View From The Rafters: Behind the Scenes with the Boston Celtics: Recent Episodes
Boston Celtics
You might've heard the story, but you've never heard it like this. Celtics Insiders Marc D'Amico, Sean Grande and Abby Chin take you behind the scenes for the first and only official Boston Celtics podcast. If you want to connect to Celtics stories and Legends like you never have before, you're in the right spot.
Sound off with us on the Celtics proving their naysayers wrong YET AGAIN during Game 3, as they came through in the clutch for another win behind Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown each scoring at least 30 points. We touch on their performances, Xavier Tillman filling in for Kristaps Porzingis, what the Celtics have done to arguably the most talented backcourt in NBA history, and how far an 18th championship would go beyond just the Celtics’ locker room.
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We’re sounding off tonight on Boston’s backcourt of Jrue Holiday and Derrick White providing the Celtics with clutch play from start to finish, and we also touch on Payton Pritchard’s impact plus give the latest on Kristaps Porzingis on the health front. Our fans join the conversation with comments on what they took away from the win, on the national media not understanding what this Celtics team is all about, and on what Boston needs to do to close this series out.
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We’re sounding off on the Boston Celtics dismantling the Dallas Mavericks during Game 1 of the NBA Finals to take a 1-0 series lead. We’re diving in on the ridiculous performance that Kristaps Porzingis put forth during the first quarter, on Jaylen Brown having yet another take-over game while making life difficult on Luka Doncic, on the Celtics proving their critics wrong, and on how Boston can be even better during Game 2 against the Dallas Mavericks.
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Sound off with us on Jaylen Brown winning the Eastern Conference Finals MVP award, the Boston Celtics coming up clutch time after time after time, on the team dripping with resilience, on Joe Mazzulla being celebrated by his team on international television, and on the Celtics going a ridiculous 12-2 en route to the Finals without the services (mostly) of Kristaps Porzingis. Off to the Finals, let’s go!
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We’re sounding off on Jrue Holiday coming through in the clutch to steal Game 3 away from the Indiana Pacers with a perfect final minute that included five points and the biggest defensive play of the NBA postseason thus far. We’re also diving into Jayson Tatum putting up a stat line that literally no other player has ever logged before in an NBA playoff game, and then we take comments from the fans on Boston’s composure and stability, Holiday’s impact on the team, and a potential finals matchup.
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We’re sounding off on Jaylen Brown putting forth the most impactful performance of his playoff career, which now includes a whopping 116 games. He dropped a 40-piece on the Indiana Pacers while leading the Boston Celtics to a runaway win during Game 2 of the NBA’s Eastern Conference Finals. Brown was dominant, and we also dive into Jayson Tatum’s performance, Jrue Holiday’s game getting better and better as the stakes get higher and higher, and what the Celtics might do with their rotation going forward with Al Horford logging big minutes this postseason and Luke Kornet now suffering a left wrist sprain while Kristaps Porzingis is out.
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We’re sounding off tonight on Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum spurring the Boston Celtics to a miraculous win over the Indiana Pacers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. We’re taking you through all of the clutch moments from Brown as he single-handedly willed the Celtics to overtime with clutch free throws, by forcing a turnover, and then drilling the biggest shot of his life. We then detail how Jayson Tatum took over in OT to push Boston into the winner’s circle, and our fans then chime in about the national narratives surrounding the Celtics, the relationship between the Celtics and their crowd, and what Boston needs to improve on heading into Game 2.
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Sound off with us on Al Horford and Jayson Tatum leading the Celtics to their third straight Eastern Conference Finals after the duo picked apart the Cleveland Cavaliers during Game 5 at TD Garden. We dive in on their performances, the Celtics proving that they’re killers and on whether or not Boston deserves criticism after this win. We also explain the scenarios of when the Eastern Conference Finals will tip off, either against the New York Knicks or the Indiana Pacers.
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The Boston Celtics took a commanding 3-1 series lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers thanks to Jaylen Brown showing off his clutch gene. We’re sounding off on Brown’s clutch effort and the Celtics figuring out a way to win despite their worst combination of assists and turnovers all season long. We also discuss Boston’s ability to grab the win during clutch time, during their first game that qualified as a “clutch” game since way back on April 5 of the regular season.
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Sound off with us tonight as we dive into these Celtics feeling like they’re different than their teams of the past. Our listeners say this win was revenge against the Heat, that it was a perfect response to national criticism, and that the Celtics still have another level to reach as the postseason wears on. In Wednesday’s Game 5, Boston came out in its first close-out opportunity of the NBA Playoffs and destroyed the Heat by 34 points behind dominant defense and Derrick White and Jaylen Brown controlling the offensive end of the floor.
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We’re sounding off on the Boston Celtics taking a 3-1 series lead over the Miami Heat thanks to Derrick White’s career-best 38 points during Game 4. We dive into what stood out from White’s performance, and also go through the moment that made Celtics Nation’s collective heart drop as Kristaps Porzingis exited the game with a non-contact injury. We’re talking White, Porzingis, Boston’s depth, and a close-out opportunity Wednesday night as the Celtics head home for Game 5. Sound off with us, folks!
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We’re sounding off on the Boston Celtics defense putting the clamps on the Miami Heat and Kristaps Porzingis bouncing back in a big way following a rough outing in Game 2. The Celtics dominated from start to finish and led by as many as 29 points before notching their second 20-point win in three games of this series. Tonight, Celtics fans join the conversation with commentary on Joe Mazzulla, what got Boston’s defense going, and general takeaways from the win.
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We’re sounding off on the Miami Heat stealing Game 2 in Boston thanks to a historic 3-point shooting night against the Celtics. Miami made 23 shots from beyond the arc while making the Celtics and their fans relive the nightmares of a season ago. The Celtics faithful comment on what we should expect from the Heat moving forward, they offer some constructive criticism of Boston’s defense, and we discuss what happened to Kristaps Porzingis during his six-point game.
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We’re sounding off on a wildly convincing win by the Boston Celtics over the Miami Heat during Game 1 of their first-round matchup. Jayson Tatum logged his first career triple-double, while Kristaps Porzingis (18 points) and Derrick White (20 points) each had big games. Boston led by 32 points heading into the fourth quarter, which led many to ask, why does Joe Mazzulla have the starters in?! We’ve got your answer here in tonight’s episode, and we also discuss the Celtics breaking Miami’s zone.
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Sound off with us on the NBA’s Eastern Conference Playoff seeding being set, Mike Gorman being honored at his final regular-season home game, and how lucky the Boston Celtics are to have a Stay Ready Group that crushed another opponent, this time the Washington Wizards. Payton Pritchard looked like an All-Star for the second straight game and joined Larry Bird, John Havlicek and Bob Cousy as the only Celtics to log back-to-back double-doubles of at least 30 points and 10 assists. We also discuss Svy Mykhailiuk, Luke Kornet and Neemias Queta playing at a high level.
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We’re sounding off after an unexpected blowout of the Charlotte Hornets by a Boston Celtics team that rested the entirety of its top six players Friday night, including Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. But no starters, no problem, as the reserves came in and dominated behind Payton Pritchard and Luke Kornet. Kornet teamed up with Neemias Queta for a new Twin Towers duo, and now all of Celtics Nation is bursting with positivity again following Thursday night’s loss to the New York Knicks at TD Garden. We discuss the Celtics finishing the season without ever losing three straight games, as well as the looming winner-take-all Game 3 on Monday night for the Maine Celtics, whose top four players delivered strong performances for Boston during this game against Charlotte.
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It’s time to sound off on a Celtics loss to the Knicks that featured an uninspiring performance from the top of the rotation, and an uplifting ending from the Stay Ready Group. Boston trailed by 31 points to the New York Knicks heading into the fourth quarter before storming back to make it a nine-point game at the final horn. We’re diving into some of the struggles from Jayson Tatum and Co., Payton Pritchard and Co. saving the day when it comes to net rating, the Celtics tying a season high in blocked shots, Jalen Brunson looking like a top-six MVP candidate, and why these last two games shouldn’t impact your view of the Celtics as the postseason nears.
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Time to sound off on the Milwaukee Bucks coming out of the gates red-hot Tuesday night as they looked like the Boston Celtics typically do at the offensive end of the floor. Brook Lopez, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard and the Bucks shot a ridiculous 74% from the field and 80% from long range during the first quarter. Boston did make a run during the second half as the Celtics found their rhythm, but they didn’t have enough to pull off the comeback. Still, Joe Mazzulla walks away with his entire team at full health and in rhythm, while the Bucks can’t say the same. We have the latest on Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo and his scary non-contact leg injury that led to him exiting the game late in the third quarter.
