Fandom from Afar
Join me as I discuss my journey as a Colorado sports fan living in Florida and my interviews with sports fans that are forced to enjoy their favorite teams from a distance.
Fandom from Afar
Celtic Pride, St. Patrick's Day and Playoff Predictions with James
As we tip off another episode, I'm joined by James, a die-hard Boston Celtics fan whose passion for the team was sparked by none other than Dee Brown. His story takes us back to the '90s, a pivotal time for both the Celtics and young fans like him. We explore the unwavering commitment of the team as they powered through rebuilding phases, all while Boston's fanbase remained as fierce as ever. Whether stationed overseas or nestled in a local pub, James's dedication to the Celtics exemplifies how distance can sometimes amplify the love for the game. We wrap our conversation around the idea of a Celtics vs. Nuggets final, keeping our eyes on the prize as we dissect the current NBA season.
Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and the formation of the Celtics' Big Three marked a transformative era not only for our beloved team but for the entire league's view on creating superstar-studded rosters. We reminisce about the intensity Garnett brought to the court, the impact of the Big Three's championship run, and the organic team-building that has brought us to today's roster, featuring talents like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Our Celtics connection goes deep, tethered to the emotional ebbs and flows of player trades, injuries, and those serendipitous draft picks that have shaped the history of this illustrious franchise.
Finally, we lace up our sneakers and make some bold predictions for the upcoming NBA playoffs. We respect the might of Joel Embiid and the 76ers, but our conversation dribbles past them to consider the likes of Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Coaching strategies, player dynamics, and the burgeoning talents of teams like the Knicks and Magic all come into play as we envision the road to a Celtics vs. Nuggets showdown. As we conclude, we're not just anticipating great basketball—we're counting on it, ready to savor every playoff moment that lies ahead.
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All right, everyone, welcome back to Fandom from afar. I have another awesome guest today who was brave enough to come on and talk some Boston Celtics with me, even after the Nuggets showed them who's the best team in the NBA. But I want to hear about that and I want to hear about his fandom growing up being a Celtics fan. So everybody welcome James.
Speaker 1:Hey, hey low blow, but yeah, so that's really nice of me to start out.
Speaker 2:Just, you don't even have a chance to fight back. It's like, oh, thanks for having me on. So I think we're going to do something a little different today, where I want to hear about your fandom and, of course, we'll play some games. But then I really want to talk about this season, because I think it's pretty obvious that the Celtics and Nuggets are the two best teams in the league, and what did we learn from their two matchups this year? And hopefully we'll get to see seven more come June in the in the finals. So we'll we'll have a whole lot to talk about today. Yeah, no kidding.
Speaker 2:So let's just start with you, though. Tell me kind of how you got started with the Celtics. Like, how did you become a fan in the boys in green and white?
Speaker 1:It was pretty cool. I was, I was probably nine or 10 years old and I grew up in Tallahassee or just out the Tallahassee, florida so, and it was right, that time, you know, and Jordan and the Bulls were just dominant and all the high flying dunkers and all that stuff was going on, and my mom's friend that she worked with was going to the Celtics Magic game and his nephew played for the Celtics and it was D Brown. Oh, nice.
Speaker 1:He ended up getting like the whole team to sign their individual cards for me that year. And then that Christmas D Brown sent me like an autographed hat and a Christmas card and so yeah, of course you're hooked at that point. Yeah, from that point on I was, I was all in. You know, unfortunately it was. It was a few years after D had done that. The same competition, no look.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah.
Speaker 1:And it was a. It was a rough year or two after that, because I mean it was just D Brown, I think Rick Fox was on the team and old old Dominique Wilkins was there.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah.
Speaker 1:But they weren't good it was. It was tough, but I was in, I was all in.
Speaker 2:Oh, remember, remember how cool that dunk contest was.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no kidding, it was. Yeah, it was that, and you know, and just the rest of the basketball and only I really already enjoyed it. I remember staying up at night I had a little black and white like 13 inch TV in my room. That was like my parents old TV that they just handed down to me and I would like put the bunny ears on and try and get the finals and stuff and watch Jordan dominate everybody.
