For the Boston Celtics, the NBA's 2024 offseason has officially ended with the arrival of the team's Media Day. And while many Celtics have been back in the City of Boston for some time now, now the work truly begins for the team to defend their status as the league's reigning champions.
During the annual event, Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens gave the assembled press updates on everything from the pending sale of the franchise to the overall health of the roster, as well as many other granular details on the status of the ball club ahead of the start of the 2024-25 regular season. We also heard from head coach Joe Mazzulla and many of the players suiting up for Boston this season.
To get a handle on the absolutely massive flood of information this event always creates, cohost of the CLNS Media "Celtics Lab" podcast Cameron Tabatabaie linked up with WEEI's Justin Turpin.
Get up to speed with all things Media Day with Turpin and Tabatabaie while we wait for preseason to kick off for the Celtics early next month in Abu Dhabi.
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During the annual event, Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens gave the assembled press updates on everything from the pending sale of the franchise to the overall health of the roster, as well as many other granular details on the status of the ball club ahead of the start of the 2024-25 regular season. We also heard from head coach Joe Mazzulla and many of the players suiting up for Boston this season.
To get a handle on the absolutely massive flood of information this event always creates, cohost of the CLNS Media "Celtics Lab" podcast Cameron Tabatabaie linked up with WEEI's Justin Turpin.
Get up to speed with all things Media Day with Turpin and Tabatabaie while we wait for preseason to kick off for the Celtics early next month in Abu Dhabi.
***********************************
CLNS Media is Powered by:
Prize Picks - https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/CLNS
Download the app today and use Code CLNS when you sign up & Get $50 instantly when you play $5!
Gametime - https://gametime.co
Take the guesswork out of buying MLB tickets with Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code CLNS for $20 off your first purchase. Download Gametime today. Last minute tickets. Lowest Price. Guaranteed. Terms apply.
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SportsTranscript
00:00Alrighty, welcome to the Celtics Lab podcast, brought to you by PrizePix, the exclusive
00:07fantasy basketball partner of the CLNS Media Network, and by Game Time Tickets, last-minute
00:11tickets, lowest price guaranteed.
00:13I'm Cameron Tepp-Dubai, I'm your host.
00:16Alex, who plays bass in the band Divine Sweater, is on tour, so he's not here today.
00:20Dr. Justin Quinn was on a special assignment to Cancun, so he's not here today.
00:25And I taught at my job as a high school teacher, so I wasn't at media day today, but I know
00:33someone who was, so I'm going to welcome back into the podcast, not my cat that's biting
00:37my leg right now, but Justin Turpin from W-E-E-I, Turpin, what's up?
00:43What's going on?
00:44I promise I will not bite your leg.
00:46Yeah, I mean, it's 5.11 in the evening, it's early.
00:53Oh yeah, it's still early.
00:55Yeah, so our task du jour is to talk about media day, and I'm going to ask you about
00:59specific guys and the updates that they did or did not offer.
01:05But just off the jump, what was it like?
01:07I missed the homies so dearly.
01:09It was pretty much what you'd expect.
01:13This is a Joe Mizzou-led team, they're flipping the page, and I also think this is something
01:17that you'd expect from any championship team, right?
01:19They're just kind of looking towards doing it again, I think the celebration's over.
01:23In this sense, you do have one more maybe 30-minute window when you get your rings and
01:28you see the banner unveiled.
01:30But I got the feeling today that as soon as that happens, that's it, that they're going
01:34to turn the page and they're going to try to do it again.
01:37They're not really labeling it as defending their title.
01:39That's one thing that really stuck out to me, is they're more so looking at, let's do
01:43it again, right?
01:44We haven't accomplished anything this year, let's go out and prove that we can win another
01:48championship.
01:50Yeah, it's so interesting, the tension between, you got to keep it interesting, sorry, I got
01:57some traffic in the background, you got to keep it interesting.
02:00You got to kind of self-motivate, I'll ask you about the Olympics and Jalen having a
02:03chip on his shoulder.
02:04And at the same time, as a Joe Mizzou-led team, they don't give much, they don't say
02:08much.
02:09So they both need to be animated and then they don't allow themselves to be.
02:16More broadly, what was the mood in the room, like among the reporters, among the team?
02:22Optimism, I think for sure.
02:24I think every player that spoke, you felt like they knew they had the opportunity to
02:29get back to where they were and compete for another championship.
02:33I mean, they all kind of mentioned it in their own ways, I think.
02:36But everyone's kind of turned the page.
02:37It's looking towards doing it again now.
02:39I think that was one of the big takeaways, but I think it's what you'd expect.
02:42This team just won a championship.
02:44People are excited.
02:46The media was excited to see each other again.
02:48That's one thing for sure.
02:49But I think everyone's ready to just get back on the season and get back on the grind.
02:53I think, especially with the Jays, I got that sense that these guys are genuinely, sincerely
02:58ready to get going and really do this thing again.
03:01Jalen was really in a chipper mood, something that we haven't really seen from him.
03:05And not saying that we haven't seen that side of him elsewhere, but typically on the press
03:10conferences, you don't see that from Jalen Brown.
03:12And he was noticeably chipper today.
03:14Came on with the smile and really maintained that smile throughout the press conference.
03:17So you can tell how much that weight of not winning a championship was kind of getting
03:23to him.
03:24And he used that as motivation.
03:25And I know you said, we'll get to this.
03:26And he has motivation now, and it's a matter of kind of fueling that again.
03:30Cool.
03:31I like that.
03:32I think you and I both, because we're very, very lucky to do what we do.
03:37We know that Jason and Jalen are funny and they have texture to their personality like
03:43all people do.
03:44But it doesn't come across in the television cameras, doesn't really come across when you
03:47clip a quote.
03:49And I think part of it was they were being so guarded.
03:51I think early in their careers, you got a lot of their personality.
03:54And then especially after 22, they got really buttoned up.
03:56So I haven't been in a room with them since the summer.
04:00But I'm excited to kind of feel that energy and that mood shift.
04:05Usually the podcast, we do news and then we do a deep dive in the lab.
04:09The only thing that I could gather from the news would be a potential Porzingis injury
04:13update.
04:14So I'll ask you about that.