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We’re sounding off on Jaylen Brown reaching 10,000 career points and Boston’s bench, led by Payton Pritchard, taking care of business in the fourth quarter against Portland’s starters. Brown finished with 26 points to lead the Celtics in a 124-107 win over Portland, and for the second straight game, Joe Mazzulla handed the reins to his bench crew to handle the fourth quarter. This time they not only maintained Boston’s lead against the other team’s starters, but they expanded it. This is two nights after they nearly gave away a 19-point lead against the Sacramento Kings, so as we discuss, Mazzulla’s coaching decisions are clearly leading to improved results.
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It’s time to sound off in a wild final sequence that left the Boston Celtics with a 101-100 win over the Sacramento Kings thanks to a game-winning floater from none other than Xavier Tillman Sr. That’s right, the big man came up with the game-winning shot with 7.4 seconds left after Sacramento had erased a 19-point deficit and taken a one-point lead with 27 seconds left. This was after Joe Mazzulla rode with his bench players for the entirety of crunch time against Sacramento, while the Kings were using all of their starters. Tillman Sr. gave the Celtics the win, but Payton Pritchard was the guy who made the team tick all night long. We dive into his recent stretch of high-level ball and his team-best 21 points against Sacramento, and dissect Mazzulla’s decision to ride his reserves in crunch time.
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We’re sounding off on Jaylen Brown and the Boston Celtics exploding during the fourth quarter, Kristaps Porzingis being ultra-efficient, and the Celtics clinching home-court advantage throughout the NBA Playoffs with their 60th win of the season. It was all thanks to Boston outscoring the Oklahoma City Thunder 42-17 during the fourth quarter behind Brown’s 15-point explosion. The win gives the Celtics 60 wins for the first time since 2008-09, and it has some of our fans who sent in comments tonight dreaming about what that means for the NBA Finals in June.
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Sound Off with us as we talk Kristaps Porzingis efficiency, Sam Hauser’s red-hot shooting and Payton Pritchard’s passing after the Boston Celtics’ 118-104 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Monday. And let’s not forget Boston’s second-half defense, which has now held its last four opponents to an average of just 43.5 percent shooting during the second half. The Celtics wrapped up their road trip with a 4-2 record and those two losses came by a combined three points, so we dive into the facts about how when the C’s lose, they BARELY lose.
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Tonight we're sounding off on the Boston Celtics running experiments during the final 10 games of this season, their killer mindset, playing against physical teams, and what might need to change before the NBA Playoffs arrive. This is all after the Celtics and the Atlanta Hawks went down to the wire for the second time this week, this time heading to overtime after Jaylen Brown’s clutch basket during the final minute of regulation was answered by Bogdan Bogdanovic’s 3-pointer. At the end of OT, Brown hit another clutch shot with 6.6 seconds left before Dejounte Murray answered with a buzzer-beating jumper of his own to win the game. Murray wound up with 44 points on a ridiculous 44 shot attempts. Jayson Tatum led Boston with 31, while Brown added in 18. Tonight we dive into the Celtics running experiments during the final 10 games of this season, their killer mindset, playing against physical teams, and what might need to change before the NBA Playoffs arrive.
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The Boston Celtics were dominant early on and were playing the definition of perfect basketball, which led to a 44-22 lead after the first quarter. They led the Atlanta Hawks by as many as 30 points during the second quarter before the Hawks began a shocking comeback. Atlanta caught fire toward the end of the first half and remained hot during the second half and forced this game to go down to the wire. After the loss, Celtics fans joined the conversation on what led to this loss and how it can humble the Celtics, the importance of Derrick White and Jrue Holiday, and Boston’s late-game execution in clutch moments.
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Even Chicago’s A-game wasn’t enough to take down the Boston Celtics while Boston was missing three starters. The Celtics played without Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis yet still found a way to win by double-digits against the Chicago Bulls. Jayson Tatum was at the center of a game-changing run late in the fourth quarter, while spot starters Luke Kornet, Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard capitalized on their opportunities. In tonight’s episode we cover the Celtics beating the Bulls during one of Chicago’s top performances of the season, Boston’s overall depth, and laying the numbers out with how much better the Celtics are on the offensive glass this season.
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The NBA's top scoring differential is going up, people! Another win, and another blowout win for the Boston Celtics as they take care of business on the road against the Detroit Pistons, 129-102. The C’s got the job done while missing Jayson Tatum, Jrue Holiday and Al Horford, and that’s thanks to big nights from Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and Payton Pritchard. The Celtics have noe won eight straight games, and 19 of their last 21 overall. Tonight we take comments on Pritchard playing like an All-Star, Holiday’s current injury, the end of Boston’s bench, and what the Celtics have a chance to accomplish Saturday night against the Chicago Bulls at the United Center.
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Boston controlled the majority of its game against Damian Lillard and the Milwaukee Bucks and led by 21 points during the fourth quarter before the Bucks battled back to make it a close game down the stretch. The Celtics responded during the final moments thanks to Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown scoring clutch points down the stretch. Tonight we cover what it means for the Celtics to win ugly, what we should take away from the Celtics facing Milwaukee’s zone defense, what went down during the fourth quarter, and overall takeaways from this win.
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Another night, another blowout win for the Boston Celtics, who won their sixth consecutive game by double-digits with a 119-94 win over the Detroit Pistons. Boston played without stars Jayson Tatum, Jrue Holiday and Al Horford yet still dominated and pulled ahead by as many as 29 points behind Jaylen Brown’s 31-point game and Derrick White’s first career triple-double. Tonight, we discuss how special this team’s mental approach is to continue dominating no matter who plays and who doesn’t, and then we take comments from Celtics Nation on the Celtics not playing many close games, the value of playing some close ones down the stretch, and tonight’s all-women broadcast on NBC Sports Boston.
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What many would consider a “schedule loss” turned into an explosive win for the Boston Celtics on Thursday against the Phoenix Suns. Boston, coming off of a five-game road trip from which the team arrived home at 5:30am the night before, dominated a Suns team that had its Big 3 of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal all available to play. That Big 3 wasn’t nearly enough, as the Celtics were unstoppable on offense and continued to play strong defense. Tonight we discuss how unbeatable the Celtics are when they’re ‘on,’ shutting down the national narrative that Boston can only win by shooting a ton of 3s, and the argument that the Celtics have not one but two guys who are playing like top-10 players in the NBA right now.
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Jayson Tatum and Derrick White broke out of their brief shooting slumps to fuel another double-digit win by the Celtics. On a night when Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford all were out with injuries, Luke Kornet stepped into the starting lineup and excelled at both ends, while the rest of the Stay Ready group delivered strong performances as well. We dive into a dominant start to the fourth quarter, JT and D-White getting back on track, Boston's reserves always being ready, and what the Celtics are looking forward to Thursday night against the Phoenix Suns.
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The Boston Celtics took care of business in Portland to log their NBA-leading 50th victory of the season. Boston took an early lead and never looked back, as it led for the final 45-plus minutes of the game. Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Sam Hauser were the team's leading scorers while the Celtics racked up an astonishing 34-to-3 assist-to-turnover ratio. After the game, Celtics Nation joined SOUND OFF to discuss grabbing the win, Hauser's hot shooting, a potential night off coming up for Tatum, and the fact that this game was lightning fast.
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Coming off a two-game losing streak, the Boston Celtics needed a win in Phoenix - and they got it. Boston led for the final 37-plus minutes but had to stave off Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns during the second half. In the end, Al Horford drilled the shot that knocked the Suns out, all after Luke Kornet shined throughout the game and Jayson Tatum found his groove while scoring 22 points during the second half. Celtics Nation comments on Boston's ability to respond, Horford's clutch gene, the Celtics hunting out mismatches, Kornet's big night, and overcoming KD's monster night.
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The Celtics continued their road trip Thursday night in Denver, where they took on the defending-champion Nuggets and two-time MVP Nikola Jokic. This one had NBA Finals vibes around it from the opening tip and the game lived up to the hype. While Boston didn't play up to its standard, it still found a way to have possession of the ball during the final minute with a chance to take a lead, but Jayson Tatum couldn't connect. Celtics Nation joins Marc D'Amico in discussing everything that went down throughout the potential Finals preview.