Speaker 2:That's awesome.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Like hiding underneath the sheets, just being like I gotta watch this.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And then it just went from there. I just fell in love with basketball. I was already a big football and baseball fan, but then it was just. I fell in love then and have followed him every sense through some rough years and good years as well, but you know, it was it's. I think the Celtics are probably one of my favorite favorite teams because, like, there's never really been a time when they weren't trying, you know, like, yeah, there's always been down times, rebuild modes and stuff like that. But even when they're rebuilding like they went out and got players and we're trying to do stuff it just didn't work out a lot of times.
Speaker 2:I love. Yeah, I actually never thought about that, but I kind of like that because they look at themselves as like a prestige team in the league.
Speaker 1:And so they're.
Speaker 2:They're always thinking like, well, why would we not win a championship this year? Like they're, they're. They just think of themselves as one of those top teams, even if they don't have the talent. They're like, well, we're the Celtics. So.
Speaker 1:I mean, it's like them, the Lakers Yankees, there's a few teams that are just like always trying, so it's easy to be a fan of them. That's nice.
Speaker 2:We'll see their fans take on the arrogance as well, which is not the best. But no, you don't fall in that category.
Speaker 1:I actually like talking to you. Yeah, no, I, you know, heard all the talk of how awful the other Boston fans especially at TD Garden, and it's a tough place to play, but. I know that's kind of always my fan hood. I'm a I'm a fan of the teams that have like the worst known fans, but I don't really fall into that category easily.
Speaker 2:That's right. You break the mold.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:So growing up in Tallahassee, did you drive to either like Atlanta or Lando to see the Celtics play live ever no, I went and saw Atlanta when I was an adult.
Speaker 1:After I, on the way back from Korea, I was flying through Atlanta and I went and saw a game. And that was the first time I'd seen an NBA game. And then a couple more times, when I was stationed in like Panama City, I would go to Orlando or Atlanta and catch a game here or there, but never really. As a kid I never. No, we. I went and saw the Braves and the Rays a few times, otherwise it was just Florida or Florida State.
Speaker 2:You were just under your sheets watching on the little tiny TV.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, waiting for somebody to beat Jordan.
Speaker 2:That's right Now. You brought it up because you're stationed overseas. How tough was that to keep up with really any of your teams? Well, actually.
Speaker 1:It probably made me a bigger fan, because my the guy that I ended up becoming best friends with over there, Nate, was from Boston and was also a huge Boston fan. So nice.
Speaker 1:And it was at the beginning of internet. It was still, I think, like the one after dial up. You still had to be plugged in, but it was a little bit faster, right. So, like cable internet, I think that's what we had at the time so we could check. And occasionally they have a channel system over there for on base and stuff that like it goes and eight hours shifts and just replays every eight hours, so everybody throughout the world can watch shows or games or whatever.
Speaker 1:So we'd occasionally get a Celtics game on there or something, but most of the time it was just following over the internet or something like that. But because he was there, I think it was kind of a bigger interest for me as well. So it was nice.
Speaker 2:That's really cool Kind of a kind of a bonding thing. Yeah, Now do you remember who the main guys were at that time?
Speaker 1:That was the Pierce and Tom Walker days.
Speaker 2:Okay, I got a big, big fatty.
Speaker 1:He was kind of the like, the first like three point specialist, I think it was mostly he would launch them up out of necessity, because he couldn't run, but exactly.
Speaker 2:He only ran from the top of the three point line to the other top of the three point line. That's funny. Yeah, they, they would launch up a bunch of threes when it was not the normal thing to do.
Speaker 1:No, and they were pretty decent at it. They were never like the best team, but we would lose to like the Pistons or the Nets every year and the either the semis or the Eastern Conference finals, and like they were always there but they could never really get through. And then in Tom Walker went crazy and lost all his money and left the league and then it was just Pierce for a minute. But I remember watching that draft, whatever year that was, and they traded for Ray Allen, like right at the beginning of the draft.
Speaker 1:And I was like, oh, and then they signed Kevin Garnett too and I was like, all right, this will be fun, cause I love talk about yeah. Love going to the championship contender right away, of course. And I think everybody who was a basketball fan by then love Garnett and wanted him to get out of Minnesota, so it was really really awesome. Oh, 100% yeah.
Speaker 2:Cause he would either not make the playoffs or losing the first round every single year. But he was just so fun to watch and he was just wasting away up there. So, yeah, even even though I didn't really have a dog in the fight, it was like oh, that's awesome that Garnett's actually going to get to play for something. Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 1:And he, he was also I mean, you know the hardest player in every game that he played in. Like I love that he refused to let a shot go in If the other team shot it, like after a whistle or a foul or something. People just shoot it up and he would do everything he could to block it every time, and I always just love that, Absolutely he didn't.
