know, And
you know, as you get older, you realize certain things
like I just should have embraced that so much more
than I did, and I would have enjoyed my time

(14:27):
so much more. And I used to like chirp on
the bench in Chicago with Tips. I'm like, you know,
Tims kept looking at that car to him and looking
out on the bench. You look at the score, and
I know what you're doing, dude, you're doing the bath
right now. Like you could have put me in in
the start of the fourth quarter, and I wasn't gonna
lose this game, idiot, right, Like that's my guy. But
but I'll be on the bench like, hey, you better

(14:48):
give the people what they want. You want to drop extension,
you want to contract extension. You put me in, you know,
like I would do that with him. I would have
never done that with Doc, even though if I did,
Doc would have been cool with it, you know, like
that would have been like, yeah, go, it's stuff. He
would have let me know about it, you know, but
I just I was just so different, you know, after
my time with the Celtics. I was so comfortable with

(15:09):
who I was and my life and my career and
everything like that. And I really, like I said, I
really embraced it after that, and I think I would
have embraced it in two thousand and ten. But we
didn't blow anybody out. Yeah, it was closed. I would
just go through the motions during the regular season, So
it's hard for me to get any time. How do
you think that all of this impacted your career now?

(15:30):
Because I feel like it's all connected. I mean, for
you to want to come back here, for NBC Sports
Boston to want to bring you back, it has a
lot to do with how much the fan base did
love you, right, Yeah, I mean, but I did a
lot of stuff, Like I did a lot of like
Man on Man on the Street. I worked harder before
I got that opportunity. I did a lot of stuff

(15:50):
before that chance, right, But then, um, you know, but
if I sucked on TV, I like, no matter how
much the fans love me, I was that wasn't happening.
And I trying to, like I feel like during the
bubble um with the team really struggling at times, like
maybe I came across as a little bit arrogant. Like
I kept saying our team is not very good, and
people did not want to hear that. They just didn't

(16:11):
want to hear that. And I kept saying that the
team is gonna take some time, like to like, it's
not easy to be the guy, Like it's hard, man,
I've seen it before, I've seen players go into that,
and people didn't want to hear that either, so they
thought I was arrogant. So I felt like like that year,
my reputation sort of took a hit. But you know,
I just the only thing I can do is just
be honest. Right If I wasn't doing all those things,

(16:33):
I'm not sure if I was, uh, you know, faking
it or not being authentic to who I was, I'm
not sure that people would eventually wouldn't like me or
not like me. But I don't think it has anything
to do with you know, I think it's a part
of it, but I don't think it has to do
But we love scalt at the end of games, we're
gonna love him on teaching and as you know in
this business, like you got you got to be authentic.

(16:56):
You can't be a you can't be a used the
word poser, right, you can't do that, not in this game,
like not in this market. Yeah, I think authentic is
is the perfect word to use that because every everyone
that we're talking to on this episode, they were just
authentic to who they are, all right, Like Taco used
to walk around with a smile on his face no
matter what, right, Like if if he's getting mauled by

(17:16):
fifty people while he's trying to grab groceries like whatever,
he doesn't care, smile on his face. Same thing with Toom.
Well that's one thing I and I tell this everybody,
like one thing that I think is really amazing about Boston,
Like I've been at other places, even like the Nets team,
which we like, um, we weren't as like popular as

(17:37):
a team like the Boston Celtics. In the Celtics in
the New England area is like they're so connected, right,
but I tell you I've never met like over this
is a thirty foot view of the people out here,
like they fully understand the situation. I can if I'm
with my kids and I'm like rushing to get somewhere,
and I'm like, listen, man, I'm really sorry. I don't

(17:58):
have time for this right now. I at my kids.
I have yet to I have yet to come across
someone's like, man, I can't believe you would do that
to me. Like everyone out here, which they love us,
but they treat us like we're normal. You know, a
lot of times I'm walking down the street of Boston
and people are like, hey, style, I love the way
we're playing right now, let's keep it up, and they

(18:20):
just keep it moving right Like I'm they look at
me like I'm one of their buddies, you know. And
I mean, I've witnessed that firsthand with you games. It's
amazing at Western Johnny's. It's one of the things that
I love about this area and my connection with the
fans is I feel like they're so understanding of private time,

(18:43):
you know. And by the way, at games, I'll take
all the selfies I can if I'm not if I
got nowhere to go, then I'll do it all day long.
And I just, I just I love that about this area.
I don't think anybody out here takes it personal. And
you know, and when I'm doing selfies. I'll look up
at the clock. Hey guys, it's it's it's uh six
eight on the clock. At seven oh one, I have
to go. I'm really sorry. So I'll tell people here

(19:05):
at seven on one, I gotta go do the selfies,
and in seven on one, I gotta go. And no
one's upset, you know, like everyone has a lot of
understanding out here. Well, that plays into my last question
that I want to ask you, is just what is
your favorite like fan interaction story that you can recall
and tell us right now in Boston my fan interactions.