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A shocker in Cleveland as the Celtics gave up a 22-point, fourth-quarter after Cleveland caught absolute fire during the fourth. The Cavs went more than nine straight minutes without missing a shot from the field, a stretch that included eight consecutive makes from long range. The Celtics still had a chance to win it at the buzzer, but complete chaos ensued during the final second as Jayson Tatum was supposed to head to the free-throw line to win it, and then he wasn't, and then the Celtics seemingly were shorted some time on the clock before a jump ball at mid-court. We touch on it all with comments from Celtics Nation in the latest episode of Sound Off!
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In the very first episode of our new postgame podcast SOUND OFF, Marc D'Amico and Celtics Nation sound off on the Boston Celtics' 52-point win over Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors on Sunday, March 3 at TD Garden. We cover Jaylen Brown and the Celtics taking this matchup personally, keeping level heads after the big win, it actually being #DifferentHere this season in Boston, Jayson Tatum's MVP candidacy, and much more.
We'll be back with more episodes of Sound Off after every Celtics game, and you can participate in the conversation by posting comments and reactions to Marc on X.
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Sam Hauser joined Marc D'Amico and Abby Chin live from Memoire at Encore Boston Harbor for the Season 4 finale and this convo didn’t disappoint. Hauser opened up by talking about his Bus 1 experience over the past couple of years (and the fact that he chose not to leave Bus 1) and his elite ability to come off the bench cold and drain shots from long distance. He joked about his defense being underrated because he’s a shooter and about Luke Kornet’s hilarious mid-game celebrations. Hauser also spoke about the sacrifices being made by the top players on the team and how inspiring that is, including Jrue Holiday, who has spoken directly to Hauser about what it took to win the 2021 NBA title. And finally during the last segment, we took video questions submitted by fans, including one that came from a very special someone.
1:00 – Hauser on his Bus 1 Boys experience and turning down the chance to move to Bus 2
5:00 – How Hauser became a rotational piece on a title contender, and what Brad Stevens saw in him that no one else did
9:30 – A crazy Hauser stat, plus being nicknamed Slam Hauser
13:00 – Being underrated on defense because he’s a shooter
15:30 – Hauser and Kornet’s friendship, and Kornet’s hilarious celebrations
22:45 – How the top Celtics players have inspired the team with their sacrifice
31:50 – Playing for Joe Mazzulla, and what Mazzulla has been experimenting with during games this season
34:45 – Fan questions that were submitted by video, including one from one special fan
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Season 4 of View from the Rafters: Behind the Scenes with the Boston Celtics has been our best season yet. We’ve brought on four Celtics starters in Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday and Derrick White. We’ve brought on legends like Isaiah Thomas, Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker. And amid all of these episodes we have had some crazy and never-before-told stories come out. This episode is all about taking the greatest segments from all of those episodes and stitching them all together as one. Buckle up and enjoy!
1:00 – Jrue Holiday on the competitive nature of his relationship with 2x USWNT gold medalist Lauren Holiday, and facing Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks for the first time as a Celtic
13:00 – A plane seat and a fateful care ride lead to Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis becoming Cookies & Cream
19:00 – Isaiah Thomas relives his epic 53-point game in Game 2 of the 2017 ECSF, on his late sister’s birthday
26:00 – Derrick White and Richard White on Derrick’s upbringing, and Richard teaching him to become a winning player
35:00 - Paul Pierce, Eddie House and Sam Cassell on trash talk, and Cassell stealing the 2008 championship game ball
41:00 – Neemias Queta explains how he went from growing up in Portugal to attending Utah State
47:00 – Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker remember watching each other win titles, and being ahead of their time in firing up 3-pointers in mass
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Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis have been dubbed by Joe Mazzulla as “Cookies & Cream,” and they join Marc and Abby on the VFTR set to dive into their relationship that’s blossomed both on and off the court just months after they became teammates. Listen to them relive Porzingis getting on the plane as the new guy and stealing JB’s seat (the one JB had held for four years), and the moment they got stuck on the side of the road together at 4 a.m. They also explain their chemistry on the court and why they get along so well off of it, with hilarious interactions throughout the convo. Oh, and merch? Maybe!
0:30 – Jaylen and Kristaps remember how the “Cookies & Cream” name came about
2:00 – JB tells the story of KP stealing the seat he’d held on the plane for 4 years
4:00 – Car rides, getting stuck on the side of the road at 4 a.m., and doppelgangers
9:45 – How the off-court relationship has led to on-court success
14:45 – Is Cookies & Cream merch on its way?
15:45 – One last chance to describe each other and their friendship
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With the NBA trade deadline looming this Thursday at 3 p.m., the View From The Rafters crew dives into everything the Celtics have to offer to other teams, the restraints the team is working under due to the new collective bargaining agreement, and areas of the roster that could potentially be strengthened via trade or buyout. There’s also a discussion about how Brad Stevens and Danny Ainge seemingly have different approaches to the trade deadline, while the Celtics are closer to a championship now than they were a handful of years ago. And as always, a few unexpected stories come out along the way, including when the Celtics traded multiple players away right before a game in 2015, Abby’s recent first ride with the Bus 1 Boys, and Shaq’s disbelief of how crazy the Celtics plane rides used to be.
1:00 – Sean and Abby remember their craziest trade deadline moments
6:10 – Discussion around Brad Stevens and Danny Ainge having different approaches to the deadline
11:00 – How the Celtics can get in on the action of other teams’ trades
15:30 – How the Celtics are always prepared for every scenario, which led to the acquisition of Kristaps Porzingis
20:15 – Listing the trade assets the Celtics have, and Brad Stevens comments on importance of second-round picks
26:00 – Abby joins the Bus 1 Boys, and Sean breaks some news to Shaq
30:00 – Final discussion of what the Celtics can and should do with the roster
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Derrick White went from receiving no D1 scholarship offers in high school to becoming a star two-way player for the Boston Celtics, and his dad, Richard, has been there for the entire ride. Listen as Derrick and Richard join Marc and Sean to remember the journey, their father-son relationship, Derrick himself becoming a dad, and what they were both thinking after Derrick’s epic putback layup at the buzzer of Game 6 of the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals. Oh, and they may or may not touch on Richard’s newfound fame on X (formerly known as Twitter) as a stats-based voice within the NBA community.
1:00 – Derrick on his dad’s social media, and Richard growing up a Celtics fan
5:00 – How Derrick learned to impact winning and be a chameleon
8:25 – Derrick calling Richard to tell him he’d been traded to the Celtics
12:00 – How their father-son relationship impacted Derrick on and off the court
16:00 – Reliving the buzzer-beating putback in Game 6 of the 2023 ECF
20:00 – Derrick becoming a dad, and Richard being a grandfather
27:30 – The world of social media and Richard’s participation in it
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It was the year 1998 when Paul Pierce came into the league and linked up with Antoine Walker to become one of the most promising young duos in the NBA during the lockout year. Both players were 20-point-per-game scorers and both players were All-Stars. Yet they couldn’t punch through in the postseason, which led Danny Ainge to break them apart. About 25 years after they first became teammates, the duo sits down to remember their time together, their breakup when Walker was traded (plus their reunion when Walker returned), watching each other win titles from afar, their observations of this year’s team, and the parallels between their partnership and that of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
1:00 – Remembering the early years together
3:40 – Learning how to win as young players
14:00 – Pierce watching Walker win a title from afar, then celebrating with him in Chicago
17:15 – Walker’s return to the Celtics and the “two-star” formula
22:30 – Parallels between Pierce/Walker and Tatum/Brown
32:15 – Having two star players who play a similar position
38:00 – Walker tells story of nudging Kevin Garnett to accept trade to Celtics
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There are few individual performances in Celtics history that reach the status of ‘epic.’ Isaiah Thomas’ 53-point effort in Game 2 of the 2017 Eastern Conference Semifinals is unquestionably one of them. In this episode, we begin with Marc and Sean provide full context around the love affair between Isaiah and Celtics Nation, and the emotional circumstances that surrounded the 2017 Playoffs after Isaiah’s sister, Chyna, tragically passed away the day before Game 1 of the opening round. Isaiah himself joins for the second half of the episode for a lengthy conversation about his historical run with Boston, and how that epic 53-point game came to be on his late sister’s birthday.