Speaker 2:He didn't even want to give them that win. Like I'm surprised he didn't go over there doing warmups and trying block shots he was.
Speaker 1:he was nuts, but it was awesome.
Speaker 2:And and then. Once they got that big three together, how many years was it until they won the championship?
Speaker 1:I think the first year. They want it Either the first or the second year, but I was it really Okay, and then they won't. I was like they beat the Lakers, Then they lost to the Lakers and then I think we might have beaten again. But yeah, it was, it was fun. But then you know, I guess I was kind of the first super team.
Speaker 2:They were such a good trio that they played well together but it unfortunately, I think it changed the game. Yeah, you know, so it like some for the good, superstars trying to join up to get some for the good, but not.
Speaker 1:I don't think it's great. You know I love the Celtics now and the nugs, you know the home built teams, with just a couple of additions here and there to round it out. And you know I guess it was awesome because I really didn't have any other championships at that point. I guess Florida had won when I was young, but other than that I hadn't really had any championships or anything. So it was awesome. But then, looking back now, it's like you know, I think LeBron had a little bit to do with that too.
Speaker 2:They came together so quick yeah.
Speaker 1:But you know it's.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think the NBA kind of learned the wrong lesson from those guys, because I think Garnett Pierce and Ray Allen fit so well together. It worked, but then everyone else started just trying to get superstars together, not thinking about fit, and it's just like it doesn't always work. Just because you're three super talented guys, it has to work on like as a whole.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think, excuse me, miami, you obviously did that right after Stole Ray, away from us. But, you know it's. I don't know that they fit great together. Definitely LeBron James and Duane Wade did, but the rest of them are just kind of here and there, whatever. But that Celtics team was just so perfect because you know you had Garnett on the inside just dominating everybody and big baby in there as well, and then Rondo on the outside just yeah.
Speaker 1:Rondo, just running the floor and making passes, didn't even try to shoot, which was a good thing.
Speaker 2:Oh no, He'd have a wide open layup and still be looking the past.
Speaker 1:But he was. He was great Again. He just spit in perfectly. It was nice, like I think without maybe Kevin, garnett, rondo would have been like hard to lead a team or deal with, maybe even deal with Pierce alone. But Garnett coming in there and being like the big dog kind of made it easy and it was kind of cool.
Speaker 2:So let's say, if this year's team goes on to win the championship, would you rank this team or the like 07 team as either the best recent Celtics team or your favorite Celtics team?
Speaker 1:This would definitely be my favorite. Like I said, it's just with our own homegrown talent and stuff would mean obviously so much more. And they're you know the Celtics have always like been pretty good and had a good player, but always gone up against like the best player in the world at the time. You know, like ungodly, like always been in their conference, like it was Jordan in the 90s and then LeBron came through and he's always been in the East until now and it was just like we've always been good but just not good enough. And it's fun to see like now we have, like you know, tatum isn't the best player in the league, but he's one of the top 10 for sure, and you know and way him and Brown play together. You know I'm sad that Marcus had to go, but the team this year is so much better than last year already, so you know I'll take it.
Speaker 2:I agree I think it was sad to give up his leadership and his toughness and stuff, but having Porzingis is just unlocked the team in general I agree, so I think it's a good up.
Speaker 1:He's done just something because he's not, you know, dominant, but he just opens it up just enough for you know, brown and Tatum and himself, that it's awesome.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And then drew holiday. Defense is even better than Marcus smart, arguably. So you know, it's not like we lost a lot, it's just he was there from the beginning and I loved him.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, now before we get too far into this year's, I just want to ask about the D Brown connection to kind of get you hooked into the Celtics. Was was kind of personal to you and your, your basketball team, so did the rest of your family kind of join the ride with you, like did they become Celtics fans too, or is you you kind of doing?
Speaker 1:that. Yeah, no, my family wasn't really into sports at all Like my dad. Mom didn't watch any sports, but I was a sports nerd from day one. My mom's best friend was a huge Florida Gators fan and a big, brave span I mean excuse me Yankees fan. So when she would take, I went to dozen games with her to Florida and then several down to St Pete to watch Yankees once the rays came about and she kind of got me into sports. It was mostly Florida at the beginning. Just you know, getting the media, guides and knowing all the stats and doing all that stuff. And it was just my own thing that nobody else in my family loved. I played soccer growing up so it was a lot of fun, but yeah, now it was just me. My parents couldn't have given the crap less. I had to watch it in my bedroom because there was no way they were watching it during prime time, that's funny.