(19:25):
So that's funny, like people ask me stuff like that,
and people also ask me stuff about um, like what
was your favorite moment when you played right? And there's
like you can you can pull this, and you can
pull that, and I could make up stuff and whatever.
But I'm telling you, like I'm I'm friends with a
lot of season ticket holders, you know, Like I I
come up to them, I talk to him, I ask

(19:46):
them how they're doing. I walk around to me, It's
like the relationship that I built with the fans, just
like my teammates. I remember hanging the banner and doing
the championship game and being in the game. I remember
those things, but more than anything, I've remember the plane rides,
the bus rides, the locker rooms, weight rooms, the silly
things that we did, the arm wrestling story. Yeah, like

(20:08):
I remember like those things, and I like those things
are the most memorable moments to me. I think my
interactions and my relationship that I built with fans is
the thing that I'm most memorable. You know, um, you
know there's a fan that goes to the Celtic game.
I met him at a Celtic game. Our kids now
are on the same AU team. He's like one of

(20:28):
my coaches for our AU team. We taught about four
or five times a week, you know what I mean. Like,
that's how a lot of my relationships have grown. That's
just one of many, right, I'm just bringing that one up.
So I think when people when people remember your fan interaction,
my fan interaction immediately goes to the people who have
built relationship with There's a guy who sits courtside. I

(20:49):
go to his house every Thanksgiving. We eat, we eat
our Thanksgiving here. We go to his house. We have dessert,
my family, their family, We chop it up. I go
down stairs, we play ping pong together. I might not
see him for another year, but I'll see him on
That is he. That is my relationship with the fans
of Boston. Who wins the ping pong match? I always win,

(21:11):
like game one and then he takes over well, I
mean he's got a ping pong table in his house,
so he he the leade. You know how they you know,
like we're all over you. You're just chat ye You're
trying to around back hand do the slice shots, and
I'm over here just I hit them back right. So
I always win game one and then I'll always lose.

(21:34):
But when you asked me about my interaction with fans,
that's my interaction with fans. I like I said, I
have my my times that you've been a Western Johnny's
with me and you know like uh, like I remember
how about Mike for Tundy with the beer and he
always got hit by the ball. He wait, he puts
the beer up in the air, the crowd gives him
a standing over. Like those are the things that I

(21:54):
remember about the fans. No, I love it. There's I mean,
they've they've got a lot of good stories about you.
You've got a lot of great stories about them. That's
what it's all about of being a cult hero in Boston.
And Scal, you, I would say that you're at the
top of the ladder in terms of cult heroes in Boston.
It's only grown during your time here as the color
commentator for NBC Sports Boston. So that's what Scal had

(22:16):
to say about being a cult hero here in Boston.
Now it's time to hear what Taco Falls experience was
all about. Here he is, Taco Fall. Well, we've had
some unique love affairs in Boston with particular players. Fans
just latch onto them and want to be around them
and cheer for them and fall in love with them.
And one of those players is with us right now,

(22:36):
Taco Fall. We appreciate you coming on man, long time.
No see, how is life rife? Is good? Um, just enjoying,
enjoying the process and uh, you know, just work, working
hard and making things happen. Life is always good with him.
When have you seen them when he's not smiling? This
is we could all learn a thing. We could all
learn something from Taco Man. Just happy, hopefull hey, and

(23:00):
it's it's been that way since the day you arrived
in Boston. Just a few years ago, Taco, And I
think that's one of the big reasons why the fan
base fell in love with you, Like from day one,
before you ever put on a jersey, before you ever
walked down to a court, they just fell in love
with you. And it feels like they love like Jayson
Tatum and Jylen Brown and Marcus Smart a lot, but

(23:20):
the love for for guys like you and Brian Scalabrini. Um.
And we're gonna talk to G. G. T. Toomey on
this episode as well. It's like a different type of love.
How would you characterize the love that you felt from
the Boston fan base when you were here? Um, it
was very special. Um for me, I mean it it
meant it meant a lot to me, just because one

(23:42):
Boston was my first destination as a professional basketball player
and to get that, you know, kind of love from
your first team just is something that you're never gonna forget.
And for me, it's like Boston is a place where
I can always call home, regardless of whatever team I
make way for the Boston I feel like we always

(24:02):
have uh special special place in my heart. And we
rewind to Summer League. Man I'm so happy I was
out there for Summer League to just see how the
crowd embrace you. From the very first time you took
the court. We had people wearing actual Taco outfits out
in the crowd, out in out in Vegas, which just
blew my mind. That was out. We had Maria, Maria

(24:24):
Minunos was in town strictly to watch you play, and
she had t shirts made it said that said let's
talk about it. So everyone was coming in to see you,
and that love affair started right away. What was that
experience like from remembering back to the twenty nineteen Summer League. Uh,
it was overwhelming at first because, um, I kind of
did not expect. I mean I I saw it coming