0:30 – Setting the table for the IT4-Celtics relationship and what made it so special
10:15 – Remembering the emotions of Chyna’s death and the first-round series against Chicago
16:00 – Recalling Isaiah’s oral surgery between Games 1 and 2 of Conference Semis, and his miraculous performance in Game 2
29:15 – Isaiah Thomas joins and gives an update on his workouts
31:00 – Isaiah describes the love affair between him and Celtics Nation
37:00 – An emotional first-round series following Chyna’s death, and how it strengthened the bond between him and the city
42:40 – Reliving Game 1 of the Conference Semis, and his 13 hours of oral surgery before Game 2
49:00 – Isaiah describes what he was seeing and thinking during his magical Game 2 performance
53:15 – A friendly bet that will go down in history
55:30 – Isaiah recalls the game-sealing bucket over Markieff Morris, and how trash talk during that series nearly ended his relationship with the Morris Twins
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Neemias Queta joins Marc and Sean this week to talk about his path to the NBA and the Celtics – which is incredibly unconventional. Queta became the first Portuguese player to ever be drafted into the NBA and to ever play in an NBA game, after moving from Lisbon to Utah to play three years for Utah State. At Utah State, Queta ironically played with Danny Ainge’s son, Crew, and quickly became one of the top shot blockers in the nation. Now, after two years of development in the Kings organization and being the runner up for G League MVP, Queta is playing more minutes for the Celtics than he ever has before in the NBA, all while showing his true promise as a big man – and especially as a shot-blocker.
0:30 – Becoming the first Portuguese player in the NBA
3:10 – Cultural differences between Portugal and Spain, and why to visit Portugal
6:55 – Why Queta chose to attend Utah State instead of going pro in Europe
12:05 – Becoming an elite shot blocker
20:00 – Being drafted by the Kings and developing in the G League
23:30 – Looking up to Al Horford and contributing to the Celtics this season
27:55 – Joe Mazzulla joking to the media about Queta’s goaltending tendencies
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NBC Sports Boston’s Chris Forsberg joins Marc and Abby for a special All-Star-themed episode after the Boston Celtics launched a campaign to get all five of their starters to the 2024 NBA All-Star game in Indianapolis. The crew discusses the historical context of teams getting four or five players into the game, and dives deep into the cases Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis, Derrick White and Jrue Holiday have made to be voted onto the team this season. The group also discusses how coaches tend to vote on reserves, and how Adam Silver tends to select injury replacements, while also suggesting a couple new wrinkles that the league could consider when it comes to All-Star rosters.
3:30 – Forsberg gives the approach he’d take to voting if he were an NBA coach
9:45 – Marc reveals how he thinks the Celtics will get a minimum of three players into the game
13:15 – Forsberg suggests expanding the All-Star rosters to 15 players instead of 12
19:15 – Abby and Forsberg make a case for Derrick White to be an All-Star
24:30 – The group discusses why Porzingis deserves to make the team
28:45 – The discussion shifts to Holiday’s case to become a three-time All-Star
33:15 – Forsberg suggests that the NBA dedicate an All-Star spot to elite role players
36:30 – How Adam Silver has chosen injury replacements
38:30 – Marc, Abby and Forsberg make their All-Star predictions for the Celtics
WATCH on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcJngzG91G0
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Rajon Rondo didn’t just win two NBA championships during his NBA career. He did so while playing on both sides of the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers rivalry. Rondo explores the differences in those two experiences, and how each came to be, throughout this episode.
Rondo also gives his perspective both of being the guy who helped to end LeBron James’ first run in Cleveland, to playing against LeBron during the Miami years, to being LeBron’s teammate in Los Angeles. Rondo specifically remembers the moments of wanting to play LeBron and the Cavs during the 2010 Playoffs and then beating them, as well as LeBron’s career-altering performance during Game 6 of the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals.
Much more is covered in the episode, as Rondo recalls nearly being traded for Kevin Garnett, the epic 2009 playoff series against the Chicago Bulls, and what separates Boston from other sports cities. He also tells the story of playing on a torn ACL and how he eventually found out it was torn, as well as playing with a dislocated elbow following his dust-up with Dwyane Wade during the 2011 Playoffs.
0:30 – Rondo’s observations of today’s NBA game
4:45 – Boston’s guards and Jrue Holiday being one of his favorite teammates
7:00 – Nearly being traded by Boston and experience of playing for multiple teams
15:15 – Playing on a torn ACL and learning about the injury from a radio broadcast
20:45 – Reliving biggest moments of his Boston career
30:30 – Facing Brad Stevens and the Celtics in 2017 Playoffs as a member of the Bulls
40:30 – Learning about Rondo’s basketball IQ
43:45 – Winning another championship
WATCH on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tD8UAk92Gn8
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Fresh off a shooting competition down on the Boston Celtics’ practice court, these three 2008 champions reunite for a lengthy conversation that touches on a long list of subjects but centers around their greatest collective talent: talking trash.
Seriously, you’ve got to listen to these guys chop it up about the way they not only used to talk trash to opponents, but also to THEIR OWN TEAMMATES! Paul Pierce recalls a story of the NBA putting in a private call to Doc Rivers to request that the team dial back its trash talk on the floor. Spoiler alert: Doc didn’t exactly give in to the request.
The interesting tie between the three champs is that not only did they win a title together, but now, 15 years later, they’re all back and involved with the Boston Celtics. Paul Pierce is serving in a team ambassador role, Sam Cassell is an assistant coach and Eddie House is an analyst for NBC Sports Boston. They discuss that and how their relationships are growing with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Naturally, there’s also plenty of talk about the 2008 team. They discuss the unbreakable bond between all of the players who won that title, as well as the process of working Cassell and PJ Brown into the lineup after their late acquisitions during the season. House and Cassell talk about the fact that House wound up losing playing time because Cassell joined the team.
0:45 – The guys relive the shooting competition they just had on the court, while throwing some shade at Cassell
2:29 – All three being officially involved with the team 15 years after winning the title
8:52 – Joe Mazzulla inviting Celtics alumni back, and Cassell and Pierce on their time with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown in LA last summer
11:30 – The level of trash talk from the 2008 championship team
16:30 – Cassell tells the story of stealing the game ball after winning the title in 2008
19:54 – Cassell joining the team, and a return to more trash talk, including the Doc Rivers story
26:30 – Remembering the journey to the 2008 title
31:35 – More discussion on how they’re building relationships with Tatum and Brown
35:00 – The pursuit of an 18th championship
WATCH on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-f4I5m7UeY
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After being traded to the Boston Celtics the day before training camp, Jrue Holiday has taken on the challenge of moving to a new city and accepting a new role on a new team. He dives into his experience, how he’s embraced having the ball in his hands less and how it all comes down to one thing: winning.
Winning a championship alongside Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and the rest of the Celtics is his one and only goal on the NBA court, but as Holiday explains, his competitive nature doesn’t stay in the locker room. He says it follows him home, into a house that features one of the most competitive families in the country. Holiday and his wife, two-time soccer gold-medalist and former US Women’s National Team member Lauren Holiday, can’t be on opposing teams for anything for fear of an argument. And now, their extreme wills to win have passed on to their kids to create an interesting dynamic to say the least. Holiday often calls his daughter “JT,” and he tells a story about how his son thought Jayson Tatum’s sneakers were actually his sister’s.
The second half of the episode dives into Holiday playing against his former team, the Milwaukee Bucks, for the first time and drawing the assignment to guard all-world forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. Was that actually Holiday’s idea? Maybe, he says. Holiday has now played alongside Antetokounmpo, Tatum, Brown, Anthony Davis, DeMarcus Cousins and on a gold medal-winning USA Men’s Basketball Team, so Marc and Abby ask him about common threads among the best of the best. The group rounds out the conversation by diving into Holiday’s experience at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics – AKA the Covid Olympics – and how bizarre it was for him to see Team USA’s opponents act like fanboys around the likes of Tatum and Kevin Durant.
0:30 – Jrue on his love for food
2:30 – Adjusting to playing with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and how they differ from other superstars he's played with
13:15 – Jrue on his competitive nature, and how that impacts his marriage to USWNT soccer great Lauren Holiday, who's also extremely competitive
22:10 – Flipping to the other side of the Celtics/Bucks rivalry, playing the Bucks for the first time, and defending Giannis
31:00 – Jrue’s experience at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
35:15 – How the bubble led to the launch of his family’s JLH Fund
WATCH on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikhUGyjZtxM
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Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens joins us for a special bonus episode after a busy 48 hours leading into and through the NBA Draft. Stevens breaks down all of the trades and decisions that he and the Celtics front office made, including the emotions of trading away Marcus Smart, the arrival and fit of Kristaps Porzingis and balancing the roster. Stevens also dives into the value of replenishing Boston’s draft stock with a handful of second-rounders, gives his take on Jordan Walsh, and wraps up with comments about the new coaching staff and how they’ll develop players.
