S2E12: What Makes Playing in Boston Special and Unique

if you're the Boston tell the responsibility, accountability, humility. It takes a lot of talent and a lot of pride and a lot of team work to win a championship. Its inspiration, it's legendary. It is better seventeen. They all came to them so proud of them. You just feel it, and you know that it's different up here. It's almost like the crowd is like a living organism just breathe in as with you. It's a boat of energy that you just kind of absorb. It's almost like you feel invincible.

It's the fourth of July, you know, it's probably we're superheroes. Tailor round, Papa, take all that you're in Boston, It's something that I didn't even expect to that extent knowledge of the game. I think that's the biggest thing in Celtics fans have over a lot other bands. It's kind of like everybody knows miss play all time. Ask any player who was put on a Boston Celtics uniform and they'll all tell you the same thing. There's something different

about playing for this franchise. It doesn't matter if a player was here for three months, for three years, or for a decade. They all feel it. They all know it, they all understand it. Wearing this uniform in front of these fans, beneath these banners, it means something. It's special. It is well, let's allow them to tell you. That is what this episode is all about, what it feels like to play for the Celtics. It's truly, Uh, honor, what's going on is Jayson Tatum from the Boston Celtics.

You know, just from the history and our fans and expectations that we have and all the great players that have came through this building. Um and put this uniform on. Let's put this jersey on every game. Uh, it's Anna, what's up, everybody? It's market smart I mean, we see all the legends and things that came before us that opened the way for us, that you know, built a tradition,

build a culture here in the game of basketball. And to be a part of their group and have your name even mentioned with those guys um and putting on the same jerseys that they were to start their careers and to finish their careers and to become who they are. It's an honor. This is Grant Williams. It's an honor being able to represent an organization that has a history like Boston, has had success, like Boston has had legends like Boston. It's it's an honor to be a part

of every single day. There's one specific element that generates that feeling of honor. It's an element that's been built, maintained, and evolved over the last seventy five years of Celtics history. It's the culture. The culture, you know, it's all about winning, you know, and everyone genuinely cares. The thing that really says this organization apart from others, is just the winning mentality. It's a winning culture. High the standard ties from the

Boston Celtics, like you want to win. If you put this Jersey on. You want to win like that, Like I said, the expectations are, you want to win responsibility, accountability, um, humility, all those those things that I feel like the such as franchise has had over the course of the years, and that something that uh, teamwork and trust are another two words that could be used, and that's something that's

very important. We frustrated after a loss, and everybody is really invested and we hold each other accountable because every year, you know, we're trying to win a championship and you know, we don't celebrate conference finals or making the playoffs. You know, that's something that you know we expect year in a year out, and you can't say that about you know, every franchise. I should tell them. I say, yeah, you

had a good summer. Everybody pat me on the bank the World champions I said, it's gonna take two losses in a row for people to say, who are those bumps? You got a lot of organizations out there, and it's

no knock tune. You know they're good organizations, but it's tough to win and to be able to do it as many times as the Celtics have consistently time after time Um him of the crop this it's crazy, and I think that's really what separates in the Boston from from anybody else in that standpoint, because you come here here to name Boston. You see is Um talked about winning? All right? This is Emaudoka, head coach of the Boston Celtics.

It's really a winning environment, winning atmosphere, and what it takes to get there the day to day grind and you know, the big picture approach, you know, not not getting caught up in the moment. And so what I try to relate to our guys is uh, you know, grinding away, pounding away every day towards the ultimate goal. And that expectation isn't just for the players, it's for the fans to everyone involved in this organization expects to win,

is motivated to win. That is the connective tissue that runs between the team, the city, and these fans. That creates a unique atmosphere, one unlike any other in the NBA. Different in a great way is the x dictation of the pressure. It's like they're part of the team and connected and that's not the norm with a lot of franchises. Obviously, I came from one that's one a lot lately and others that were trying to establish in Philadelphia and Brooklyn and you know, trying to get to that next level.