04:15But then I'll also ask you if there was anything like news with a capital N worthy.
04:19So I think Stevens and Porzingis gave something of an update.
04:23Can you summarize that?
04:24Yeah.
04:25Porzingis seems, he said he was already running, already doing some light contact.
04:29And Stevens said they're surprised by the way he's progressing.
04:32And we saw the clips coming around.
04:34Obviously, he just got back from Boston.
04:35He was working out in Lafayette, but we've seen him sharing clips that he was already
04:38in the gym.
04:39He was already on the court working out and it seems like he really is progressing faster
04:45than they hope they can.
04:46Now we've seen how they manage him before, right?
04:48I don't think that means that he's going to rush in and we're going to see him before
04:52that expected timeline.
04:53They're going to take their time with him.
04:55They know how valuable he is and reality is, is they need him to be healthy in the spring.
04:59So they're not going to jeopardize his health by bringing him back a couple of weeks early,
05:03whatever it may be.
05:04They're going to keep to that strict schedule and that's how they did last year.
05:08Every time they managed him on back-to-backs, they managed his minutes.
05:11They're really cautious with him because of his history.
05:13But it seems like he is progressing faster than what people expected and it's kind of
05:17bizarre, right?
05:18Because it's a, it's a really rare injury link.
05:20Like we were all talking about it during the finals about just how rare this is.
05:24So that complicates things a little bit, but he was in good spirits, happy to be back.
05:28And I think just his presence around the team too, because this was a really tight knit
05:32group.
05:33I mean, we saw a lot of it being behind the scenes, how close these guys really were and
05:37just having him around again, I think is a boost in itself, but they're not going to
05:41mess around.
05:42They're not going to jeopardize anything just because he's progressing well.
05:44Sure.
05:45That's a great update, but you know, he's, it's not going to change anything.
05:48He's going to be strict to that timeline.
05:50Yeah.
05:51He, um, he's a funny guy.
05:53He's very charismatic.
05:54I think like the locker room is a workplace, but it's also like a social place.
05:58And I think he adds a certain amount of depth there.
06:01Yeah.
06:02I'm sure people who listen to this podcast remember, but poor thing has had a calf injury
06:05that kept him out for most of the playoffs.
06:08I ended up, it sounds like the reporting was that he kind of forced his way back maybe
06:12so that he could play for the finals and seemingly unrelated had this like the once in a lifetime
06:18foot tear and his other foot in like the fascia that holds the heel together.
06:24So I, I, I think the reporting when it first came out was doctors were like, we've never
06:30seen this before.
06:31Yeah.
06:32I can find the number.
06:33I forget what it was, but there was like, it was like 30 years or something crazy.
06:37Yeah.
06:38It was something, it was even weirder than that.
06:39Like the phrasing of it was just so bizarre, but I got to find the number.
06:43Yeah.
06:44Look it up.
06:45Well, cause all I was going to say is how you can't really estimate the time it will
06:49take for him to heal.
06:50Cause even if this injury had more of a track record, I bet very few, seven, three people
06:55have this injury.
06:56So maybe he is healing faster.
06:59Maybe that the timeline was unreasonable, but I think the point remains like sit him
07:03till Christmas, come up with reasons for him to sit, like break his thumb.
07:06I don't know.
07:07Like he doesn't need to put wear and tear on his body, but actually I'll go off script.
07:13Did you, did you find it right here?
07:16According to a 2006 study, there were just 32 documented cases of in all of the English
07:21literature.
07:22Now I don't know how long that timeline spans, but just 32 cases.
07:26That's that, that shows how rare it is.
07:28Yeah.
07:29Somewhere.
07:30Some French doctor listened to this.
07:31Who's read the French literature saying, no, it's very common.
07:33Um, how many wins do you think the Celtics are going to have?
07:37Like don't give me like an exact number, but I kind of feel like they shouldn't try to
07:43win that many games.
07:45Just get to the playoffs.
07:46Well, I think with this team, their goal is to win every day.
07:49Now that doesn't necessarily mean that means ghost practice games, like even bus rides.
07:55They try to win everything.
07:56That's just, and that's been from Joe Missoula.
07:58That's how competitive he is.
07:59Like this guy always wants to win it.
08:01He wants that to trickle down to his team.
08:03And personally, I, you know, I think you kind of look at the line at 60, right?
08:07Like they were hovering around 60 in Missoula's first year, obviously get 64 last year.
08:12And I think that's right around where I'd expect them to win again.
08:14I think 60 is probably the right idea.
08:17And you know, I think this in a way, this team might be better than the one we saw last
08:22year.
08:23And that's kind of funny to say, because when you look at the metrics, the Nate net rating,
08:26the plus minus, they are a top 10, top five team ever assembled by all the metrics.
08:32And to say they can be better, it just sounds a little asinine, doesn't it?
08:36But when you look at like, when you really think about it, Chris stops, he was, he assimilated
08:41him right away.
08:42He got comfortable right away.
08:43It took through a while and he didn't really find himself until like late December offensively.
08:47I mean, defensively, he was quarterbacking the defense and all that, but he wasn't really
08:51producing offensively until like mid to late December.
08:55So now that you have all these guys and for the people worried about like Chris stops
09:00and how, what his injury means, like even look at the guys behind him, guys like Tillman,
09:04guys like Cornette, guys like Ada, all of them have proven to be viable bigs in this
09:09league.
09:10We saw it last year we saw during the playoffs and even Al Horford, I think the whole age
09:13thing with him is overblown.
09:16I knew, I don't know, man, it is.
09:19But I think like when you see his contributions of what he can do, I think it's a little overblown
09:25And I always look at this stat too, just how fast Joe Missoula teams get off.
09:29Like usually a new, new seasons team kind of struggle a little bit.
09:33Joe Missoula in the month of October, November 32 and eight, they are a fast starts all over.
09:39So that, that goes a long way as well.
09:41I looked at their schedule in a while.
09:43I mean, part of, so even if I guess it is ridiculous to suggest that Joe Missoula team
09:48would take their foot off the gas.
09:51Even if they did though, the East is going to be so bad that wins are going to be that
09:54much easier.
09:55So they might get 60 wins by mistake.
09:59I was just curious.