1:00 – Trading Marcus Smart
3:58 – Kristaps Porzingis’ Fit
6:15 – Accentuating Our Best Players
7:57 – The Celtics’ Toughness
9:29 – Draft Night Chaos & Second-Round Value
12:00 – The Jordan Walsh Report
15:20 – Coaching Staff’s Development Mindset
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For our last episode of Season 3, we combed through each episode to pull out our favorite moments. From current and former players, to members of the media and the Celtics front office, enjoy the best clips from View From The Rafters.
00:53 – Luke Kornet Takeover Best Moments
13:33 – Blake Griffin & The Bus 1 Boys
18:05 – Danilo Gallinari Recalls Playing Kevin Garnett
22:16 – Stories of NBA Scout
27:14 – Jayson Tatum’s & ‘The Confetti Game’
32:23 – Rob Williams Balancing Fatherhood
37:20 – Paul Pierce’s Beginning In Boston
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Luke Kornet takes over as the host of this week’s episode, bringing in special guests Malcolm Brogdon, Sam Hauser and President of Basketball Operations, Brad Stevens.
In this episode, Luke Kornet starts by asking his teammate Malcolm the burning questions on his mind. They discuss Brogdon being a finalist for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year, Virginia basketball and his presidential nature. Kornet wraps it up by gloating about winning a lockerroom trivia competition.
Next, Luke brings in Sam Hauser to chat over a Wisconsin-inspired cheese tasting. In their conversation, Kornet asks Sam why teams target him on defense and gives him some unsolicited marriage advice ahead of Sam’s summer wedding.
To wrap up the episode, Brad Stevens joins Luke, giving Kornet the opportunity to ask Brad about his varied employment history and talk about what it was like to play for Brad.
00:40 - Malcolm Brogdon
11:37 - Sam Hauser
19:25 - Marriage Talk
22:50 - Brad Stevens
33:40 - Questions for Brad “from fans”
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Antoine Walker joins us this week to reflect on his career and share thoughts on this year’s current Celtics roster. He tips off the conversation explaining how he plans to be around the Celtics organization in an ambassador role going forward. He then dives into his early career in Boston, drawing parallels between his relationship with Paul Pierce and what he sees now between Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
The conversation pivots into Walker’s college career, the development of the “Walker Wiggle” and what it was like to have his college coach, Rick Pitino, join him in Boston.
As the episode wraps up, Antoine and Marc discuss how he was a player ahead of his time, taking threes and playing the perimeter as many young stars and frontline players in the game do today. Antoine closes with final thoughts on how his career unfolded after being traded by Boston, including reflecting on his championship run with the Miami Heat.
2:25 - Updates From Antoine
4:05 - Playoff Outlook
6:48 - Relationship with Paul Pierce
14:21 - Early Years In The NBA
16:10 - Rick Pitino, From Kentucky To Boston
22:42 - Walker Wiggle
25:20 - A Game Of Threes
29:35 - Career After Boston
33:25 - Relationship With KG
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Celtics radio duo Sean Grande and Cedric Maxwell join this week’s episode to share stories of their on-air relationship. The episode begins with Cedric Maxwell praising Sean Grande’s ability to bring energy to their broadcast, regardless of the outcome on the floor. As a former player, Max admits he can get swept up in emotions, recalling a few trophy presentation stories from the 2010 Finals and last year’s 2022 Eastern Conference Finals.
From here they go back to the beginning of their on-air relationship, 22 years ago. They discuss how their chemistry developed, their roles on the broadcast team and how beneficial it’s been having the ability to work interchangeably with the broadcast crew at NBC Sports Boston.
Before wrapping up, the crew discusses how their longevity brings a level of intimacy to the stories they share with fans. For example, how intertwined Cedric Maxwell was with Kevin Garnett before he even played for the Celtics.
2:31 – Grande Brings The Energy
4:23 – Max’s Trophy Presentation In Miami
6:50 – How The Duo Began
14:01 – Complimentary Styles
18:15 – Chemistry From The Start
21:08 - Challenges This Season Splitting Time With Radio & TV
25:04 – Kevin Garnett
26:40 – KG Welcoming Back Ray Allen
30:00 – Body Of Work Matters
34:20 – Cedric Maxwell’s Multitasking Abilities
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The Captain and The Truth, Paul Pierce joins this episode to talk all things Celtics basketball. Pierce has been making an effort in his retirement to try to get to as many games and continue to support his franchise whether it’s at TD Garden or meeting them on the road. Just like us, he’s a fan of the organization, but Paul also explains it’s now his job to pass on the culture to the next generation.
In discussing the Celtics culture, Pierce recalls seeing Legends not only at games, but any given practice players like Satch Sanders, Jo Jo White and Tommy Heinsohn and that their presence alone would give the current players energy.
The Truth then reflects on his early days as a Celtic, sitting down with Red Auerbach, learning from the vets on the team and soaking in the history from Legends on the sidelines. Now he views that at his role, setting the example and helping guide players would want to be the ones to raise another banner in TD Garden.
4:55 – Once A Celtic Always A Celtic
8:20 – Presence Of Legends
10:13 – Rookie Year Memories
13:24 - Learning On And Off The Court From Vets
16:02 - Tommy Heinsohn
18:00 – Passing The Torch To The Next Generation
20:00 – Work Ethic
21:39 – Relationship With The Current Roster
23:40 – Predictions
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Robert Williams III and Al Horford give their perspective on fatherhood in this week’s episode. We start out hearing from Rob about the importance of leading by example and being someone his kids can be proud of.
Rob talks about how everything changed when his oldest was born and the difference in his relationship and parenting styles between his daughter and son. He shares how he learned how to juggle the demands of the NBA and being a dad by watching how his teammates prioritize.
The conversation then pivots to talking about the Celtics’ family-first culture and how Brad Stevens sets a tone of prioritizing family moments from the top down.
Al Horford joins the conversation and opens by describing the moment he became a dad when he had his first child seven years into his career. He then comments on how great it is to see the level of joy and commitment younger guys on the team have shown raising their kids.
2:55 – Perspective Changes Raising A Daughter
7:25 – Rob Williams On Being A Role Model, Learning From Teammates
9:57 – Cherishing The Little Moments With A Busy Schedule
15:52 – Celtics’ Family-First Culture
22:03 – Al Horford’s Fatherhood Journey
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Luke Kornet joins us this week to discuss his career path and the challenges that come with just trying to make it to, and remain in, the NBA. He opens up the conversation diving right into the camaraderie in the Celtics locker room this season, specifically with the Bus 1 Boys and unique experiences they have together arriving to arenas four hours ahead of games.
The conversation then shifts to Luke’s journey into the NBA after initially receiving zero Division 1 offers in high school and eventually going undrafted. Luke recalls questioning multiple times if continuing to pursue professional basketball was the right choice for him. He discusses the trials and triumphs he endured since then, which ultimately led to him signing with the Boston Celtics G League affiliate, the Maine Celtics, and how that decision has impacted his life since.
Maine Celtics General Manager Jarell Christian then joins the podcast to provide a bit of insight into the business side of the G League, how it differs from the NBA and the challenge of running a team full of players whose individual sights are all set on making it to the next level. Jarrell talks about roster construction and how the Maine Celtics can be a useful development resource for players on the Celtics roster like Sam Hauser to develop in their role with more time and opportunity.
1:05 – Chemistry In The Celtics Locker Room
2:06 – The Bus 1 Boys Experience
9:07 – Luke Kornet’s Career Path
14:10 – Life In The G League
20:31 – Living In Uncertainty
33:10 – Making Business Decisions Based On Values
39:12 – Defining Roles
42:55 – Creating A Development System In Maine
48:38 – What Makes This System Work?
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In episode five of this season, Al Horford, Brad Stevens and ESPN’s Doris Burke join hosts Marc D’Amico and Sean Grande to look back on the chaotic ending to Game 3 of the 2018 Eastern Conference Semifinals against Philadelphia, which has been called ‘The Confetti Game.’ Marco Belinelli hit a desperation shot for Philly to send it to OT, but the combination of a 19-year-old rookie named Jayson Tatum bursting onto the scene, and the timely play of Playoff Al Horford, boosted the Celtics to a dramatic win and 3-0 series lead over Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and the 76ers.