(24:47):
because it kind of started from you know, like the
tournament and then it kind of, you know, started to
pick up a little bit, and then once I got
to Boston, it just went to another level. Um. But
but for me, it's like I was at the point
where I was, you know, trying to fight to make
the team and at the same time, you had all

(25:08):
those people coming to cheer for you, and you know,
I don't think back then I was I had even
made the team yet I was still you know, on
the training camp rass or whatever, you know, trying to
make the team, and um, it was it was a lot.
I was really trying to focus on, like, you know,
I need to do what I need to do. I

(25:28):
need to you know, do my job. But at the
same time, it's like you see all those people around
coming to cheer you on. Um it was. It was overwhelming,
but it made me feel very, very grateful. How did
the rest of the room, that locker room react to
the reaction to you, because it seemed like not only

(25:51):
was it for you and then you enjoyed it the
special relationship, It's almost like your teammates enjoyed it even more.
Those guys actually, you know, like when you when you
throw oil at fire, that's what they were trying to do.
It would actually try to encourage that, like when whenever

(26:12):
it would be out in public, Um, in the games,
I'm like, guys, like just just relax, especially especially like Grant.
Grant will do it a lot, I remember, and this
would try the same j T and JV as well.
It's like, um, those guys were you know, they actually

(26:32):
I feel like they liked it more than I did.
To be honest, because for for me, I was you know,
I was still like kind of quiet, just trying to
focus on the game and you know, not not trying
not to be distracted. But then you have you know,
those guys just you know, trying to just it was
kind of like a like a game to them to

(26:53):
be to be honest. Well, here's the crazy part is
that even Brad Stevens got in on the game. And
I know you've seen the video that I tweeted out
of you checking in and it's got nine million views,
like thirty seven thousand retweets, a hundred seventy three thousand likes.
Everyone around the world loved that video. Brad Stevens getting

(27:13):
the crowd to get jacked up and then calling on
you when you run down and take your your warm
up shirt off with a big smile on your face.
What was that moment like, take us into that exact
moment um that night at t D Garden. Um. Yeah,
you're right, because Brad did um did playing through a
little bit. I mean that's uh, well, one one day,

(27:35):
the atmosphere in the arena was just just insane. That's
probably one of the lotest arenas that I've I've ever
been in Just you hear all the cheers and you know,
Brad just trying to trying to tease freshly. He looked
at me first, and I thought he was gonna call
me in. Then he looked back onto the court like
he knew I was going to come in, but he

(27:56):
he was I don't know what he was trying to do.
But then finally he asked me to stand up, and
then you see j T come and grab me and
just um, you know, pushed me towards the the court.
It was it was special, Like it's it's those memories
that you um as a player, you just never forget,
especially as a rookie, you know, to to get that

(28:17):
kind of love from the from the team that you
play for. And like I said, I was I still
had my foot on the door, um trying to make
it and to to get that kind of love was
was very, very very special, and that's something I'm forever
gonna be going to be grateful for. And then there's
there's also always been this this line that you know,

(28:38):
I'm like, yes, I really appreciate it, but at the
same time, I didn't want to just be looked at
us tackled the fan fervorite. I was there too. I
was there to to do to do a job, you know.
I was there to help Boston win games. And those
guys really believed in me and believed in my potential,
and I didn't want, you know, all of that too

(28:59):
over shadow what I was really there to do. You know,
I wasn't. I wasn't just in Boston because I was
talking with the fan ferry. I was also in Boston
because of the potential that I have and because those
guys believe in me and um invested in me. So
there was always that fine line where I'm like, Okay,
like this is this is cool, and I'm really grateful

(29:20):
for it, and I will be always appreciative, but at
the same time, I need to focus on my job
and doing it the best of my capability. It's interesting
you put it that way, because you're smiling now telling
these stories. I guarantee you everyone listening and smiling thinking
back to them. I traveled with Shack. I traveled with
Kevin Garnett. You wouldn't remember this. We were on an

(29:40):
elevator once. It was in New York. It was an
early season game, and I remember being on the elevator
with you and other people get on the elevator in
the hotel, and I got for fifteen seconds where I
can only imagine your life is like all the time,
which is people stopping and staring at whatever. And I
can tell you, I mean Marko's hastify to this. I

(30:00):
don't have a temper to deal with people on a
regular day for anything, and yet this is every minute
of your life. And one of the most admirable things
about it to me was the constant smile and your
acceptance almost understanding that this is a moment for other people,
and that you know, you were willing to give up

(30:21):
those like, you know, personal moments to share them with
the fans. And I there had to be a moment,
There had to be one where you're like, just just
not today. I mean everybody has those days. But at
the same time, it's I just I don't know. For
some reason, I just have a lot of patience, especially
when it when it comes to people, and I just

(30:43):
feel like, you know, that's just how how I was raised. Uh,
you know, when when especially when someone comes up to me,
I don't know how to respond in a negative way,
you know, if someone wants to come and interact with me,
unless I'm at the airport and I have to cut
some you know, one of I'm like, I'm trying to
go cuts my flight, Like I can't stay here and
take pictures and I'd be late. But if I don't