But here it's it's really already set. And you can see that on day to day basis obviously just by looking up. But um, that standard and that pressure is good for everybody. I feel what's going on in Jalen Brown from the Boston Celtics. I think basketball is bigger here than any maybe any work in the world. So many sports fans we know that in this home environment we got the best best, so we know that each

and every night we're gonna complete, We're gonna fight. It makes it that much more exciting and fun to be able to come to work where you know people care so much about what you do. Other places in the world people may or may not, or they may care less. But here in Boston, title town, you know that energy is electric. The one thing I can tell you is that even on the street I'm out, you know, you just feel it and you know that it's it's different

up here, hid and it means something. And uh, as you get older and as you start understanding, you talk about legacy and things that you want to do and things like that. You want to be in a place where it's meaningful. You know, where you can bring you know, Joe, you can bring happiness to to a certain part. And I find that that here that you know, people care. It's hard to kind of explain. You kind of have

to live through it. But like everybody in town, like it's engaged, it's into it, it's it's ready and and it's an appointent. I just took notice of that, and even years before because I've played, you know, against the Celtics a few times and hangu and just getting that feeling. But then once you're in the arena and the people, um, you know, it's just a loud. I've been a place

in the NBA. Um you know how much the people are into it, um how much they drive the team and uh and and that really helps us um on on the Flores players. Everyone in the building knows what the team is playing for. The players, the coaches, the staff, the fans. They are all there for one goal. The Celtics start rolling, the crowd begins roaring, and when those circumstances collide, it's the fourth July. You know, it's fire works. Those are the moments where like you get goose bumps.

Those are the moments where you know, it's almost like the crowd is like a living organism, just breathing as with you as the game goes on, all like in Unison, and it's just like electric. It's almost like you feel invincible, big flexing. Honestly, when you're playing here at home and you have the fans supporting you in that way behind you um playoffs in the garden, there is so much meaning to it. That's the beauty about the fans that

we had. We really do feed off of them and they give us the end of you to keep going, especially when we feel like everything else that we had ad Energie is called we don't you know, let it all out of court. We don't have any more. And hear those guys in the stands cheering and you know giving us there of that energy. It picks us right back up and refused us. Today's episode is presented by

the Boston Celtics credit card powered by Cardless. New card holders can earn a special sign up bonus which you can redeem for front row game tickets, autographed year cash back, and more. You'll continue to earn points on all of your purchases too. Card issued by First Electronic Bank Member f d I C offers subjects to credit approval because at cardless dot Com forward slash Celtics for more information,

that's Cardless dot Com forward slash Celtics. That boost is not restricted to the friendly confines of TD Garden either. There may be no NBA team whose fans travel stronger than Boston's, which has turned road games into pseudo home games and given these Celtics a shocking advantage inside arena after arena. You've always understood that it's a national brand in the national brand, and and you knew there was fans,

but not to that extent. A lot of the buildings you go in Denver really stood out obviously because we scored the first basket, and I felt the chair was like, we're a home team for sure. And so you wouldn't think that maybe obviously New York or Miami or wherever this implants, not in Denver, you wouldn't expect that. And so um it's been like that everywhere in every road arena, you have Celtics fans more than the home arenas. And that's something that is important and valuable and something that

you see across across the nation. It just shows exactly that you have a home court advantai no matter where you go. The m v P chance for Jason and you know, let's go Celtics on road, you know, and they tried to drown it out with booze, but it's like it's something that I didn't even expect to that extent, honestly, and so you know, appreciative of the fan base all around the country. It's truly my favorite part play on

the road. Just looking at the stands and seeing all the green jerseys and T shirts and hoodies, just saying how well celt expance travel. It just really makes you feel good. And you know, just being on the road and saying all that is a great field. Those nights on the road are even more evidence of the special bond between the Celtics and their fans. It's unmistakable this