Speaker 2:No way, I'm getting on the big screen. No, lots. Even more impressive how big a sports fan you were then, because it's not like your parents were dragging you out to places you kind of had to find ways to see it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but it made it better. It's funny because you know, like I've never been a fan of really the team that I like, where I lived for the most of time. Eventually, like I lived in Philly and became a Philly's fan. Now I love the Rockies and the Nugs as well. I'm here in Denver, but you know I was in Tallahassee. I was a Florida fan, Celtics fan, I hated the Braves forever, just because everybody liked them. So it was always just fun to be different and I think that's probably because my parents just never like sports. So I was just like oh, do it my own thing.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And I didn't want to be like everybody else, whoever you want.
Speaker 2:Yeah, say, you're like the definition of what this podcast is all about. All your teams are far away, so we could do a whole James week.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean, honestly, my first sports favorite team was Manchester United, because my grandpa, my mom, is from Manchester and so I was just used to never really seeing my own team except for occasionally, and so it's just something I've been okay with. I just reading them in the paper and I was a big sports page kid. Oh yeah, it was fun.
Speaker 2:That's all we had back in the day.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so box.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's fun to have someone on my age, because I try and explain that stuff to some of the guests that are half my age and they're just like what are you talking about?
Speaker 1:I mean, I grew up in box scores, like knowing people's stats and stuff like that. That's just that's all we had. I grew up it was country town, so there wasn't a lot to do and it's just sports. That was it.
Speaker 2:And I'm right along with you. Like I would just memorize everybody's stats, Like I feel like growing up watching the Rockies, just I would know everyone's batting average every single day, because they would update with all the games. I'm just like I don't know why I need to know this, but I guess.
Speaker 1:I do, I think remember when my parents quick in the newspaper like I asked for it for my birthday or for Christmas like a subscription. Just like you keep getting this board space, yeah.
Speaker 2:How to do it. What about, besides D Brown, any like non superstar Celtics players stick out to you like that? You just really had a attachment to.
Speaker 1:Not a lot. I mean we've had so many good players that came through. You know that the year that I got D Brown's autograph, I think was like the year, maybe the year after Larry Bird retired, so I just missed out on that and like I'm seeing all the Larry highlights and stuff, but it was just, I think, a little bit too young to really remember or be able to see much of his greatness you know live, because he was like broken down by the time that really started watching Jordan and the dream team and stuff like that that was so sad because he would have to put on that giant back brace and just kind of like lay on the floor like you can't even remember that year and the dream team.
Speaker 1:He was on the team for some reason, and every game he was just laying on the floor with a heat pack around his back.
Speaker 2:Yeah, shaq should have been on that team instead of him, but oh that would have been awesome, but it was pretty cool to have Michael, larry and Magic all on that team Like just the legacy of it Honestly.
Speaker 1:Like I said, it's not a ton. I loved Paul Pierce just because he was so loyal and he's there forever. He was just our guy. He was kind of a turd. You know like I understand why most other teams fans hated him. I probably would have as well, you know, but he was my guy so I loved it. And you know, just the all the off the court stuff kind of made it even better because it was. You know, he was wasn't just a perfect guy, but he was still so good and we got stabbed it wasn't like 15 times or something and came back and played like later in the year. He was just a fun.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that was why I'd always loved Gordon Hayward over the years, like that was my guy on NBA 2K that I always like traded for oh yeah. He's just like the perfect match for my style, and so when they traded for him, I was really, really, really excited. And then he broke his, shattered his leg and it was never the same.
Speaker 2:So it was unfortunate, but and it was only like two minutes into the season.
Speaker 1:It was bad, so it was, it was like that Paul George one. It was disgusting and so early it was just. But yeah, and he was never, never the same. Like you said, he's never been so good.
Speaker 2:Yeah, he's never, I was so stoked.
Speaker 1:He's going back with Brad Stevens, so that's going to be a perfect match. And then that happened. And then Brad Stevens stepped down and everything. I was like, oh no, falling apart. But then, you know, they traded. They traded, Luckily, before that they sent everybody to the Nets for like a million picks and that's how we got Tatum and Brown. So I'll take it.