(31:06):
have anything to do for the most part of it,
I'm I'm fine because I get it, you know, in
your wildest dreams. And this is what I was thinking
about today because my son is ten now. When he
was seven or eight when you were here, and I
saw the look in his eyes, I saw looks in
kids eyes that you were around. Did you ever in
your wildest dreams imagine that one day kids would meet

(31:30):
you for five minutes or five seconds or ten minutes
or whatever, and they would remember that moment and smile
about it for the rest of their lives. Now one time, no,
one time. And like I said, just thinking back, Um,
you know, in those moments even to this day, like
just just yesterday we played in Chicago, and um, you know,

(31:50):
to this day, still kind of get that that same
reaction regardless of whether in I go to I mean,
obviously it's much heightened in Boston, you know, because That's
that's where I've started. But then you go to other arenas, um,
you know, around the league, and you get the same interactions.
You just sit back and think like, really, whatever I've

(32:10):
done to deserve you know, this kind of attention, and
it's truly blessing and something that I will be very
very grateful for my whole life. So Taco, with all
of this attention, I would imagine it happens every single day,
right no matter where you go, if it's the grocery
store or to put gas in your car, or you're

(32:31):
walking in the airport. Like you just talked about, these
moments happen all the time. What is the most unique
interaction that you ever had with a fan, like out
in the street in Boston. Well, there's been a lot.
I mean, it's just you have obviously you get the questions. Uh,
you get some weird questions you ask people to. You know,

(32:54):
you have people asking you to the autograph, you know,
other like autograph in my head, like autograph my hand,
autographed my head. That's happened. They don't have anything, like,
they don't have something for you to side, so they
just they just improvised at the moment because They're like, oh,
I might not see him again, so let me just try.
And yeah, but you said weird questions. What are the

(33:17):
weird questions you've been asked? You know, things about my height, like, um,
people asking me about my bed, how I fit into things? Um,
you know those kinds of questions just related to my height,
and uh, some of those questions really, yeah, do get weird?

(33:39):
I can only imagine. I'm glad I don't have to
feel those. But that's really part of what makes you
special to to Shaun's point, is that you're always willing
to give that time. And Brad, one of the things
that Brad Stevens always used to talk about was that
you had this unique ability to compartmentalized like that part
of your life and still be able to work your

(34:02):
butt off every single day on the practice court and
then when you leave be able to be that smiling
face for the fans all the time. How were you
able to do that? Like? How did how did you
break those two areas apart and be able to handle
all of that attention but then also be able to
work so hard on your game too, be a part

(34:22):
of the Celtics on a on a consistent basis. Yeah,
I mean just having a ton of vision like I,
like I said earlier, UM, Like it's just I was
very appreciative of you know, all of that. I came
with it. But at the same time, I had to
go in mind that you know, I was fighting for
and you know, I had a plan, like this is

(34:43):
what I need to do, and that's really what I
was focused on, regardless of what was going on around me. UM.
I was focused on getting better, UM, seizing the opportunity
that I had, and you know, try to find ways
to help us, UM in any way that I could,
whether it was playing are not playing, because day's way
more that comes into the game that just you know,

(35:07):
playing on the court, especially as a rookie, you have
to find ways to contribute, um, you know when while
you're not playing. And I was constantly thinking about those
things and while I while I step on the court
or those are the things that only mattered. And it's
just I was just focused on that, like how to
get better and how to you know, help help this

(35:28):
team for all the people you've made happy, This is
what I was thinking about today. What is gonna make
you happy when you're done with basketball or basketball is
done with you, and that day comes. You've continued to
put in the work. You're playing in the G League.
You're up and down with Cleveland the same way it
was in Boston. Everyone has talked about how hard you've worked.
What is it you want to accomplish for yourself in

(35:50):
this game? Forgetting the cheers, for getting the Brad Stevens moves,
forgetting your teammates. What is it you want to accomplish
for you? I want to be the best player tackle
Fall can be and I know that, you know, my
my ceiling is really high. I just need to stick
to it. Um. I want to definitely have a you know,
a very consistent role in the NBA where like you said,

(36:12):
I'm not up and down where I'm I'm I'm stable.
I'm on the team and I can help, you know,
the team win games and eventually when the win the championship,
because that's that's everyone's go um. For me, it would
have been great if I was able to stay in
Boston and help Boston win the championship just because of
you know, everything Boston men meant for me. But as

(36:33):
far as my career goes, um regards of you know,
where it may be I want to be able to
have a consistent role in the NBA because, UM, I
believe in my capabilities and what I can accomplish. Um,
it's just about seizing the right opportunity at the right
time and keep working and when that time comes, just
never look back and uh, just right right that wave,