10:00I, I think the consensus is they're obviously the number one seed and I think that they
10:04are the best team in the East in an obvious way, but I agree.
10:08I think they're under no pressure to, to eclipse the 61 mark, but they might just through osmosis
10:14of playing in the Eastern conference.
10:16Okay.
10:17So to recap, it sounds like no one's putting a date on it, but everyone's confident in
10:21Porzingis is a rehab.
10:24Anything else like newsworthy?
10:26Like what did you, what did people write about from Brad?
10:30So I don't sure how much it was written about cause it is kind of minor because they're
10:32ready to go, but both Xavier Tillman and Luke Cornet had off season procedures on his wrist.
10:39Xavier Tillman had a scope on his knee.
10:41So I think it's kind of a non-store only because they're full goes for training camp is what
10:46Brad said.
10:47So I think it's kind of a non-story, but it is kind of interesting just because that could
10:51open the door a little bit for Xavier, uh, for Namish Kata, excuse me.
10:54Like a guy who's probably has a backseat right now looking up at guys like Cornet and Tillman,
11:00but if they're rehab, if they have a setback or whatever, that could open the door for
11:04a little bit more Kata minutes.
11:06And I for one, want to see a little bit more from him.
11:08I mean, we just, we always talk about, and Joe talks about it, how young of a player
11:12he is and you know, he's played this such a little amount of NBA minutes and there's
11:16so much room for growth and we've seen it.
11:19Just his motor, his athleticism, his activity around the rim on both ends of the ball.
11:23I think he could be a legitimate piece and you know, he proves it's proved to be one
11:28last year and they're going to need them.
11:30Obviously with Chris stops out with Al's age and it kind of sounds contradictive to what
11:34I just said, but I think Al they're still going to manage Al's age, but we know what
11:38Al can provide and I wouldn't worry about any drop off in that way, but they're still
11:41going to manage them.
11:42So you're going to need guys to contribute and I am full faith in all the guys that can,
11:46but I would be interested to see if these injuries open up a little window for a catered
11:51to see some more time.
11:53Yeah.
11:54It's so interesting that like the Celtics have developmental projects and they're, they
12:01have the top, the best top six in the league.
12:03I mean, if Lonnie Walker makes a team between tilt, like it's so interesting.
12:07Okay, well let's put a pin in that cause I want to talk specifically about media day.
12:10We have the whole season to talk about how interesting the Celtics are.
12:15So I'll just go in order.
12:17I'm basically going to do Brad, Joe, the starters and anyone else.
12:21So you can kind of recap, you can kind of speculate.
12:26It doesn't have to be a report, but what, if anything about what, so technically now
12:32we're in the lab portion of the program and what technique, what, what I'm from Brad was
12:38worth reporting back that we haven't covered.
12:40I mean, the Porzingis injury is probably the thing.
12:42I think the injuries were a big one.
12:44I think people obviously are going to talk about it and that's the sale of the team where
12:47he said it's business as usual, but he's really stuck by that, which means, which makes me
12:51think it is pretty sincere.
12:52I think he said that right after the draft that it was business as usual, reiterated
12:57that today.
12:58So other than that, I think it was more so about the target on their back and just how
13:01things change.
13:02And this is where it's so valuable to have a guy like Brad upstairs and you know, Joe
13:07is an unbelievable coach and has a great, he's great at kind of galvanizing these guys
13:12and getting them ready to go.
13:14But having Brad up there, who's also been on NBA sidelines has been a successful head
13:19coach.
13:20I think that goes a long way.
13:21So somebody that he can just kind of bounce ideas off, especially after losing a guy like
13:24Charles Lee.
13:25And I know they have very capable coaches kind of joining up and sliding up a seat,
13:30but it is invaluable to have a guy like Brad up there.
13:33Another thing that kind of stood out to me is, you know, that he said that this team
13:37deserves an opportunity to attack this championship or this, this next challenge together where
13:44they haven't a special type of chemistry, which, which I would a hundred percent agree.
13:47And we talked about it earlier that, you know, just these guys genuinely liked each other.
13:51And I think that's what made them a lot easier to root for.
13:54And I think you would probably agree with this.
13:56There's been Celtics teams in the past where it's kind of like, Oh man, like, is this team
14:00really likable?
14:01Like, you know what I mean?
14:02But like these guys all liked each other, which made it just so much more enjoyable
14:05and so much better when they won.
14:07It was so much more rewarding because they genuinely liked each other.
14:10They genuinely wanted to see others succeed.
14:13So I think that's what stuck out to me and nothing really crazy that he said earlier
14:17in the off season, because nothing's really happened, right?
14:19They got all their work done early and he kind of got to get his feet back.
14:25So when he said he didn't have, he didn't get his hands on the trophy.
14:27Yes, he did say that.
14:29What did he say?
14:30No one gave it to him.
14:31He said nobody offered it to him, which is kind of rude, right?
14:33This guy had a, this guy deserved it sometime with the trophy.
14:36Brad, you're the president.
14:37You just say, yeah, just go take it.
14:40I mean, he was at Cisco Brewers with Joe and a couple of other players and coaches
14:45after the parade and he had it there, but I remember you breaking that news.
14:50That must've been it for him.
14:51I don't think he had it after that.
14:52Yeah.
14:53I'm sure he's all right, but that's kind of sad.
14:56I mean, it'll, it'll be there at ring night.
14:59Was it there at media day just as it was, but it was downstairs cause I did see the
15:04pictures of the players.
15:05It was actually that really cool picture of Drew, Derek, and Jason with the gold medals
15:10and the trophy in the middle, which was pretty sweet.
15:12So it was definitely there and that thing's been around.
15:15I mean, uh, with gross back reported to the Greg Hill show that he, there was a dent in
15:20it and he believes it was from Joe.
15:22So that thing's been around.
15:24Yeah.
15:25It's not like crazy reporting, but sometimes the one they bring around is, is not the Larry
15:33O'Brien.
15:34Um, so I'm curious if like who got their hands on which one and like if the one for the photo
15:41shoot was the original or the, I would bet that's the original one with all the scuff
15:46marks and all that.
15:47It brings character.
15:49It shows that.
15:50I would hope so.