relationship runs deeper than any around the league. You can see it and feel it every night inside TV Garden, the garden crowd, I have a courage, and then there are the special nights when the energy and the love reach whole new levels. Selling fans please welcome to sen of Cord, Kevin Garnet. Give this fan base an opportunity to thank a player individually for raising a banner in Boston and for his blood, sweat and tears, and the

result just hits differently. Boston's players all had a front row seat to that level when they witnessed Kevin Garnett's number five being raised to the rafters on March. J Oh, y'all man, I'll root for y'all. Maga look in the playoffs. Keep kicking some ass, keep playing together, you know I'm saying. Some players, including Jayson Tatum, Jalen Brown, and Marcus Smart also watched Paul Pierce's number as it was retired back

in two thousand eighteen. Oh, those moments gave the current Celtics players even more of an understanding of the love affair they can share with these Celtic Is faithful each and every night. I've had the privileges in two of those. Now my first year part pays God just never retired. And you know this last one was just incredible, this inspiration. It's legendary to see those two, you know, who had

amazing careers. To see those two get there accredited for a the work they put in in this game that was the two legends and me. For me to be able to watch both of them, it's extremely like inspiring, extremely motivating. Oh man, it was emotional. It was energetic for me as a player to be able to to

sit through that and winnings. Those things, I guess you can say, encourage you to be able to think that one day possibly I could have a chance or to have a chance to possibly have my name up there and imagine that is something that as a kid growing up, you know, the dream of seeing the videos and his teammates there, you know, celebrate him and obviously how much he means to the game of basketball and to this city. You know, I was just like a beautiful thing to see.

It's also something that only Boston Celtics players can experience and explain. If anyone out there in the basketball world is thinking about maybe one day coming to Boston, all you need to do is listen. It's my opinion, it just means more here than than anywhere being a Celtic, embracing it, representing the city of Boston, everything that it

stands for. It's something that you want to be a part of you want to play, You want to do great things, and you have an opportunity to individually to show who you are, what you have and for people to embrace you. You tapped into history, you tapped into legacy. If you are coming here, you've been planning for a fan base seconds and non basketball sports in general is huge here. Sports is your career choice. It's not so

many better places to come to in title time? So what does it mean to play for the Boston Celtics And the Boston fans can come alive like no fans And I reckon, why is playing here so special knowledge of the game? I think that's the biggest thing in the Celtics fans have over a load of other fans. We're here every game. The ownership group is here every

single game along with all the other fans rolling it together. Uh. And it's a nice feeling when you win, because then just throwing a successful party for you know, eighteen thousands of people. I hope that the individuals here will support the Celtic teams of the future as much as they have myself and the past, and particularly it's players, because you have given us what every team really wants to have enthusiasm, dedication, and you've helped us win many championships.

What more can I say? Thank you, Boston? I love you now. You know what it feels like to play for the Celtics, though it's truly privilege. Let's put this jersey on every game. It's anna you have. You tapped into history, you tapped into legacy, and Paul peers with one final farewell gift to a franchise, a fan base and a city, the culture. You know, it's all about winning. The one thing I would say is it's really a

winning environment, winning atmosphere. How sweet it is, How sweet it is if you're the Boston tell the responsibility, accountability, humility. It takes a lot of talent and a lot of pride and a lot of team work to win a championships. Inspiration, it's legendary. It is better seventeen. They all came to him so proud of them. You just feel it and you know that it's different up here. It's almost like the crowd is like a living organism, just breathing as

with you. It's a boat of energy that you just kind of absorb. It's almost like you feel invincible. It's the fourth tee. You know it's five words, were Superhero, lost, jailor oh Papa, take all that you're in Boston. It's something that I didn't even expect to that extent knowledge of the game. I think that's the biggest thing in the Celtics fans have over a lot of other things. It's kind of like everybody knows Less play all time.

M h m hm m hm m h m m. Thank you for listening to view from the Raptors behind the scenes with the Boston Celtic, presented by Cardless