(36:54):
um and have a you know, a long and healthy
career in the NBA. Tackle. I don't want to speak
for On, but I'm a pretty sure we both believe
in you too, uh, and so we're wishing you the best.
One last question before I let you go, UM, for
the next Taco Fall that comes to the Boston Celtics
organization and grabs this type of attention from the fan base,
and the fan base loves falls in love with that

(37:16):
player from day one, what would your advice be to
be able to handle that type of attention, um, while
stop still putting in the work from day one as well.
I would say, just embrace it, don't don't fight it,
and you know, don't don't let it overwhelm you too much,
because it's at the end of the day, it's all
it's all love. All these people are just try and
tray you on and want to see you succeed. So

(37:38):
that's that's all it is. But at the same time,
don't let that distract you from what you're really there
to do, you know, um, regardless of you know, I meant,
you know the interaction that you're gonna get go out
there and focus on your job and do what you
need to do it. And like I said, just disembrace
it and and don't fight it. Alright, Taco Fall, We
appreciate you taking the time. Man. It was so good

(38:00):
to see you. I know the fan base is gonna
be all rebbed up to hear this, So thanks again
for coming on and which you need the best of
luck moving forward. We'll be right back right after this
commercial break with former Celtic g G Detona. Today's episode
is presented by the Boston Celtics credit card powered by Cardless.
You'll be eligible to earn a special sign up bonus

(38:20):
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Visit Cardless dot Com Forward slash Celtics for more information.

(38:41):
That's Cardless dot com Forward slash Celtics. Alright, g G Tom,
haven't seen you in a long time, and it's so
good to see your face. We loved having you here
in Boston. How is life and everything going on back
in Milan? Right? Thanks? Mark, It's a pleasure. It's a
familiar face that I see, remembering those beautiful months, not

(39:01):
even years. But I'm good, I've got that, I hear
speak with you guys, and thanks for having me on board. Well,
you know, the interesting thing to me is that you
know you pointed it out there. It was only months
that you were here in Boston, yet for some reason,
the fan base fell in love with you. And this
isn't just something that's happened with you. There's been players

(39:22):
who have come through throughout the course of time when
the fan base just gravitated towards those people for one
reason or another. We had Taco fall On at the
beginning of this podcast. Crowd fell in love with him.
Now we've got you. But what is your recollection of
of what your experience was with the fan base here
in Boston? Um that that kind of you remember about

(39:43):
your interactions with them. I think the answer is because
I was like, uh uh, strange object that came to
Boston all of us. Then maybe nobody expected me to
be there, especially the fans maybe, but for me was
an incredible opportunity. You know, I was coming from Detroit,
didn't have any playtime that season, so and I was

(40:06):
really happy to be a Seltic. I mean, it's coming
from Europe overseas that that arena is something that really
that you will dream of. So I was there and
I tried to make the best of the opportunity that
I for sure, I have to thanks a lot coach
were Stevens that gave me opportunity, but also not only
the teammates, everybody in the organization welcoming that I was

(40:28):
the last, the least important playing in the team. But
they worked me like really I was there forever and
the fence. Of course, they showed me a lot of
love in the streets and Boston at the arena that
we're chanting my name. As you said, it was a
few weeks months. We didn't do anything incredible. We reached
the playoff, but I think the team had us all
and I was, you know, one random object in the

(40:50):
team that gave some fun to defense, and so of
course everybody had good memories of those of those days.
And for those of our fans who are listening right
now who might not remember seven years ago, it was
at the trade deadline when Danny Ainge pulled off a
three team trade. Uh, and you came to Boston with

(41:11):
let me I hopefully, hopefully I get this right, but
Tayshawn Prince, Jonas Jerebko and Isaiah Thomas was a part
of that trade as well, So that was a pretty
big deal. Special Brace went to Detroit. I don't remember
I t if you got traded for anybody, but yes, me,
Jonas and we went together to in bost the last

(41:32):
three the deadline. Yeah it was. It was a pretty
incredible trade, brought great joy to the Celtics for years
to come. But let's concentrate a little bit more on
your experience here. You just talked about the crowd chanting
your name, um and just you know, for anyone who
doesn't know the numbers, I mean, you weren't playing major
minutes for this team, but when you got out there,

(41:52):
you were shooting lights out forty seven percent from three
point range. During your regular season time with the Celtics.
You might not even remember that. I see your face.
Remember it was better percentage with that little beard. So
I stick with that, you know, so you can always
say that, right, you got better from three than But
matter what? But what do you when you talked about

(42:16):
the crowd channing your name, what was that moment like
when you first heard the tedd Garden crowd in Boston
playing for the Celtics, wearing that uniform with the banners
up above, and you've got eighteen nineteen thou Bostonians cheering
your name. I was, as I said, I was coming
from rid tough math because I was only basically working
out by myself in Detroit. And you know, sometimes I

(42:40):
I took a second to breath, and remember I went
towards the finance in two thousand ten, I had one
of the last seats up over and so to be
there on the court and living the fancy singing my name,
it wasn't creatible. It was one more time I didn't
do anything important in for Boston or for the NBA history.
But for me, that moment is still special and still

(43:02):
I have goose bumps if I remember those moments. So
it was a very nice more of my life, very
happy moment of my life. And finally I felt like
an NBA player because when you play meals and defense
are happy about you, it means that you're an NBA player,
and you've played in You've played all over the world,
right you right now? You played for milan Um, you
played for the Pistons and the Celtics in America, and

(43:25):
you've traveled the world playing basketball. How unique was that
experience with this fan base and you're kind of really
quick immediate connection with them. How unique was that compared
to what you've experienced around the world. After the Boston
certing experience. I played five years in Isastanbul for fair Bucher.