Speaker 2:I hated. How lucky that that ended up to the Celtics. Like it was amazing. It's like oh, all of our superstars are aging out and aren't good anymore. Okay, we'll just get all these amazing draft picks for it.
Speaker 1:And the Nets are like yeah, that sounds great and it's crazy not many teams other than them have like done well with that, like Oklahoma City maybe it's the only other team who's like and they probably got rid of their stars too early. But now they have more like draft options and I've ever heard of.
Speaker 2:I know it's like, oh, they have 40 picks in the next three years. It's like great, you can only have 15 people on the team.
Speaker 1:I mean they've already got two of the better young players in the league.
Speaker 2:I'm sure they'll be good for a long time, you know they're going to be able to trade for some superstars to be on stop.
Speaker 1:But the cool thing is now the Celtics are a few years in. They've got the experience and the playoffs and the finals and everything, so I mean, and they locked up both their big guys. It should be, you know, for at least a few more years. Oh yeah, they're always good with, like whoever the GM is, like it's just always great, it's nice.
Speaker 2:I agree, I think they're. They're looking good not only this year but for, like you said, at least the next three to four years, because all their guys are under contract, young and they all fit so well. Well, we'll get to them. We'll get to them, but how about? You? Want to play some?
Speaker 2:games before you get two down the rabbit hole for this year, all right. So, as always with with any of my games, I want to just get you thinking about the Celtics, maybe in a in a different way. So the games are, some of them are tough, some of them are just plain silly. So we'll, we'll see how you do. All right, first game this is called Larry or Lucky. Lucky is the name of the little leprechaun mascot and Larry is Larry Bird. So I'm I'm going to give you an interesting fact and you can tell me Larry or Lucky. All right, first fact only person in NBA history to win rookie of the year, mvp, finals MVP, all star MVP, coach of the year and executive of the year Got to be Larry Last tour.
Speaker 1:That's pretty wild.
Speaker 2:I kind of forgot about his after career stuff. He was good.
Speaker 1:Yeah, he went to Indiana for a few years and then just like was good and then wasn't good. I think he just really didn't like it.
Speaker 2:But yeah, I think he was like I'd rather be sitting at home right now.
Speaker 1:He's a country boy.
Speaker 2:All right. Next fun fact was a three time NBA champion and a three time MVP.
Speaker 1:Larry.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's Larry.
Speaker 1:See, not too hard, All right.
Speaker 2:Third fact once shot left handed in the game just because he was bored.
Speaker 1:Definitely I love that story.
Speaker 2:That is Larry.
Speaker 1:I wish I'd got to see him more, because all the stories about him are just so great.
Speaker 2:And then last fact is mascot for a cereal brand that contains contains hearts, stars, horseshoes, clovers and blue moons Lucky charms. So yeah, I guess it's hard to think of clever names when it's a leprechaun, because the Lucky Charms leprechaun is also named Lucky.
Speaker 1:I didn't know that I tried to trick you there, but that was the.
Speaker 2:Lucky Charms guy.
Speaker 1:I don't even know that.
Speaker 2:But really that game was just an excuse to name off some fun Larry bird tax because he is always great. So I think Larry's kind of being forgotten when people are talking about the greatest players ever, just because, like you said, he didn't play as long as some of the other guys and he just, I think, doesn't have some of the highlights as the other guys. But, like man, you watch some of his passes and his shooting and I just think he was so amazing.
Speaker 1:So he was just so great. And Larry I think now with a lot more of these like a former player podcast and stuff like that, like people are talking, like there's more stories coming up again about him and so people are probably watching some old YouTube videos of him and stuff, because he was I mean some of the passes. He's similar like to Yoko it's where, like it never looked great but it was always just like, well, how did he do that?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I agree, I think I think birds are great comparison for Yoko, just the way they think about the game. All right, so the Celtics are obviously kind of a representation of some, some Irish heritage there in Boston, and we are coming up just a few days away from St Patrick's Day, so my next game is I'm going to give you some famous people and you have to tell me which one is not Irish. Okay, all right, here we go. I'm going to give you four people Liam Neeson, bono, colin Farrell and Ewan McGregor.
Speaker 1:Is Liam Neeson Scottish or Welsh or something?