15:51I mean, nothing's like the Stanley cup, but, uh, okay.
15:54So that's Brad Joe.
15:56I think he gave a, I was just kind of following along mild manner press conference for Joe
16:01Missoula.
16:02Um, anything different, any, if you could, uh, play armchair psychologist, did he seem
16:07more confident, less confident?
16:09He seems just straight Joe Missoula.
16:12That's the best way to say it.
16:13Like that's just, he's just so just himself.
16:16Like that's it.
16:17That's like, it's so hard to describe him, but it was just classic Joe Missoula.
16:20I mean, he talks about how he was, the first question was about kind of replacing and how
16:25you've managed with, uh, uh, Chris tops out.
16:27And he said, we shouldn't miss a beat.
16:29You know, that's been a staple since I've been here, Celtics basketball, you know, next
16:32man up, we're not going to miss a beat.
16:34And I also like this for him or where he talks about kind of adjusting, you know, not just
16:39because it worked last year, not sticking by that formula, being open-minded and that's
16:44a big thing with Joe Missoula is just how he approaches the game mentally.
16:48And I think that's something this team needs, like obviously the talents there, they have
16:52all the talent in the world and that's not a knock on Joe Missoula's, you know, work
16:55as an actual X's and O's head coach.
16:57But I would say like, just as important as the X's and O's are his, is his emphasis on
17:02the mental side of the game.
17:04Because I think that's sometimes loft lost in translation and they get says a lot for
17:08a guy after just having that first year that he had kind of taking that team to the Eastern
17:14Congress finals, going down all three, rallying them, and then having a full off season.
17:18He put his fingerprints on the, on the success of that franchise and just the culture for
17:23years to come.
17:24So he changed the culture of a team that is one of the most historic and decorated in
17:30all of the NBA.
17:31And I think it takes a special person, a special leader to do that.
17:35And that's what Joe did.
17:37And I give him a lot of credit.
17:38So I left today even more confident that he is the right guy.
17:42Like obviously he is the right guy for last year, but things change.
17:45It's like, does a coach's message get old?
17:48Does how many, like how many comparisons can you take to a killer whale or the town?
17:54Like that wears on people, but I just think they have so much respect for Joe that he's
18:00the guy that's going to get them ready to go and kind of race that championship hangover.
18:05And it started from the top last year with that mindset.
18:08And I remember during the playoffs, there was a media scrum after practice and Al Horford
18:13walked to the scrum wearing a shirt that just said mindset, you know, he set that tone from
18:17day one and now it's about doing that again, but he's also willing to adapt and understand
18:23that just because it worked last year, it's a whole new year.
18:26And that's another thing I really liked from Joe is that it doesn't look like they're just
18:30taking that blueprint, right?
18:32They're willing to change and they're willing to do different things and experiment and
18:36that's what you need to do.
18:37Because if you just try to do exactly what you did last year, it might not work.
18:41Yeah.
18:42I pitched a story to the Celtics.
18:46It's not, it wasn't a no.
18:48So we'll see what happens because I want to talk to Joe about leadership, just like being
18:52a teacher.
18:53Fascinating to me, like how similar or not our jobs are.
18:57And I remember in grad school, my professors said something that I just like thought was
19:01so energizing.
19:02He said something like, you're going to learn so much about history because every year you're
19:06going to learn more and more and more and more than your students ever will.
19:10And Joe does not, and like that really energized me.
19:14Joe does not seem like someone who's going to like rest on his laurels, be like, well,
19:16I won, so you have to listen to me.
19:18I know what's up.
19:20He seems like, um, with Corrales, he was talking about going to Broadway and think
19:25about how the actors breathe.
19:26And I think Corrales thought he was joking and Joe was like, no, no, no, this is like
19:30really important to consider.
19:32So the, the, the message of like whether or not he can get a locker room full of guys
19:37to buy into that, we'll see.
19:40I suspect he's perfectly qualified.
19:43I suspect very much so.
19:44He's more than the 11th best head coach has that, but, Oh, a hundred percent.
19:48He's certainly going to continue to be one of the sharpest basketball minds.
19:52And the players seem to like that.
19:54They seem to like that.
19:55He takes stuff like Jalen joked about it over the summer that they, when they went to the
19:59Red Sox game, Joe was going to take something from that.
20:02And Drew was talking about it today that he's going to make them do some crazy thing to
20:06just kind of unlock something.
20:07So I think they actually like his message and really relate to it.
20:12Yeah.
20:13Okay.
20:14So Joe and Brad were boring and focused as we've expected them to be.
20:19Jason, did you get a peek at the shoes?
20:23I did.
20:24They look pretty sweet.
20:25Don't want, I did not cover media day today, but I was able to report about the Tatum threes
20:31that are coming out October 10th and some bells and whistles attached to go to Celtics
20:35wire for that.
20:36I haven't yet seen the shoes and actually that's not true.
20:39I did see the shoes in person a few months ago, but I haven't seen them on Jason before.
20:44How'd they look?
20:45They looked good.
20:46And I'm not a big sneaker guy.
20:48I'm really not like, I'm not a big fashion guy whatsoever, but I really thought they
20:52looked great.
20:53And you know, they're, they're pretty bad-ass.
20:55And Jalen also said he had some shoe news.
20:57I don't know if you can tell me a little bit more about that because that is not my forte.
21:01I can't tell you anything special.
21:03I can tell you special things about the Tatum threes because I've been working that story.
21:07So we'll get to Jalen in a second.
21:09So I guess the Jason and Jalen story is just the chip on their shoulder.
21:15And I'm already kind of sick of that storyline, but I know that Jason, Jason, like Joe is
21:23unbelievably good at choosing to give an answer when he wants to, and then otherwise giving
21:27a complete non-answer.
21:29It seems like he got a lot of non-answers from Jason.
21:31Is that right?
21:32I would say so, but I think the Olympics one was pretty telling.
21:35I really do.
21:36I think he showed some frustration and like he he's genuinely pissed off about it.
21:42And I think at the end he taught, well, he first, he talks about how Joe is the happiest
21:45person and obviously that's no, that's no news.
21:49Everyone knows that Joe wants his players to be uncomfortable, wants them to put them,
21:53wants to put them in different situations so they can learn and grow from that.