(43:45):
That fan base also, it's it's incredible. I would say
that in Europe we are more passionate, maybe too much.
You can see also beat thing up and sometimes they
throw stuff on the court. That's something that the NBA
will never happen. But somehow I like it because it
shows a lot of patient and emotions an NBA defense,

(44:05):
especially in the playoffs, that were very noisy, very persionate
as well, but more polite. I think in the NBA,
the game is enjoyed more. It's like an event, an
atmosphere where really can bring your family and kids and
and enjoy the show. Europe. Not every game, some game,
maybe the kids is better that they stay home because

(44:26):
something not good can can happen on the court. But
you know, it's part of the history and the tradition
of the leagues and of the countries. And there's a
little bit of nice in the NBA atmosphere, and of
course I love the also the Turkish atmosphere, and I'm
enjoying also here in Italy despite the COVID situation, limited
fence and stone and so on that everybody knows that,

(44:49):
but every everywhere is as an unique atmosphere and you
have to embrace it. Let's say, when you rewind to
your months here, what are some of your favorite interactions
that you had with fans. I know you always talk
about the Celtics fans were hitting you up on social media,
but what are your some favorite interactions. Some of your
favorite interactions either from in person when you saw some

(45:12):
people maybe on the street in Boston, or through social media.
Remember one kid that text me basically today You're also
on you're the best. And of course I was not
doing anything important, but I remember that I sent him
a jersey or no, I invite them to the game
and give him one of my jersey. End of the season,
they invite me home. It was a beautiful family with
a lot of kids and still here and there with

(45:34):
text with the kids that now are I don't know
if the team for team. The mom is very sweet
and that was another good memory because you know, when
you have the possibility to to meet those people that
come and cheer for you, Uh, it's it's like getting
more and more into the culture of the city and

(45:54):
of the place that you're living. Game. Also if it
was only a few months again, but I like to
embrace fully the experience and also that is part of
the experience. And also this I remember with the great
joy during your few months here, how often did you
go to the North End to grab I was basically

(46:16):
my day was to work out in the morning and
in the afternoon. I was spending my my time in
Boston because I wanted to to not the city, uh,
and then maybe grabbing dinner or coming back at hotel
because I couldn't even find a place to say because
they were not raping more less than six months, so
I stay at the hotel the all time. But North
End of course was yes, it was really like being

(46:39):
in Italy. I remember when I stepped into the grocery
to find some Italian stuff to make some pastime in
another place, the TV was on with with the Italian
TV program on, So really it was it was amazing
looked like to be in Italy. And also the Italian
fans North End where maybe because of Italian of course,

(47:03):
they were showing showing me even more broth. What did
you think of the city as a whole while you
were here and what was your experience as a whole
in the city of Boston. I liked it. It was
remember very very active, a lot of things to do,
uh quite expensive coming from Detroit. But you know that's

(47:24):
not a lie right there, that's not that. But you
know people that were going out where living life and
see people really enjoying to go out to you know
if dinner that the places were full a lot of
I mean I remember an active city with a lot
of students. Also, remember when I was thinking around the

(47:47):
Cambridge and was what's good? I mean, it's not such
an incredible big city, especially compared to eastam where after
I lived. But he had a soul, and I think
it's maybe everybody saying this, and I also I feel
the same as maybe the city of the United States
more similar to European city. I saw a lot of England.

(48:10):
I saw a lot of that kind of Europeous Well,
it was built by Europeans at first, so that's probably
why it feels a little bit that way, especially the
North End for sure. One last question before I let
you go, if you were to ever interact with any
of maybe your former teammates overseas who were maybe gonna
come and potentially be a part of the Boston Celtics,

(48:33):
what would you tell them about what they should expect
about the experience of being a member of the team
and what they should expect from this Boston Celtics fan base.
I think anybody that goes there in Boston and works harder,
have a good work ethic, and play hard of course,
and play also smart because bost A Celtics. Addition to
play hard and smart, um, they they will for sure

(48:55):
be loved by by the fans, and of course winning
games always that. But when you devote yourself all the
you know, you put the Celtics in front of everything,
in front of your stats, in front of your name.
Good things gonna happen, for sure. You have good chances
to be loved by the fan base. Everything you just said,
I think is a common thread between all of the

