Threes, plays and fadeaways – a local jazz band coming to a club near you… Or a manufactured, yet apt description of last night’s game between the Boston Celtics and the Golden State Warriors.
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A delectable array of logic-defying threes was served by the chef himself, dropping a standard 47 points that extended his 30+ point game streak to 10. Andrew Wiggins and Kent Bazemore donned the role of sous-chefs offensively, scoring 22 and 16 respectively. A 28-5 run from Boston turned the tides before another late 16-5 surge saw the game head in favour of the C’s, spear-headed by the “19-year-old” Jayson Tatum with 44 points.
A telling game for both sides, evident by the aura around it. The Warriors, realistically battling for the play-in spot, saw assistance from the bench with Jordan Poole on the offensive end along with Juan Tuscano-Anderson’s gritty display in defence. Draymond Green, quick-witted as ever, helped orchestrate the most comfortable defensive setting for the side.
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Yet it seemingly did not matter. In the absence of Jaylen Brown, the Celtics marched forward with an unrelenting sense of resilience. A human torch sinking circus 4-point plays did not deter. Kemba Walker showcased a glimpse of a brighter yesterday. Marcus Smart doubled in stature as his tenacity dictated certain points of the game. Tristan Thompson aided through his reading of plays. A seemingly rejuvenated Jabari Parker played his part as a scoring big. An aura of intensity reigned over the Garden. For the Celtics, the sentiment is something they are accustomed to, regardless of the opposition, and it all sits rooted in history.
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The pantheon of basketball stands adorned with a myriad of not just players, but legacies. Box scores are great, but memories are better. The irony does stand out when talking about the winningest team in NBA history in the Boston Celtics. 11 rings in 13 seasons seems unfathomable with the knowledge of the times since. The evolution of the sport renders even the greatest players striving for the prize that becomes more elusive by the year. However, the idea of how the talents of players of the yester-eras would translate is far less relevant than the context of greatness.
Hostile situations presided over Boston in the 50’s. The Red Sox rejected signing arguably one of the greatest players baseball has ever seen in Willie Mays on the grounds of the colour of his skin, becoming the last Major League Baseball team to field a black player. There was an unavoidable ambience of truculence at the time in Boston, fortunately challenged by the Celtics. The C’s drafted the first black player in 1950 in the name of Chuck Cooper. In 1956, a force unmatched was to join and suit up for a battle transcending the sport.
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A quote from Boston trainer Joe DiLauri about Bill Russell In George Plimpton’s “Sportsman of the Year” piece captures the essence of a man who stands as the cornerstone for success in the sport.
“The big concern he has is for the Celtics. Nothing else really matters. That’s why he seems so cold often to the press and the fans. They’re not Celtics. After we won the championship last year he kicked everyone who wasn’t a Celtic out of the dressing room—press, photographers, hangers-on, and also this poor guy who was tending a television camera in the locker room who said he had to have permission to leave it untended, pleading to stay, said he was going to lose his job, and it took three or four minutes to get him out. The press was pounding on the door, furious about deadlines and all, and Russell turned around and looked at us and he asked [Bailey] Howell to lead the team in prayer. He knew Bailey was a religious man—it was also his first year on a championship team—and he knew Bailey would appreciate it. Russell’s not a religious man himself. Sam Jones said, “You pray?” And Russell said, “Yeah, Sam.” “
Perhaps winning a game of basketball was second nature for a man whose battle against discrimination epitomised patience and durability. A pioneer in every sense of the term, Russell continues to stand tall in the perennial fight.
For the Celtics, an unprecedented period with players like Russell, Sam Jones, KC Jones and Tom Sanders led by the revered Red Auerbach gave way to a phase of rebuilding. Fortunately, the team was never far from glory. 5 championships over 12 seasons thereafter with the likes of Kevin McHale, Robert Parish and a certain Larry Bird kept the team’s name synonymous with not only success, but a level of adaptability. The sport was evolving and in an era where offence was gospel, Larry Bird preached.
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What followed is crucial.
A span of 22 years between two titles.
The second rebuild set off with a tragedy. The passing of Reggie Lewis in 1993 to cardiac arrest. The loss of Len Bias just a few years earlier paints a harrowing image of a Celtics team who were in for a tumultuous time. They would be correct! Kedrick Brown and Jerome Moiso while name like Tony Parker, Zach Randolph, and Hedo Turkoglu remained on the board speaks for itself in an all too painful manner.
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Amidst the turbulence, however emerged the Truth, tough as they come with an innate ability to score. The promise needed more. And in 2007, the turn-around happened. A big 3 was engineered with Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen and as they say, “Anything is possible!”
Another ring. 17th as a franchise. The days of Antoine Walker and Vin Baker finally gave way to triumph, 22 years in the making.
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Amidst the jubilation of the moment, what shines through is the unwavering support through the peaks and troughs, more so the latter. For them, it was a matter of time. The legacy of the Green is as resilient as the luminaries who donned it. The aura traverses through time and on that night in 2008, Green shone just a touch more.
The 2020-21 season has not been kind to the men in green. Injuries along with health and safety protocols kept the team separated from consistency. The lasting effects of COVID-19 in the case of Jayson Tatum had him resorting to inhalers.
“It takes a long time. I take an inhaler before the game since I tested positive to help with that and open up my lungs. I never took an inhaler before,” Tatum said. “That’s something different. I for sure feel better now than I did a month ago.”
However, the recent hot streak unveils an identity. The duo of Brown and Tatum have only flourished. The bench offers a visible mix of defence and offence. Walker and Smart have seen their shooting percentages improve.
The identity of the Boston Celtics traverses through time. It finds its home in that jersey and in the spirit of everyone who puts it on and in everyone who supports the team. It is tangible. It is heritage. The insatiable desire for the 18th ring surges through the franchise, more vehemently with the brilliance of their young core. A mere regular season game was a glance into their soul.
It screamed… Boston. And perhaps, the team isn’t there yet. Perhaps the giants of the league wield overwhelming power.
What the Celtics have, however – identity. A brazen confidence in their style. A certain level of intensity. A continual state of progression. Tatum making quicker moves in the post. Robert Williams a force in defence. Brown improving tremendously offensively, Smart never afraid of the moment. An adept bench.
They have been here before. While they represent the Green, Boston with its ardent support morphs into an entity of its own, its legacy in tow – and it is powerful.