21:57And Jason said that he's like, if you, it sounds kind of odd, but if you know Joe, it's
22:00really not, which makes all the sense in the world.
22:03But at the end he was kind of like, everything happens for a reason.
22:06I don't know why it happened.
22:07Still don't.
22:08And he seemed to be genuinely annoyed by it.
22:10Even when the question was asked and I don't know who the reporter was, but he did a great,
22:15great job asking the question and he just didn't seem too pleased about it.
22:20And I thought there was some phrase frustration there.
22:22And obviously, like you said, you're kind of already getting sick of the storyline because
22:26that's what we've been talking about all year.
22:27It really set the tone for Celtics discourse for the off season, which thankfully, because
22:32we wouldn't have had, because they are bringing back essentially the whole team and you can
22:37only talk about how can this team run it back so many times.
22:40But yeah, I mean it's, it's the biggest story in my opinion, as much as you know, you might
22:46be sick of it and everyone might be sick of it.
22:48It really is the biggest story of the season for the Celtics because this team goes as
22:53they go and they're the ones that set the tone.
22:56And if you remember last year when they got the top six together before the season was
23:01Jason Tatum that called that meeting together and said that we have to sacrifice and really
23:06said everyone has to be willing to come off the bench, even himself, obviously that was
23:09never going to happen, but he said it and he made sure that everyone was on the same
23:13page and it was Jason and Jalen that really set the tone by letting themselves kind of
23:20work as facilitators, keep evolving as playmakers, be willing to defer to find open teammates.
23:26And they did a good job with that.
23:27And the rest of the team followed and you saw Derek White talks about it multiple times
23:31throughout the season.
23:32So to drew holiday, just those guys willing to sacrifice it's if they're willing to do
23:36it, everyone's willing to do it.
23:37And so they set the tone and now it's, are you willing to do that again?
23:41Or are you going to be like, all right, I want a championship by sacrificing and it's
23:44clearly not good enough.
23:46In Jalen's case, he wasn't even considered for the team and Jason's, he was a healthy
23:50scratch twice.
23:51So are they willing to do that again?
23:53Or are they going to be like, you know what effort I'm going to do it my way.
23:56I'm going to try to run up the numbers and you know, that's easier said than done.
24:00And I thought Jason did a great job in the NBA finals, willing to defer and willing to
24:04impact the game in other ways.
24:06Because you know, everyone can talk about his Jason Tate in the face of the league and
24:10Luka Donch, it's a guy who he's like kind of competing with to be the face of the league
24:13is on the other side, but Jason didn't try to outscore him.
24:16He just tried to win the game and whether that was using the gravity he has from them
24:21throwing three at them to make the throwing three at him rather to make the right decision
24:25and make the right pass.
24:26He did it.
24:27So can they do that again?
24:29Or are they going to get caught up in, listen, I did that and it didn't work.
24:33Now it's time for me to show what I'm really capable of.
24:36But at the end, it's really not about numbers for these guys.
24:39The only numbers that will matter is how many rings they end up with.
24:42Yeah.
24:43I mean, so long as they keep that in the front of their view, I think that that will maintain,
24:49I mean, yeah, we don't need to re-litigate the finals, but LeBron's first finals, he
24:54tried to shoot his way out of a slump and they didn't win, or his second finals, I guess
24:58his first heat finals.
24:59Tatum was getting like triple teamed.
25:02He had a career high in postseason assists and his team cruised to a title, imagine that.
25:09I guess where I'm at with the chip on your shoulder is like, I wish Jason would give
25:12you a little bit more.
25:13I guess it sounds like he did here at media day.
25:17He's given otherwise like outrageously diplomatic answers.
25:21Right.
25:22Jalen, I appreciate his honesty.
25:25I think like tweeting at Grant Hill was like maybe a little much, but his mom got mad at
25:30him.
25:31We think, remember he said at the ESPYs, his mom was mad at him right after that whole
25:34saga.
25:35Man, I mean, they both had such interesting summers.
25:38They were everywhere.
25:39You know what's funny though?
25:40Like for a team that bringing back, if you include two ways, 15 of the 17 that just won
25:44a championship, they had the most eventful summer.
25:48Like obviously the biggest news in all the NBA, the soft season was the sale of the Celtics.
25:53And then you have the Olympics like for a team that's coming off the championship, it
25:57has been such a dramatic summer.
25:59Yeah.
26:00I mean, we're so lucky.
26:01I was thinking about this, uh, my drive to work today that like if you cover a team that
26:05doesn't make the playoffs and you got it, you got to make content starting in April
26:10through October and to cover the Celtics, first of all, you usually making content at
26:15least into May this year, well into June, but like we really didn't strain for first
26:21stories and things that I'll look at and talk, I mean a little bit, but anyways, um, yeah,
26:28I mean, so, so that's the thing.
26:29We still have a month.
26:30Let's not get ahead of ourselves.
26:31I, I don't think you're going to Abu Dhabi, you're going to Abu Dhabi.
26:35I'm not.
26:36I totally wish I could though.
26:37Like that'd be so sick.
26:38It's one of those, uh, I'd be, I'd be so fat.
26:41Yeah.
26:42I said last week on the pod, I've been to Dubai, which is obviously not the same place,
26:46but pretty similar and, um, fascinating, but not, not in the budget.
26:50I don't have the postseason run saving up for the postseason, um, saving up for all
26:56star, you know?
26:57Okay.
26:58So, uh, well let's quickly put a wrap on Jalen.
27:02So Jalen got to ask the Olympics question first and he said, yeah, yeah, I have a chip
27:06on my shoulder.
27:07Anything else from Jalen?
27:08I just noticed how chipper he was.
27:10Yeah.
27:11I think I said it earlier, just the pressure of winning was kind of weighing on him and
27:16it kind of helped him stay motivated, but he walked up to the podium with a smile today
27:19and really maintain that smile the whole entire time.
27:21So I really liked how chipper he was.
27:23You saw, cause obviously we see different sides of these guys like you alluded to.
27:27And to see that version of Jalen smiling at the podium, like that was really cool to see.
27:32And you can see that, you know, he's, he's really seems confident.