(49:17):
players that we're gonna talk to you on this podcast
episode of why the fan base loved you guys so
much so. Gig, you played your heart out while you
were here. You shot the lights out better than Larry Bird.
We'll say that. We'll make sure we say that again.
So thank you for coming on, and we hope all
as well with you, um and we hope to see
you again sometimes. So I hope to come to see
again maybe in the finals when my my messages, and

(49:40):
maybe hopefully one day be backuld be a fan with
all the fans. Alright, that's all three conversations we just
heard from Brian Scalabrini, Taco Fall, and Gig tte Me,
who all went through similar yet different experiences here in
Boston with becoming cult heroes even though they weren't the
players who were on the court scoring twenty points per
game and driving the Celtics to success. But in those conversations,

(50:04):
one common thread that we heard from all of them
is that there's this balance for them as people and
as professionals that like, they don't want to be looked
at as as a joke. Right, it's not this fandom
that's a joke that they have to walk this line
that okay, so it's okay to cheer me on even
though I'm on the bench and when I get into

(50:25):
the game every time I touched the ball, but I'm
out here to play. I'm out here to be an
NBA basketball player. I think it's so unique that these
guys have that ability to to take in kind of
both sides of that conversation, be able to walk that line.
I don't I don't know what you took from the
conversations from that perspective, but that stood out to me.

(50:46):
It requires a generosity of spirit to be able to
play that role in a sublimation of your ego, which
almost by definition, it's what these guys have in common.
By definition, you have them because you were fitting into
a group to begin with. And what always struck me
I remember this as clear as it was yesterday. A
conversation scaling I had after a game when he was

(51:08):
still playing for the Celtics because we were in Charlotte,
and the umbrella you have to remember is that the
four hundred and fiftie player, the worst player in the NBA,
is a million to one basketball player in the world,
a million to one basketball player. There are half a
billion people more than that in the world. Only four
hundred and fifty are in the NBA. So George Carlin

(51:28):
used to do a bit like somewhere in the world,
there has to be the worst doctor and somebody has
an appointment with him tomorrow. Right, that's like the scary part.
But yeah, by definition, there is the worst player in
the NBA. There has to be. But this is still
the worst player in the NBA is better than you
ever dreamed you would be on your best day ever.
And so you have to have, you know, be comfortable

(51:48):
with that knowledge, knowing you're in the NBA and you
belong there. I thought there was a point that the
Scalabrini stuff was getting a little bit derisive is the
wrong word, but it was becoming a little, you know,
a little bit almost insulting, and scal came on. We
were in Charlotte, Scal played really well, so obviously because
he was the postgame guest at radio, and I asked

(52:09):
him point blank because I don't know why I would
be taking offense. It's overstating it. But I was almost like, this,
this is too much. Who's a twelve ye ten twelve
year n like Scaled, by the way, didn't have a
cup of coffee in the NBA, and Scal played double
seasons in the NBA. Okay, this is not like he
may have been a bench player for a lot of

(52:31):
that time, obviously had the legendary playoff game player for
the Nets in Detroit. But I amber asking a point
blank about it, and he said, no, you know, he was.
He was cool with it. He understood at that point
in his career his role and all of that. And
it made me kind of like realized, what are you doing,
grandy taking like offense in these other people? This is
a badge of of love that you just don't get,

(52:52):
as we said in other places, And even think about
the other guys that people came attested to I T. Immediately,
I've never seen it happen faster than it did with
I T. And remember we think of the season that
he had, but Isaiah was here for a year and
a half before that, and he was obviously played well
almost from the second he got here, but he wasn't

(53:12):
that dude until the end until his last year here.
And I've never seen anyone make a bigger impact in
Boston with the fans in a shorter amount of time
Asaiad Thomas. Did you have the Walter McCarty one, that's
the name we hadn't mentioned yet. Who Uh Now, Tommy
obviously part in that Walter. I love Walter all that stuff. Uh.
You know, I think those young guys, Delante West I

(53:33):
think was a guy that fans sort of gravitated to
that way. And you realize what these guys have in
common is that they were hard working players that didn't
necessarily weren't the chosen ones going to the NBA and
carved out their niche. And this city has always been
a blue collar, gut it out, work hard, lunch pale city.

(53:57):
So everyone knows to win a championship you need blue bloods. Now.
What made Paul Pierce, Reyal and Kevin Garnett special was
that they were elite top seventy five players of all time,
but they also worked harder than everybody else, which is
another reason Boston loved them and adopt them. To get
to the next place the Celtics have to go, you're
gonna have to have a chosen one like Jayson Tatum,
who the basketball gods reached down when he was born

(54:20):
and blessed him with these extraordinary gifts and he's still
gonna work hard. But there's almost something about Boston that
embraces the players that had to go the longer route,
which is why isn't it interesting who the head coaches
now talk about taking the taking the longer path to
get there. You know, nobody grows up dreaming that they're