Speaker 2:No, oh, I'm sorry. Liam is sorry. Liam is Irish, ewan McGregor is Scottish, so you're on the right track. You were on the right track, all right. One more Conor McGregor, cs Lewis, sean Connery or Bram Stoker.
Speaker 1:I don't know who Bram Stoker is, he wrote Dracula. I will have to. I know one and three are both Irish. Go with the second one.
Speaker 2:What did?
Speaker 1:you say CS Lewis.
Speaker 2:He was also a famous author, so actually it was Sean Connery, who is also Scottish. If I could do a Sean Connery impression, I would but.
Speaker 1:I'm not going to make people hear my bad accent.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, I snuck a couple of Scottish people in there for you, all right. So now this is a little bit of a twist. I looked up the. Well, I don't know if they're the three most common, but I think they're the three most common Irish names in Boston. The three names are Fitzpatrick, murphy and Sullivan. So I would assume everybody's friends call them Fizzie, murph and Sully. So I'm going to name one of each of those names and you're going to tell me which one was associated with the Boston Celtics. All right, all right. So first one Ryan Fitzpatrick, troy Murphy or Ed Sullivan.
Speaker 1:Fitzpatrick went to Harvard.
Speaker 2:He did Not that you don't hear that every single Sunday. So you can eliminate him, since you discovered that he is a NFL quarterback.
Speaker 1:Man, it's got to be Murphy.
Speaker 2:It is Troy Murphy. He was a power forward.
Speaker 1:I think I remember back in the day. Yeah, he was kind of a bust but had a couple of good years.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Exactly, All right. Good, You're one for one there. All right, Next round of Fizzi Murph or Sully Joe Fitz I can't remember how I'm writing Joe Fitzgerald, I guess I didn't even put Fitzpatrick. Way to go. Brian Colin Murphy or Sullivan Dempsey.
Speaker 1:I feel like I've heard the name Sullivan Dempsey before. Let's go with that and it's very Irish.
Speaker 2:So, fun fact, sullivan Dempsey is actually the real name of famous actor Patrick Dempsey, famous for TV and movies I don't remember which one's right now.
Speaker 1:Yeah, lots of TV shows.
Speaker 2:But the correct answer was Joe Fitzgerald. I guess he wrote a bunch of books about the Celtics in like the 60s, 70s and 80s. There you go. All right. Last round of Fizzi, murph or Sully, we have Leo Fitzpatrick, charlie Murphy or Ben Sullivan.
Speaker 1:I wish it was Charlie Murphy, just so I could do my Dave Chappelle but Dave Sullivan.
Speaker 2:Hey, you got that right.
Speaker 1:It was.
Speaker 2:Ben Sullivan. He was a Celtics coach, I guess, back in the day, but I was surprised how few Irish names had been on the Celtics. I thought I would have like a plethora of people to choose from.
Speaker 1:And I had to throw in like all these actors and authors.
Speaker 2:Well, you did good. You can impress all your Irish friends on Sunday with your Fizzi Murph and Sully knowledge.
Speaker 1:My grandmother's last name is Fitzgerald.
Speaker 2:Oh nice. So if I ever meet her, will she let me call?
Speaker 1:her Fizzi. She's dead, but probably you can call me that.
Speaker 2:Oh, okay, then All right. Last game you and I both have something in common that we've been in the food industry for many, many years. So I just want you to get your brain working here and we are going to partner up either former or current Celtics players with some food items. All right, so there's no wrong answers here, just first player that comes to your mind when I say a certain food item and you can give me an explanation about why that is, or it could just be totally random, so I'm happy to accept either answer. All right. So this game is called Hungry for a Championship. Here we go. First food item Hamburger and fries.
Speaker 1:Um Rojan Rondo, Just there every day. It's dependable. Don't expect much out of it, but it's always exactly what you need.
Speaker 2:I like it. That is a perfect answer. I love it. Next one A cold pint of beer.
Speaker 1:Um, I would have to say probably. Hmm, I mean it has to be Larry, right, just the guy who's a cold beer. That's all he is, yeah. And I would say I think Larry likes himself cold beer as well. He liked him as much as that's perfect he should be, one.
Speaker 2:Yeah, nice, all right. Next one A seafood platter.
Speaker 1:Probably um say Tatum, just uh, nice, expensive, but all around good, covers a lot, you know.