27:36Another thing that really stuck out to me is that he said he's been working on everything
27:39and you know, he noted that he says it every year, but he feels the best he's ever felt.
27:43So this is a guy that's improved every year he's been in the league and I really don't
27:47expect anything different this year.
27:49Yeah.
27:50There's 27 and 26.
27:51I mean, they could, they could get better and they could get like radically better.
27:56Right.
27:57Oh, on the sneaker front.
27:59So the Tatum threes are coming out October 10th.
28:03There is a event at concepts and back bay for a special edition available October 5th.
28:11I've got more information on that.
28:12Just, I don't know, reach out or something.
28:15Jalen has new shoes.
28:16Did he, was he wearing the new shoes?
28:18He just said he had a sneaker announcement later today.
28:22Later today.
28:23Oh crap.
28:24So should we call him?
28:25Yeah.
28:26Right.
28:27So he famously was, I guess until 54 seconds ago, he just, nah, it's just a picture.
28:33We're good.
28:36He was a sneaker free agent.
28:37He has been teasing these shoes.
28:41He was in Korea, I think working with a company, a Korean company that like makes products
28:47for American companies.
28:48So I'm curious to see who or what company makes his sneakers.
28:53Okay.
28:54Let's, we can move a little faster with these, but I'm curious about Derek White's teeth.
28:58Did they look okay?
29:00They did.
29:01One, this actually, one of the bigger takeaways, Derek White, three root canals on Friday.
29:07That's unrelated, unrelated to the thing that happened.
29:10I think it was because he was talking about the tooth when he brought it up.
29:14Oh, so root canal on your front teeth.
29:16Oh my gosh.
29:17I haven't had one.
29:18Have you had one?
29:19I, I have a gross story about a tooth extraction that I'll tell off air because it's too gross
29:26for the public.
29:27I've never had a root canal.
29:29I mean, root canals are just straight up painful.
29:33One day.
29:34And then he said he had one more trip to the dentist until he was all squared away.
29:38But yeah, three root canals in one day.
29:40That's, that is brutal.
29:41Geez.
29:42Okay.
29:43So his new teeth looked okay.
29:44They looked great.
29:45Perfect smile.
29:46He was happy to be back.
29:48It was funny.
29:49So look, I write about the Celtics.
29:52I'm like, please read what I write, but things get lost in translation.
29:55And the quote he had about his little kerfuffle and Colorado seemed very serious, but the
30:02way he said it was funnier.
30:06It's just Derek.
30:07He's kind of like, uh, it's unfortunate, like, you know, that's a lot.
30:12And he said, he's like, that's the last place or last thing I'd ever expect to be in.
30:15And I think it surprised everybody when you saw Derek White got an altercation or a Colorado
30:20game.
30:21And I mean, he just didn't want to talk about it.
30:23Like you could tell, like he was kind of embarrassed by it.
30:26He knows that's not really his character.
30:27I mean, this is the same guy that wears a hat all the time and says, be a good person.
30:31Like he is genuinely the nicest guy.
30:33And as you know, we've had plenty of interactions and just such a nice guy and you can tell
30:37he just didn't want to, didn't want to talk about it.
30:40Okay.
30:41Um, for Zingas, other than that injury update, what were some of his takeaways?
30:47Really the injury update was the big one.
30:50Tots just still glowing about Boston, how much he loves it here, how much he loves playing
30:55Uh, he noted that even as a, as a visiting player, he would always love coming to Boston.
30:59And then when he got here, just the reception he received from the fans and just noted like
31:04the parade and how he connected with them.
31:06So he's just so happy to be back in Boston.
31:08He absolutely loves it here, but with him, it was the biggest one was the injury and
31:12it seems to be progressing well, which is great news.
31:15Great.
31:16Yeah.
31:17Uh, I'm not even going to really take note of it until Christmas and I kind of hope it's
31:23not any sooner than that.
31:25We'll see.
31:26Uh, what about Warford?
31:27Cause he kind of stood up for, uh, Jason a little bit.
31:31Yeah.
31:32And he was one of the last ones to go.
31:33Uh, first one, everyone was thinking about whether or not he'd retire on top.
31:37He said it wasn't even a, it wasn't even a thought it was no thought in retirement.
31:42So, and he didn't put a timeline on his career.
31:45It wasn't willing to do so.
31:47So, uh, that was one number one.
31:49And then number two would just be his preparation.
31:51He said he's preparing for this season, uh, as just the same as he would any other season.
31:56And he would have liked to go another week or two, but he's ready to go and still ramping
32:00up.
32:01So, um, I think it'll be good to go with Christophe.
32:03So he's going to slide right into that starting lineup and we saw he still so productive.
32:08Like we saw it even two months ago, three months ago in the playoffs, like he was just
32:13for a 38 year old that he shouldn't be this good at basketball, but he is.
32:17Well, um, so I clipped, you had a video of him saying, I'm not going to retire.
32:21I clipped that to promote a story I did, which is about the six NBA players that are older
32:27than Al Horford.
32:30Did you read the story or can I, I didn't see it.
32:32Yeah.
32:33Quiz me.
32:34Okay.
32:35So there are six NBA players currently on rosters that are older than Al Horford.
32:39Some by as little as a month and then some, a few older.
32:42Can you name all six LeBron LeBron, the oldest player in the league will turn
32:4840 in December.
32:49Not bad.
32:50LeBron.
32:51Number one.
32:52I'm trying to think, Hmm.
32:58There's at least one obvious one that I'm missing.
33:01He's like LeBron's peer.
33:05Not Cardi, right?
33:06Not Cardi.
33:07No, he's even more of LeBron's peer.
33:11Is that obvious?
33:12And it's just going over my head.
33:13It's Chris Paul.
33:14Oh yeah.
33:15I'll read you the list.
33:18Garrett Temple is the sixth oldest.
33:20So Horford is the seventh oldest Garrett Temple is the sixth oldest.
33:23Well, he came into the league two or three years after Horford, so it doesn't feel like
33:27that.
33:28Yeah.
33:29But he's, he turns a 39 in May or for turns 39 in June.
33:35Kyle Lowry.
33:36Oh yeah.
33:37That's 38.
33:38Taj Gibson.