1:22 – Celtics/Sixers Rivalry
7:48 – Remembering The Confetti
9:29 – Belinelli’s Game-Tying 3
14:27 – Brad Stevens Explains How He Came Up With After-Timeout Plays
20:12 – Jaylen Brown Ties The Game With 24 Seconds Left
28:15 – Jayson Tatum’s Coming Out Party
33:25 – Inside The Horford Basket That Won The Game
41:55 – How Playoff Experience Has Impacted The Celtics’ Core
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Coming out of the All-Star break, co-hosts Marc D’Amico, Sean Grande and Abby Chin sit down together to look back at the first half of the Celtics’ season. The group starts by discussing Joe Mazzulla’s impressive handling of the team through his challenging circumstances, and getting the team to turn the page. From there they switch gears to dive into the depth of the team, including Derrick White’s impact. Throughout the episode, the trio bounces around talking about the importance of the one seed for a long playoff run, their favorite moments thus far, the All-Star game, and Jayson Tatum’s chances of winning MVP.
2:48 - Obstacles To Begin The Season
7:30 - Joe Mazzulla’s Impressive Transition
16:44 - Derrick White’s Impact
22:52 - Learning’s From Last Year’s Playoff Run
25:10 - Importance Of The Number One Seed
27:10 - Favorite Moments Of The Season
37:03 - Jayson Tatum And Jaylen Brown In The All-Star Game
42:11 - Jayson Tatum’s MVP Chances
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Celtics scouts Austin Ainge, Ashley Battle and Benas Matkevicius talk about their experiences as NBA scouts. The episode begins with Austin and Ashley sharing travel stories, the value of seeing players in person vs remotely and the importance of intel gathering. As one of few female scouts, Ashley recaps how her WNBA career ended and her journey back into basketball as a trailblazer in scouting. The group then shifts to the skillsets needed in scouting and how accurate (or inaccurate) Adam Sandler’s movie, Hustle, depicted the life of an NBA scout. International scout Benas Matkevicius then joins the conversation to share some of his wildest travel stories and how he landed his role years ago.
1:45 – Travel Stories
8:04 – Advantages To Being In Person To Evaluate And Gather Intel
16:11 – Ashley’s Journey From The WNBA To Scouting
23:16 – Diversity Of Skill Sets And Experiences
39:40 – Introducing Benas Matkevicius
43:34 – Scouting Internationally
1:06:05 – Communicating Intel Back To The Celtics
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In the second episode of season three, Celtics forward Danilo Gallinari takes a break from his rehab work to join hosts Marc D’Amico and Sean Grande. They begin by talking about what it means to represent Italy in the NBA and hopefully be an inspiration for the growth of the basketball in his home country. As a young player, Gallo learned quickly how to hold his own and not be intimated by veteran players, a skill that helped him early on in the NBA to earn respect from Kevin Garnett. Off the court, Danilo shares how becoming a father changed his perspective and how valuable it’s been to have his dad around, supporting him through his current rehab. Throughout the episode, Danilo talks about the injuries he’s had to work through in his career and how sports science has played a role in continually teaching him ways to improve managing his body.
1:38 – Growing up in Italy and being an inspiration for growth of the sport
8:54– Earning the respect of veteran players
12:22 – Injury management, past and present
24:32 – Being a family man
30:40 – Constantly learning how to better take care of his body
36:36 – Inside look at the Celtics season and leadership in the locker room
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Blake Griffin tips off Season 3 of ‘View From The Rafters.’ In this episode, Blake dishes details about his Celtics bench role and team chemistry, specifically between the famed “Bus 1 Crew.” He also discusses growing up in Oklahoma City and adjusting to starting his NBA career in a big market like Los Angeles. As a 13-year vet, Blake shares his thoughts on what makes Jayson Tatum so special while touching on Joe Mazzulla's leadership style. Listeners also learn about Blake’s hobbies outside of basketball as he discusses his interest in comedy and where he gets his stand-up material from. Blake closes out the episode sharing how Paul Pierce impacted his career, his thoughts on Boston fans, and details from his busy All-Star Weekend experiences including winning the 2011 NBA Slam Dunk Contest.
*This episode was recorded in a live environment and has a few moments of brief, imperfect audio.
7:46 – Blake on the Celtics bench, team chemistry, and inside jokes
11:50 – Blake’s upbringing and NBA start
17:29 – Blake’s analysis of Jayson Tatum’s talent and Joe Mazzulla's leadership
26:15 – Blake’s interest in comedy and meeting Dave Chappelle for the first time
34:05 – How Blake set #NBATwitter on fire while convincing DeAndre Jordan to stay with the Clippers in 2015
40:45 – Blake’s relationship with Paul Pierce, opinion on Boston fans, plus his All-Star Weekend experiences
Listen to new episodes of View From The Rafters every Tuesday or watch on YouTube every Wednesday.
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We wrap up Season 2 in style with an audio documentary dedicated to answering one question: What is it that makes playing for the Boston Celtics so special? A long list of current Celtics, including Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, Al Horford and Ime Udoka, answer that question and explain their experience of donning the Green and White. Also hear the players explain in their own words the Celtics' culture, as well as what it feels like to be on the parquet - and even on the road - while thousands of Celtics fans create an absolutely electric atmosphere around them. This is the Season 2 finale - enjoy!
New England Patriots star running back Damien Harris loves the Celtics, and he knows what it takes to win. He joins Marc to dive into his fandom of the team and his relationships with Celtics players off the court. Harris regularly attends games and talks about sitting right behind Kevin Garnett at KG’s number retirement ceremony, and his excitement to attend Sunday’s Game 1 against the Brooklyn Nets. Harris also gives insight into what it’s like to be a young, professional athlete in New England with pressure to win, he gives his view on Boston’s exciting turnaround this season, and he previews the Patriots’ upcoming offseason workouts.
0:55 – Damien Harris joins the conversation and gives some context on his basketball background
2:10 – Harris talks about being a regular at Celtics games and his relationships with Celtics players
7:30 – Harris comments on playing under the pressure to win that exists in Boston sports
8:50 – Harris talks about Boston’s potential in the Playoffs and its incredible turnaround this season
12:50 – Harris comments on grinding through the tough days to come out on the other side
14:45 – Weight room talk! Harris comments on the C’s postgame lift sessions, and how the weight room helps to bring teams together
17:15 – Guess who was sitting behind KG at his retirement ceremony game?
19:45 – Harris says he’s big on individual handshakes, and discusses the art of them
21:00 – Harris gives an update on his offseason and what’s next for him and the Patriots
Ten months after shocking the basketball world by leaving the sidelines to take the President of Basketball Operations job for the Boston Celtics, Brad Stevens joins the pod for his first lengthy and exclusive conversation about the entire process. With his good friend Sean Grande on the pod with him, you’ll hear a whole new side of the new Celtics boss. What prompted him to switch roles? What does he have to say about his new responsibilities, including hiring a new coach and navigating the trade deadline? What does he think about the potential of this year’s team? Stevens touches on all of that and much more with Marc and Grande.
1:00 – Grande explains how and why he and Brad Stevens became close friends
8:55 – Brad Stevens explains why he moved from coaching into President of Basketball Operations for the Celtics
11:25 – Stevens comments on the impact he felt from the two COVID seasons and the bubble
15:30 – Stevens gives his take on the key differences between his current role and coaching
19:30 – Listen to Stevens recall his first trade deadline experience
23:15 – Stevens goes into the hiring of Ime Udoka and how Udoka has performed this season
28:15 – What’s it like trading someone for the first time? Stevens answers that question
29:50 – Marc asks Stevens about his incredible basketball intuition
35:20 – Marc and Grande react to their conversation with Stevens
39:15 – Grande comments on Stevens taking on his new role, as a new challenge
40:00 – Marc revisits his experiences of interacting with Stevens’ intuition
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.
With the college basketball tournament well underway, former collegiate stars and current players within the Celtics organization Payton Pritchard and Denzel Valentine join the show to look back on their tournament experiences. Pritchard appeared in two tournaments as a member of the Oregon Ducks, including a run to the national semifinals back in 2017 that ended in heartbreaking fashion. Valentine, meanwhile, played in four tournaments as a. member of the Michigan State Spartans, including a trip to the national semifinals and being shocked in the first round by 15th-seeded Middle Tennessee in 2016.