Speaker 2:Perfect, I like that, all right. Next one is not necessarily a food item, but more. Uh. When food goes bad we'll say hot garbage, I mean there's so many. Who's your least favorite Celtic of all?
Speaker 1:time, kyrie Irving. Yeah, oh yeah.
Speaker 2:He was not so much interested in helping the team. That was right when he was losing his mind and everything.
Speaker 1:It was just weird and he didn't ever really seem like he liked it there, never really tried much and never fit in and just I'm not a fan.
Speaker 2:I think that's another perfect answer. All right. And last one I want a duo with this one, because they go so well together Chocolate, cake and milk.
Speaker 1:Um, let's see, I would say probably. Hmm, I mean it's, I'll go with coordinate and Ray Allen, because those two together what Made me a champion?
Speaker 2:Exactly, they can get you a championship. That's a pretty good duo. Yeah, I love it.
Speaker 1:I will give you all the points you I was waiting for you to bring up like oyster or something.
Speaker 2:We, we've been dancing around it the whole episode.
Speaker 1:Just so I could say Sam Cassell. I said I was waiting to say oyster or something weird. Just so I could bring up Sam Cassell and how weird looking he was, but you got it in there that's bonus points for you.
Speaker 2:Right there I Was gonna say we we've been dancing around it, so it's time we need to talk about this year. So I'm assuming you saw both the games against the Nuggets. What do you think the Nuggets did that pretty much no other team has been able to do and be able to beat you guys this year.
Speaker 1:I mean, have Kolya Kitch is a nice thing, but you know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's I mean honestly, they just they played very, very similar games. Celtics depend a lot on the three and the. There's an, I mean, other than the Celtics. There might not be a better team at Switching, defensively and like supporting each other than Nuggets, and I think they just put pressure on them, didn't give them any easy open shots and made it difficult. I mean, they didn't really, you know, blow them out either game. This last game was it super close, but subjects came back a little bit towards the end and you know, I think that's the thing about having a team that's super dependent on the threes. You know you're gonna lose some, some nail biters and it's gonna break your heart, but you can also win by fifty, three times in a year.
Speaker 2:You know exactly like it's such high variance, you guys just destroy people when you're hitting threes and both games against the Nuggets. That we might have just got lucky or it was a little bit of good defense, but it it was interesting to see just kind of how both teams reacted when they couldn't hit outside shots and it was just like a rock fight inside. So I think it'd be such a fun finals matchup if it happens. It would be, I think, just really entertaining because, like you said, the depth of the Celtics with high-end talent is just nuts.
Speaker 2:There's so many teams that would kill to have Derek White or Poor Zingas and they're like the.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's what I think the difference between the Celtics and, honestly, the Nuggets in most other teams is they have just the perfect guys in support. You know, derek White, true holiday, and Sam Hauser and Peyton Pritchard, like just they can come in and hit shots and they all play defense, they all know the role. Nobody's trying to become a starter over anybody else, like they just come in, they do what they're supposed to do and you know they've only lost three games all in this year. All the Western Conference teams, of course, but yeah, you know, and they're just a great deep team and I think they have a lot to prove. They have a chip on their shoulder. But you know, I just I'm nervous. Tatum Is just so hit or miss, I think. Honestly, jalen Brown and this year has been more consistent and, you know, dependable, but like Tatum, I think, puts a lot of pressure on himself and Especially both games against the Nugs, I don't think he really played that well and you know, I think it's just oh, no tape, yeah, but Brown just and again tonight.
Speaker 1:Like Tatum scored quite a bit tonight, but Brown was just, like he's always there and I feel like he plays with a second squad a lot more to him Brown does. So it's like I know more important Points, you know, and and he plays defense really hard. So I'm really starting. I was nervous with the big deal they gave him, but I'm really falling in love with Jalen Brown a lot. He's. He's a good player. He plays his butt off, try. He cares a lot, you know, but Doesn't really talk too much.
Speaker 2:Hey you can do talking on the court. That's all that matters. Is there? How did those guys get along? Like, do you think there's any I Guess, resentment? Like do do they kind of know the pecking order? Like, do you think they both look at Tatum as the guys, the or the team's leader, basically?
Speaker 1:I think so. I think they have to. It was a couple years ago when, you know, for some two or three years they were, until they gave him that extension every year or every trade Deadline or whatever they were talking about. What are you gonna trade Brown? Or who they're gonna get for Brown and this, that whatever. And you know they just weren't a great match together and they both need the ball and this net. But then, like right before that, they gave him the big deal extension.