33:39Technically on the Charlotte Hornets.
33:42Forgot he was in the league.
33:44Either Taj Gibson loves ball or he needs the money because why would he do that?
33:49Ball's life, they say.
33:50Yeah.
33:51I mean, it could be that he'll probably get traded, so maybe he's just hanging out.
33:55Chris Paul.
33:56And then the only other player we've talked about is PJ Tucker, who technically is on
34:00the Clippers.
34:01We'll see.
34:02Also a sneakerhead.
34:03Also a sneakerhead.
34:04Yeah, probably.
34:05I mean, he's got that big closet of shoes.
34:08I don't know if you've ever seen that video yet.
34:12I don't know.
34:13They're dropping four colorways for the Tatums.
34:14We'll see.
34:15Okay.
34:16Drew consistently gives the either funniest or most boring answers.
34:24If he's in on the joke and it's deadpan, it's hilarious.
34:27If he's not, most of the time what he says is uninteresting.
34:31So how was Drew?
34:32It was pretty boring today.
34:33It was more so on the boring side.
34:34I mean, he's just like, he's just so even keeled.
34:37He's just going to tell you straight.
34:40I talked to him about the pressure that a reigning champion feels.
34:43Obviously he'd won in Milwaukee before, and he said what stood out is they lost to Boston.
34:48So he didn't really have a whole lot of input there.
34:52And obviously he'll give the team more than he gave us the podium because he's obviously
34:57been there and he knows how to handle the ebbs and flows of a season like that.
35:01And I did like this from Brad Stevens that he said that they lead the league in veteran
35:04leadership between Al and Drew.
35:07And I know Al's never won a championship until now, but he's been around the league.
35:10He's been around people that have.
35:12So I think that's a long way to yay.
35:15Five-time all-star.
35:16So I think that'll go a long way.
35:17Just having those two guys who have been around the league, have had success in the league
35:21that can kind of still, this is how it's done, right?
35:24They've been there before.
35:25So other than that from Drew, really nothing there.
35:29I mean, he was talking about the chemistry and said that Joe is probably going to have
35:32them do some crazy drills or whatever to kind of continue to build that.
35:36But other than that, he was on the boring side today.
35:38All right.
35:39That sounds about right.
35:40Any of the bench, did you get all the bench guys?
35:44Only from the bench was Cornette and Hauser.
35:46Those were the only ones.
35:47No Pritchard today.
35:48No Tillman.
35:49But Tillman was there.
35:50Tillman was there later.
35:51I saw him doing the photo shoot, but Pritchard not so much.
35:56Hauser.
35:57I wonder, Derek is having his camp.
35:59Did you see his camp got postponed to the 20th?
36:02Oh, did it postpone?
36:03I knew he was having his camp.
36:04I wonder it's because of the root canal.
36:06Oh, good point.
36:07Wait.
36:08So what was the setup?
36:09So I haven't, I haven't done media daily seven.
36:14Yeah, this is my third one in a row.
36:17My third.
36:18Was it just, you were just like sequestered in the press conference room and yeah, yeah.
36:22So you just, yeah.
36:23So they're at the, they had the podium and they just come up to you.
36:27No particular order.
36:28The one that we had was, it was going to be Brad and Joe first and then the rest just
36:32came up whenever they were done downstairs, I'd assume.
36:35So there was no particular order.
36:36They were just kind of coming through.
36:37So it was rapid fire for a little bit in the middle, but they took like a lunch break,
36:42like probably 12.
36:45And then after lunch, it was only Sam, Luke and Al that went.
36:48So just those three guys, the whole starting five was before including Christophe.
36:52So no, no Pritchard, which I thought was a little interesting, but they said they're
36:56going to make those guys available throughout the week with training camp starting tomorrow.
37:00Maybe they just staggered it.
37:01Yeah.
37:02In years past, it's been like when they used to practice in Waltham, it would just be in
37:06the gym and you could like grab guys one-on-one, they would be doing like all sorts of photo
37:12shoots and stuff.
37:13I think they've like really streamlined the process.
37:18Let's just riff for a little bit and then I'll let you go.
37:20Who was asking, like, like how were the homies?
37:23Who was asking questions?
37:24Who asked questions?
37:25Who did Joe make fun of?
37:26Like what's the gossip?
37:27Joe didn't make fun of anybody today.
37:30Walked up, just said, ask how everyone was doing.
37:32That was about it.
37:33Really.
37:34Nobody was getting made fun of today.
37:35Like nothing.
37:36Was anyone sitting in my seat?
37:37Did everyone sit in the same seats?
37:38No.
37:39Actually, I was still in my corner seat.
37:40Jack, Bobby and Noah were all in the second row there, but I'm trying to get my balding
37:46head out of Noah's camera shots.
37:48So I always sit to the right, like away from everything.
37:51If you have a camera somehow behind my head.
37:53It's so funny you said that because Gary posted a photo and my first thought was, oh,
37:58Gary's wising up to.
37:59We take photos and videos during press conferences.
38:01And then I won't say who I saw the back of someone's head and it was clear who it was.
38:06And I was like, ooh, they're kind of like, yeah, that's why I stayed far away.
38:11Actually, Gary was on the other corner of me.
38:14So he was on the far.
38:15So no, it's I stay, I stay far away, but no, it's good to see everybody.
38:20It really felt like the first day of school.
38:22Like, you know, it's crazy because it's only been, what, two months since they went.
38:27But it's so intense.
38:28Right.
38:29Like, it's so intense though.
38:30Yeah.
38:31We are DMing and chatting and texting and then we see each other for a bunch of hours
38:36and we're on the road.
38:37And I think what was for me, the whiplash was like, whether it's people in the press
38:42or people on the team, I feel like I got closer to them during the finals.
38:46I like built new relationships and then it, it ends.
38:49That's it.
38:50Poof.
38:51Yeah.
38:52Yeah.
38:53Like everybody.
38:54And it's just, you know, everyone recognizes the longer you do it.
38:56Obviously you've been doing it longer than I am.
38:58You can probably attest to this better than I can, but the longer you do it, you just
39:01obviously make more, more relationships.
39:03So you see guys and just, just that, just, you see a familiar face.