1:20 – Payton Pritchard joins the pod
3:20 – Pritchard remembers his close second-round game against Rhode Island, and why it mattered
4:40 – Pritchard dives into the experience of playing at the Final Four
5:37 – The discussion goes deep into Oregon’s gut-wrenching, semifinal loss to UNC in 2017
10:50 – Denzel Valentine joins the pod and explains what it’s like playing in the NCAA tournament
16:15 – The conversation begins to detail Valentine’s experience as Michigan State was shockingly upset in the first-round in 2016 by 15th-seeded Middle Tennessee
21:58 – Valentine speaks on the lack of pressure small schools and lower seeds feel when playing big programs, and how that leads to upsets
25:50 – Valentine remembers his experience as Michigan State made a run to the Final Four during his junior year
29:45 – What’s it like playing for Tom Izzo in a tournament? Valentine explains
32:00 – Valentine speaks about his brother, Drew, who coached his team at Loyola-Chicago to the tournament this year
In celebration of Women’s History Month, we’re proud to deliver our first-ever all-female podcast episode featuring a handful of accomplished women and trailblazers in the basketball world. Abby Chin and Amanda Pflugrad host and bring in Big East Commissioner and the first president of the WNBA Val Ackerman, Connecticut Sun President Jen Rizzotti, and Boston Celtics scout and three-time national champion Ashley Battle. The group weaves through a long list of topics all centered around what it’s like to be a woman in the sporting world, and in particular, the world of basketball.
2:20 – Abby and Amanda welcome in their ridiculously impressive list of guests
3:35 – Val Ackerman explains the path she’s taken to becoming the Commissioner of the Big East
5:55 – Ashley Battle jumps in to tell the story of her career
7:55 – Jen Rizzotti rounds out the group by explaining how she came to be president of the Connecticut Sun
11:20 – Rizzotti and Battle explain how the WNBA bubble empowered the players of the league
15:00 – Ackerman states her ‘four buckets’ between the connection of women and sports
18:00 – Ackerman recalls an experience that scarred her and proved to her just how much more work needs to be done within FIBA to embrace women in basketball
23:43 – The group discusses the challenges women face of having a family while trying to build their careers
28:15 – The group gives advice on how to overcome challenges while discussing their own stories
32:40 – Allison Feaster, the Celtics’ Vice President of Player Development and Organizational Growth, is discussed amongst the group
36:05 – Rizzotti reveals her perspective on women in the workforce
It’s a Kevin Garnett Mega Pod! Ahead of the retirement of KG’s No. 5 on March 13, we hit the Garnett story from all angles. First by bringing in two of his former teammates in Eddie House and James Posey to explain what it’s like to be KG’s teammate. Next by bringing in Wyc Grousbeck to break down how the Garnett megadeal came together back in 2007. And last but not least, the man who is credited with discovering KG, William “Wolf” Nelson, who coached Garnett in high school at Farragut Academy and has been alongside KG ever since, joins the pod to talk about Garnett’s early years and how the two first met back in the day at the Nike All-American camp.
4:00 – Eddie House and James Posey join the pod
5:00 – House and Posey comment on how the Kevin Garnett trade influenced them to sign with Boston, and how House recruited Posey to the team
8:45 – House and Posey explain what it’s like being KG’s teammate for the first time
10:20 – Posey tells the story of when Doc Rivers told KG that KG would be fined if he stepped on the practice court
14:00 – House recalls how KG used to get himself amped up before every single game and every single practice
15:50 – The two former Celtics reveal the time before a game when they knew not to speak to KG anymore because he was in the zone
18:15 – Celtics lead owner Wyc Grousbeck joins the pod and reveals when and how he told KG that he wanted to retire KG’s No. 5
22:20 – Grousbeck recalls the preparation that went into the Celtics preparing for and completing a trade for KG back in 2007
25:30 – Marc and Wyc recall the story that Paul Pierce told Wyc during a free throw against Minnesota back in 2006 that KG was Boston’s missing piece
27:00 – Grousbeck comments on the lasting impact Garnett made and left on the Celtics
31:08 – KG’s high school coach at Farragut, William “Wolf” Nelson, joins the pod
33:00 – Nelson recalls when and how Garnett first moved to Chicago, and what made him allow KG to play an unconventional style of basketball for a big man
37:00- Nelson remembers the famous KG pre-Draft workout, and when he first told Garnett to not restrain his emotions on the court
42:00 – Nelson recalls when he first saw Kevin Garnett at the Nike All-American camp
49:30 – Nelson compared Garnett to Jack and the Beanstock
52:30 – Marc and Grande reconvene to break down the pod interviews
56:30 – What were plan rides and hotel experiences like with KG? Competitive. Loud. Profane. Marc and Grande remember their experiences alongside the Big Ticket
1:00:00 – Wait… KG. turns elevator rides into competitions?
1:05:30 – Grande gives context to KG’s defensive greatness
Derrick White’s road to becoming a member of the Boston Celtics is one of the most unique paths you’ll ever hear. During this episode, he takes you deep into the moment when Gregg Popovich knocked on his door on the day of the trade deadline, and what ensued during the minutes, hours and days afterward. Later on, he dives into his story of being told over and over again during high school that he wasn’t good enough to play D1 ball while not having a single scholarship offer. Then he details his redemption story of flipping that script over the course of the next few years to spur many basketball minds, including Chauncey Billups, to tell him that he had a chance to make it in the NBA.
0:33 – Marc and Sean open up the show by discussing their initial reaction to the Derrick White trade
3:33 – Derrick White joins the conversation and tells us how he’s settling into Boston and what his trade experience was like
5:30 – White recalls the specifics of Gregg Popovich calling him as the trade deadline approached to ask him for his room number, and what ensued afterward – including notifying his pregnant wife
9:20 – White details how he’s been helped by the fact that multiple former Spurs staff members, including Ime Udoka and Will Hardy, are now on Boston’s staff
11:14 – White recalls the moment he first checked into a game as a member of the Celtics
13:40 – White again discusses his preexisting relationships with Ime Udoka and Will Hardy
17:30 – The conversation returns to discussing White’s relationship with Gregg Popovich and what it’s like to play for the legendary coach
21:15 – White goes into detail on his fascinating story of turning from an unrecruited high school player into an NBA player
26:45 – White reveals when he began to believe that he could make it to the NBA
28:15 – White comments on his relationship with his father, who grew up a Celtics fan
31:00 – Marc asks White about his passion for supporting the Special Olympics and those with special needs
The relationships on the Boston Celtics’ coaching staff run deep - like, back to middle school and high school deep. Ime Udoka, Damon Stoudamire, Ben Sullivan and Aaron Miles all hail from Portland, Oregon, and in this episode, they turn back the clock to recall the stories of how they all first met, and to discuss how they all wound up in Boston together and coaching the Celtics.
0:50 – Marc opens up a conversation with Ime Udoka and Damon Stoudamire about growing up in Portland and the Portland hoops community
4:15 – Udoka explains why chose to bring in many of his friends from Portland to be members of his very first coaching staff
6:25 – Stoudamire explains his decision to leave his head coaching job at Pacific and join Udoka’s staff in Boston
10:40 – Udoka and Stoudamire recall some of their interactions from back in the day, including Stoudamire beating Udoka’s brother in a nationally-televised game that Mike Breen announced
19:35 – Udoka and Stoudamire begin to discuss other Portland natives who are on the coaching staff, including Aaron Miles and Ben Sullivan
23:10 – Udoka recalls the story of how he god Sullivan his first NBA job, with the Spurs
26:00 – Udoka explains why he pursued specific coaches to be a part of his staff, and what his pitch was to each as to why they should leave their previous teams to join him
31:50 – Aaron Miles and Ben Sullivan explain what made them leave their previous jobs to join Udoka in Boston
37:50 – Miles and Sullivan discuss the importance of being on a coaching staff with people they know and trust
40:00 – The group comments on how so much basketball talent comes out of such a small market like Portland
44:45 – Miles remembers watching Udoka lose the state championship at Jefferson High, and then winning it for Jefferson High just a handful of years later
50:45 – Sullivan discusses playing basketball at three different high schools and how he is the guy who changed the game for big men around the world
57:15 – Miles dives into the inspiration he and his peers got from guys like Terrell Brandon and Damon Stoudamire back in the day
1:00:30 – Miles, a former teammate of Udoka’s in the D-League, comments on the difference between coaching with Udoka and playing with Udoka
The NBA’s Executive Vice President of Global Events, Kelly Flatow, joins Marc D’Amico and Abby Chin to reveal the logistics that go into building All-Star weekend every year, some of her favorite All-Star memories, and she dives into some of the new events and celebrity performances that are taking place this weekend in Cleveland. Marc and Abby also discuss Jayson Tatum’s upcoming All-Star start, as well as Isaiah Thomas’ first All-Star game, and Marc somehow finding his way into the exclusive TNT Party at Chicago All-Star weekend.
