Perfect from
@SeanGrandePBP
(radio voice of the Boston Celtics):
"As Celtics fans, we didn’t think Kobe Bryant could break our hearts one more time. We were wrong."
Marcus Smart on if he's heard Boston fans make racist comments: "Yeah, I've heard it. I've hard a couple of things. It's hard to hear that and then have them support us as players. It's kind of sad and sickening."
Rob Williams asked if his kids understand they can't be jumping on him and playing ball with him right now: "Well, my son is four months old, so he's just throwing up and yelling."
Relatable Dad Rob
Team USA roster for 2023 FIBA World Cup per reports:
Paolo Banchero
Mikal Bridges
Jalen Brunson
Anthony Edwards
Tyrese Haliburton
Brandon Ingram
Jaren Jackson Jr.
Cam Johnson
Walker Kessler
Bobby Portis
Austin Reaves
One more player to get to 12-man roster.
Kyrie Irving had a lot to say postgame but what stood out was “The young guys don’t know what it takes to be a championship level team. What it takes every day. And if they think it is hard now, what do they think it will be like when we’re trying to get to the Finals?”
The handling of the Ime Udoka situation has been awful. From it leaking out to the coverage to the rampant speculation and putting people’s names and reputation up while speculation is disgusting and gross. No one needs these details. These are real people in a messed up spot.
Kemba Walker is clearly thrilled to be in his first Conference Finals, but he spent almost his whole presser talking about his teammates. That's how you lead.
Brad Stevens said he just heard the Terrence Clarke news and isn't up to talking about tonight's game. He noted that Clarke is a Boston kid and that his son looks up to Clarke.
Re-watching the fourth quarter. The Celtics gave up at least four three-pointers because someone (usually Tatum, Brown or Grant) was barking at the refs and didn't get back on defense.
If (IF IF IF) the NBA went 1-16 seeds for playoffs, here are the current matchups:
1 Bucks vs 16 Magic
2 Lakers vs 15 Nets
3 Raptors vs 14 Grizzlies
4 Clippers vs 13 Mavericks
5 Celtics vs 12 76ers
6 Nuggets vs 11 Pacers
7 Jazz vs 10 Rockets
8 Heat vs 9 Thunder
Talking to folks around the NBA the belief is that everything is going to pause with the opening of free agency until Kevin Durant's next home is decided. Every team and player will sit mostly still until Durant is traded. Then the flood will happen.
Source close to the Baynes negotiations: "To call it a negotiation is way overstating it. Conversation was:
Boston: You wanna be here right?
Baynes: Yup.
Boston: Can you do a little less to give us some more flexibility?
Baynes: Sure. Whatever works.
Easiest deal ever done"
Ime Udoka: "Having Marcus and Al might have helped, because they settle us down, but it wasn't really just that. And it wasn't our young guys, Payton and Aaron, but it was our veterans Jayson and Jaylen who let it get away from us."
I’ve been sent this a few times and it’s pretty funny. Lots of good little details in here. Whoever made it is clearly a fan of the NBA! Wish I knew who to credit!
Jayson Tatum: "I got to give a lot of credit to the crowd. We needed that. They embrace me as one of their own. That means a lot. Can't express enough how I love being here. I love putting on this uniform. I love playing front of this crowd.
Well, it's worth repeating:
The Celtics were in this same spot a year ago. They won on the road and then rolled in Game 7 at home.
But this doesn't feel the same at all. Feels like this group is past their expiration date as a collective.
Derrick White: "You lose one game, they think you're done. You win one game, they think you're going to win it all. But Miami is a tough team. It's not going to be easy."
Per a source, Boston Celtics All-Stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, as well as longest-tenured Celtic Marcus Smart gave Brad Stevens their stamp approval on the Ime Udoka hire. Source said: "Udoka is the guy their main guys wanted and Stevens got him before anyone else could."
The Miami Heat ended their moment of silence for the victim of the Robb Elementary School shooting with: “The Heat urges you to contact your state senators by calling 202-224-3121 to leave a message demanding their support for common sense gun laws.”
Well done, Heat. Well done.
It's pretty absurd that the Warriors bench is going to be:
Wiseman
Kuminga
Moody
DiVincenzo
Poole
That's like a good start for a rebuilding team and it's the bench for the champs.
Per Woj on ESPN: "The Celtics met with Andre Drummond today. Boston would like to add him to fill their hole in the middle. Boston has a real shot at him."
At least Marcus Smart went somewhere that the fit is basically perfect.
Enjoy him Memphis. You got a good one. Actually, a great one. On the court, and even more so off the court.
Love and trust him. You won't regret it.
If kids are in an arena for a game that tips at 9 PM local time, they're gonna hear some stuff.
I get calling it out, because what else the response be?
But it's also objectively funny that Kerr and Klay said this when Draymond Green is swearing with his own kid next to him.
Derrick Whtie recently said he was on "tiptoes" when he first got to the Celtics about trying to find his way.
Al Horford was asked about that and said: "I wasn't aware of that We love Derrick. I'll make sure I address it because we love him and we need him."