39:07So you go over and say what's going on.
39:08And there was a lot of that, a lot of reconnecting at the beginning, but I think everyone's just
39:12happened to be back.
39:13Especially guys that like people that are making content on the daily, like this whole
39:17month of September, you've just had nothing.
39:19Like you're just waiting for something.
39:21Are you doing the socks and the pads?
39:23So I was doing a lot of Patriots stuff at the beginning of the season doing throughout
39:26training camp.
39:27And then I transitioned just back to Celtics.
39:29So it's been good.
39:30I've been doing a lot of midday helping out with the midday show here at WEI, which is
39:35nice, but no.
39:37So it was good to get back and see everybody.
39:39Yeah.
39:40I can't wait.
39:41I'm going to try.
39:42I might be able to go to practice on Friday.
39:45Ooh.
39:46No promises.
39:47Yeah.
39:48Cause we have a half day.
39:49Well, so it feels like we're so close, but okay.
39:52So there's training camp this week, then they go to Abu Dhabi and they leave Monday
39:56for Abu Dhabi.
39:58Then there's like two quick post-season games, like the 12th and the 13th or something.
40:07How about that?
40:08That sucks.
40:09On Columbus day weekend.
40:10Oh, I didn't even think about that.
40:11Yeah.
40:12Oh crap.
40:13I hope I'm not going somewhere.
40:14And then it's not until the 22nd that we're back.
40:18So it, it feels like we're right there.
40:22It's like, it's like the beginning of games at the beginning of the season on the road.
40:28Yeah.
40:29I'm going to have to muster a little bit of enthusiasm for some of these regular season
40:33games given that we know it's all about the spring.
40:36Yeah.
40:37The NBA cup, baby.
40:38I, I'll tell you something off, off air.
40:42I guess I'll tell you my tooth story and the, and something else about the NBA cup.
40:48Yeah.
40:49Like what I like to do is after Thanksgiving, I'll listen to a little bit of Christmas music
40:52and then I'll like give it a week, right.
40:53I ease up and then I get back into it and I feel like that's, what's happening here
40:57is like we have a mad dash of Celtics stuff and content and excitement, and then it's
41:01going to be like a week of like, Oh, it's kind of still quiet.
41:04And then we'll get back to it.
41:06And then hopefully until mid June again, I mean, that's the goal, right?
41:10Do it all again.
41:11So mid June, I think it's kind of lost.
41:12Like I think it's more so in the national media when people talk about this, but like
41:16I was like, Oh, the media doesn't actually want the team to win.
41:19Like I would say almost all of the Celtics media wants the team to win.
41:24Right.
41:25I think everyone wants the team to succeed.
41:27And first, yeah, I guess two things.
41:29First of all, I, it's ridiculous to say that it makes you bad at your job, but second,
41:32and I don't mean to be a jerk about this, but like we have financial incentive for them.
41:36Like, Oh yeah, it's our job.
41:38Like it's, it makes our lives better and our wallets thicker to have a team to be a part
41:45of.
41:46And like, that's the more so than national, I think majority.
41:48I think a lot of the local media is pretty open that they're kind of rooting what's best
41:53for the team.
41:54Like they're going to, you have to be critical because you're not doing your job if you're
41:57not being critical of the team, but everyone, I think I get the sense that everyone wants
42:01them to win.
42:02And that's not meaning like you're not being, you're not doing your, you can do both.
42:06They can coexist where you can root for the team to win, but you can also be covering
42:10the team through a neutral lens, which I think everyone, especially at the Boston media
42:15does a good job, at least with the Celtics.
42:17I mean, I don't know how it is with the, I mean, I got a taste of the Red Sox and the
42:20Patriots, but like, I don't follow it as closely, obviously through in or through an entire
42:24season like I do with the Celtics.
42:26I get so bored on the weekend because Twitter is just football tweets and I, are you not
42:31a football guy?
42:32Not enough.
42:33I mean, look, the problem for me is few things are sweeter in the world than an autumn day
42:40in New England.
42:42And like, I'm not, I'm just not going to give up my Saturday to watch.
42:45I went to Pitt.
42:46I'm not going to watch football games, but that's the thing is I do foot pro.
42:51Like I watch college football, but I'm not going to stay inside to watch a call.
42:54Like I'll watch whatever's on at night.
42:56Obviously there's a big game like Bama, Georgia.
42:58Like I'd say to watch that.
42:59I guess what's interesting is the disconnect between how fabulous watching red zone is
43:05and then trying to follow things on Twitter.
43:07There's such a, like, I just, I don't get the same thrill out of pocket watching.
43:14Everybody does it for the NFL.
43:16Like everyone's got their NFL takes, they're just firing off because it's, I think it's
43:20a lot different.
43:21I think it's easier to connect with the NFL because it's all on one day for the most part.
43:25Like right when, like with the NBA, you just got like, you'll have what?
43:28Six games on a Tuesday.
43:29Then for whatever reason, you'll have win like three on a Wednesday.
43:33So yeah, it's a little bit different.
43:35It just re-upped my league pass and I was going to buy it, but I just like, wasn't emotionally
43:41ready to pay for it.
43:42I haven't done it yet.
43:43I'm going to wait until like the last pot.
43:44I'm not going to get it now with a month until the season.
43:47Yeah.
43:48That'd be great too.
43:49But like, I just, I just got red zone.
43:50So I'm going to wait until like, till a month until the, wait until those Twitter blue checks
43:54start kicking in and then I'll buy a league and I'll do.
43:57Yeah.
43:58All right.
43:59Well on that note, I'm like, and subscribe to this podcast to never miss an episode.
44:03Check out Turpin's work over at EEI, WEEI for the uninitiated.
44:08This episode of the Southside podcast is brought to you by PrizePix, the exclusive fantasy
44:11basketball partner of the CNS media network by game time tickets, less than tickets, lowest
44:15price guaranteed.
44:16And as we alluded to, we'll, we'll bring you content over the next few weeks because October
44:2222nd ring night is around the corner.
44:25Turpin hopefully I see on Friday, but if not, thanks for stopping by and I'll see you soon
44:30enough.
44:31Absolutely.
44:33Thanks again.
44:34And I catch y'all later.