- 1:25 – Marc and Abby discuss what they’re looking to learn about All-Star weekend from the NBA’s EVP of Global Events, Kelly Flatow
- 4:05 – Marc recalls his favorite memory from his All-Star weekend experiences
- 8:06 – Marc and Abby welcome Kelly Flatow to the conversation
- 10:21 – Kelly dives into the logistics that go into putting together All-Star weekend
- 17:35 – Kelly discusses the process of booking musical performers for All-Star weekend, and who will be performing in Cleveland
- 19:58 – The crew gets a preview of a new NFT art gallery the league is launching at All-Star weekend in Cleveland, and other new events the league is putting on
- 22:28 – Kelly recalls the moment she and her team were locked in a room in New Orleans as they and the league worked to move All-Star weekend from Charlotte to New Orleans
- 23:58 – Marc and Abby hit Kelly with a list of rapid fire questions, including best party at All-Star weekend
- 27:13 – Kelly drops her secret of something we might not otherwise know about Commissioner Adam Silver
- 31:58 – Marc describes what the exclusive TNT Party at NBA All-Star is like, and how he worked his way into the one in 2020 in Chicago
- 36:16 – Marc and Abby preview Jayson Tatum’s upcoming weekend at All-Star in Cleveland
Al Horford was a silent leader during his first stint in Boston, but he has been more vocal this season. What changed? We get the answers to that question, plus Rob Williams and Grant Williams join the pod to give their perspective on Horford’s leadership and influence on them as young players. Horford then joins the conversation to speak about how he views NBA leadership through his own eyes.
- 1:12 – Marc and Abby preview their conversation with Rob Williams and Grant Williams
- 3:08 – Marc and Abby preview their conversation with Al Horford
- 5:10 – Rob Williams and Grant Williams join the conversation to discuss veteran leadership in the NBA
- 6:55 – Grant Williams on the advice he has sought from Al Horford, and he remembers the first time he ever met Horford
- 8:35 – Rob Williams on how Horford influenced him after a rough start to Williams’ career
- 11:15 – Rob Williams reveals his nickname for Horford
- 14:50 – Grant Williams reveals what he heard about Horford before Horford’s return to the Celtics
- 16:15 – What qualifies a player as an “OG” in the NBA?
- 16:45 – Grant Williams discusses the tricks of the trade he’s learned from watching Horford
- 19:00 – Grant Williams and Rob Williams compare Horford’s style of leadership to Gordon Hayward’s
- 23:30 – Horford on his return to Boston and what makes the Celtics “different”
- 26:30 – Horford on how he has changed from his first stint in Boston to his second stint
- 31:45 – Horford discusses what he tries to teach his young teammates
- 32:27 – Horford comments specifically on Rob Williams ‘and Grant Williams’ growth as players
- 36:30 – Horford on when he developed his leadership style
- 41:00 – Horford on what initiated him to become a more vocal leader this season
- 44:30 – Is Horford thinking about coaching in future?
- 47:20 – What it means to Horford that he has played a role in young players finding their way in the league
To celebrate the release of the full 75th Anniversary All-Celtics Team squad, we brought three of the top 75 players of all-time and three members of the team in Bob Cousy, Dave Cowens and Paul Pierce onto the pod. This is the only podcast you can find that connects all 75 years of Celtics lineage together, from the voices who experienced it all first-hand.
- 0:35 – Marc and Sean intro S2E1 and the 75th Anniversary All-Celtics Team members who will join the episode as guests
- 2:53 – Bob Cousy joins the conversation and tells the unique story about how he wound up playing for the Boston Celtics
- 8:13 – Cousy on his relationship with Arnold “Red” Auerbach
- 12:53 – Cousy discusses his teammates and compared playing point guard to an art form
- 20:03 – Cousy remembers his ‘Houdini’ skills and playing in the NBA’s first All-Star game, which was played at Boston Garden
- 23:53 – Cousy describes what made the Big Three so special during the 1980s
- 27:22 – Dave Cowens joins the conversation and responds to being chosen to the 75th Anniversary All-Celtics Team
- 28:25 – Cowens remembers playing with John Havlicek and Jo Jo White
- 29:40 – Sean Grande asks how aware Cowens was of the history he was walking into with the Celtics back in 1970
- 30:50 – Cowens compared the game environment in the 70s to the game environment today
- 35:15 – Cowens on the pressure of trying to win titles in Boston
- 38:40 – Cowens recalls the 1974 championship series against Milwaukee
- 42:30 – Cowens on making the 75th Anniversary Team alongside his longtime coach, Tommy Heinsohn
- 45:10 – Cowens tells the story of when Larry Bird first joined the Celtics in 1979
- 51:03 – Paul Pierce joins the conversation and reacts to yet another accolade rolling in after his retirement
- 52:20 – Pierce recalls his first memory with the Celtics organization
- 55:00 – Pierce discusses how he, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen motivated each other behind closed doors with their individual work ethics
- 58:05 – Pierce reacts to Ray Allen being named to the 75th Anniversary All-Celtics team
- 59:30 – Pierce’s dog joins the conversation
- 1:00:00 – Pierce recalls his understanding of the Celtics organization before being Drafted, and how blown away he was by the history once he got to Boston
- 1:03:00 – Pierce tells the story of going out to dinner with Bill Russell for the first time
- 1:04:30 – Pierce on the environment around the team when it reached the 2002 Eastern Conference Finals
- 1:06:30 – Pierce on the importance of creating a legacy with one organization
Get to know the 18th head coach in Celtics franchise history in this in-depth conversation about how and when Brad Stevens approached him for the job and what crafted him into the coach and person he is today.
From the moment Doc Rivers first heard it, to the moment it helped to secure a record 17th World Championship banner, this is the story of the birth of Ubuntu within the 2008 Boston Celtics. We're ending Season 1 with a bang - audio documentary style! Hear from a long cast of Celtics Legends, including Rivers, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Wyc Grousbeck, who come together to tell this complete story like it's never been told before.
Fresh off his selection to the Hall of Fame, Celtics play-by-play man Mike Gorman joins the pod to take you inside the birth of his career and the many relationships he built along the way, including those with Tommy Heinsohn and Paul Pierce.
Audio disclaimer: we had some technical issues at the start of the conversation but they clear up as the conversation goes on.
Celtics assistant general manager Austin Ainge was born into the NBA nearly 40 years ago as rookie guard Danny Ainge’s son. He’s lived a life of a million tales that’s led him to where he is today, scouting the world for basketball talent and helping the C’s hit a home run in the 2020 Draft with the selections of Aaron Nesmith and Payton Pritchard.
We've got a perfect primer for you ahead of Hall of Fame weekend. Hall-of-Fame finalist Paul Pierce joins the pod to tell his favorite stories about Kevin Garnett before KG is enshrined this weekend, and to speak on Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, who are facing a similar situation to what Pierce faced 20 years ago as a young superstar trying to break through to the Finals.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver joins Marc D'Amico and Sean Grande to reveal the personal struggles he's faced while leading the league through 14 months of a pandemic, and to give his view of the future of the league given its infusion of young stars like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
You know him as the quote god. We know him as Evan Turner. He joins the pod to take you through his life journey, how everything changed for him when he joined the Boston Celtics, and for a full segment of Story Time with Evan Turner.
This is where we typically provide a concise description of the podcast you’re about to listen to. But this is Bill Walton. There’s nothing concise about him, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
Celtics guard Marcus Smart joins Marc D'Amico and Abby Chin for a candid conversation about the struggles he's faced throughout his life that have formed him into the player and the person he is today. Plus, hear why Smart and Danny Ainge have connected since Smart's first day in Boston, and why the All-Defensive First Teamer thinks he's Brad Stevens' "alter ego."
Our four hosts come together for the first time to introduce View from the Rafters before having a wide-ranging conversation with Celtics President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge.
You might've heard the story, but you've never heard it like this. You might know it happened, but you don't know how it happened. You might think you know the person, but do you really? See basketball's most historic franchise from a whole new perspective with the team's first official podcast: View from the Rafters: Behind the Scenes with the Boston Celtics.