(54:44):
gonna go to two or three different colleges and community
college and overseas for three years and in the G
League to maybe get a caller for attendee Country. That's
not the dream. But those are the guys that do
that and then stick and then make it work. Those
are the guys that I think you really have to
have extra respect for, and I think there's nowhere more
than Boston where that is appreciated. That's that to me

(55:07):
is the Commons road, and they all stay grounded. That's
that's really I know. That if I was in that,
and you talked about this during during the Taco conversation,
that you just wouldn't be able to deal with this
with all of the attention and people coming up to
take pictures constantly while you're trying to get your work done.
I wouldn't, I know, I wouldn't be able to do
it and stay grounded and be able to consistently take

(55:28):
that time for other people and their pleasure. G G
describes himself in talking about that with this really interesting term,
and he he described himself as a strange object that
wound up in Boston, in a random object that wound
up in Boston. And I think that really actually probably

(55:49):
applies to all of these guys, right, Like, no one
expected Taco Fall to wind up with the Boston Celtics
after he went undrafted UM in two thousand nineteen. No
one expected Gigi Detome to wind up in Boston UM
in the trade that wound up bringing Isaiah Thomas to town.
And no one really expected Brian Scalabrini to get the
contract with Boston that he got in the first place.

(56:10):
So I think that's also not even Rod Thorne. Now,
I'll tell you a story, not even Rod Thorne, who
who's told this story to us, and we talked about
the air over the years. But you know the Celtics
offer for Scal, You guys can look it up because
you're on your Google machines, but I think it was
in the area about three million dollars a year. It
was close to mid level money. It was a five
year deal when Scal got it in two thousand five,

(56:31):
and he walked into Rod Thorne's office, who was running
the nets at the time, and said, well, I've got
this offer from Boston and rod Thorne looked at him
and said, son, you need to take that. So it
was you know, I said, nobody expected him to get
that offer to be a member of the Celtics, including
a lot of people Cluarly, Rod Thorne and uh, you know,
other people in the league. But you know, he he
carves his nis, no question about it. And I think

(56:53):
that just being the random object. And I think that's
on both sides of the coin, right, Like it's a
random object to the fans and then the Healthics. You're
kind of a random object to these players who wind
up here for some reason or another. And then it's
a love affair that starts from day one. You know
he hasn't he didn't talked about it now And obviously listen,
being on TV makes you an instant celebrity. But just

(57:14):
doing the games with Scow this year, you know, Scoal
already was kind of a cult hero anyway, because again
if I list you know Isaiah to some degree, Walter McCarty,
Brian Scalabrini, Taco Gigi, what are they. It's another thing
that have been common. They come across as approachable, They
come across as a as a dude. If you saw
him at Chipotle, and they probably wouldn't be. I can

(57:37):
assure you a safety tip, boys and girls, if you
see Kevin Garnett on the street, don't do that. Don't
do right exactly. I mean you might, who knows you might.
There was a day we were at a hotel in
New York and playing an early game in the name
was two thousand nine. I remember it actually because it
was the day after the US air We went to
all see the US airplane which was in the Hudson

(57:58):
River near where we were staying. And KG comes out
of the hotel that morning to get on the bus.
You know, late morning, probably a one o'clock game, and
there's a kid outside the hotel. He stopped and saw
an autograph and he got on the bus. And I
literally reached out and said, who said, what what was that?
Who are you? And what did you just do with
Kevin Garnett Because I didn't think I've seen you know,
I think I've seen it all before. Now I truly
have seen it all, but the nature the effect on

(58:23):
other people. We will never walk a mile in their shoes.
But I've done the closest thing you can do, which
is as I think I talked about the story, being
in an elevator with Shack going down to the lobby
of the hotel to go on the bus to go
to the game, and the elevator door opens. It because
I'm standing next to Shack right as I said, you

(58:43):
have his not the line of sight because you're you know,
foot shorter, but you see the faces of the people.
I got a clip again, this is one of these
things will always take with me. The elevator door opens
and I'm seeing a family with it's like a teenage daughter,
and imagine the last thing in the world they're expecting
it for an elevator door to open, and there is
shock on the other side of it. But because I'm

(59:04):
staring that way, I get to see their faces. I
get to see the faces that Shack and those guys
see every single minute of every single day wherever they are,
and it is overwhelming, particularly when you're eating you know,
Scal at six ft seven, six ft eight Taco. Obviously
days I it's a different world with basketball guys. Listen,
Mookie Betts was one of the best baseball players in

(59:25):
the world when he was here. Obviously still is. Mookie
could get around town and if he's wearing a hat
or he's wearing what, people are not gonna pick him out.
You can't beat Kevin Garnett, you can't beat Taco, you
can't be Scal. You lose a sense of that privacy.
So you better have a again that generosity of spirit
and lean into it, particularly in Boston, because being beloved

(59:47):
as those guys are, it comes there's a sort of
a responsibility that comes with it. Thank you for listening
to view from the Raptors Behind the scenes with the
Boston Celtic presented by Card See see