Speaker 1:He, like they've just been playing really well and like, I think, you know, like Brad Stevens or somebody must have sat him down and said listen, like you're amazing, you're a very important part of our team, but this is Jason's team. We've Made it up, that's what it is. We're building around him and you, but you know we're gonna depend on you a lot for other things. But I think, thank you, I think everybody's just, you know, accepts it and that doesn't mean that he's not gonna outscore him any given night, you know Whatever. But I think he doesn't really, and I don't think Jason Tatum, you know, like doesn't pass him the ball or anything either for being such a like a Kobe fanatic. He, you know, plays a little bit like Kobe, but he passes the ball. So it's like when they beat the last game they won, you know, by 50 something. I Was looking at the box score and Mike, nobody had over 30 points and it was just like, how do you score that many points?
Speaker 1:Yeah, but everybody 12 or 15 points and Jason and Brown both had like 27 or 28 presenting it's like 24 or something, you know just like.
Speaker 2:if nobody really Like over thinks it, then everybody can get their stuff and we can win a bunch of games and I think those games when you guys are on fire wild, because it just, it just spreads and like everybody's just making those Absolute perfect pass to the wide open guy and of course that guy's hitting it like once, once the Celtics get rolling, they're.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I think they take maybe a little bit different of a route than the the nugs do, because I think, honestly, even though the nuggets just now became number one city good, I Think it wasn't really arguable most of the season that they were the best team of the West, if everybody's healthy, everything, and. But you know they just they come out a little bit slower. They rest their players, they know, you know they've done this before there they and then they build it up into the postseason and they're on fire at the right time. Where's the Celtics? Like? I think they just finished that game and they said their magic number is seven now, so they're already about to clinch the playoffs.
Speaker 2:I was gonna say it. I think you guys are gonna have an end of the season kind of like the nuggets did last year where they had Everything cinched up so early that they're just gonna be like messing around and just basically trying not to get hurt. So they may lose to some teams that I have no businesses into, but it really doesn't matter because they're so far out in front of seven right games, and I've had a second in the east, like so.
Speaker 1:Yeah it's nice and that'll be good, you know, because health is. That's all it matters in the playoffs.
Speaker 2:So oh yeah, I was thinking this has been now. Is there anyone in the east that Scares you if?
Speaker 1:you guys are fully healthy. Those young teams are like the are just always so scary. But you know Cleveland's been just so streaky and you know Donovan Mitchell is going and they've got enough other Decent players around them that I think they could be scary. And then you know playoff Jimmy is just Playoff Jimmy, so you know he's beaten us a couple times. So Until we beat him, I'll always be nervous about that.
Speaker 2:And apparently Caleb Martin is Michael Jordan whenever he plays against you guys was unbelievable, like 19 points in the fourth quarter or something like. It was wild, but I don't know what about if Embiid comes back. Are you scared of Philly at all, or do you think there's no way he'll be? In shape or what he should be by that time.
Speaker 1:Philly's never really scared me. I mean, embiid is amazing and he's, you know, or one of the top two players. Him and a beat, in my opinion, are, like, I think, pretty far above everybody else and they're just two most dominant players when they're both healthy. But you know, I mean they have maxi now, but outside of that, like I just don't see him hanging with us for seven games. I mean they'll get a couple games probably just because he'll score 40 or 50 points in a game or whatever, but It'll be, you know he'll do that and then we'll beat him by 20 the next game or something. That's usually how it goes. So no, yeah what about?
Speaker 1:you have to write like dame time and and Yannis is there's always scary, I mean honest is probably the scariest player in the league like he's just. He's really just strong and so good and just understands.
Speaker 2:No, it doesn't seem human.
Speaker 1:and then you know, if it's close game, then they have probably the Best clutch shooter in the game right now, Damian Lillard. So, but again, you know, they have them Portis. They added Pat Bev, but you know, outside of that I think they just don't have the depth to hang with our, like, our second line, or whatever.
Speaker 2:And plus I don't think Dane can stop anyone in your starting five, Like whoever he's guarding should score most of the time. Like just whoever he's guarding.
Speaker 1:You got to pick them and we put Drew Holiday on him on the defensive side and then you know, try and switch, like Tatum and Brown on him as much as, or even Porzingis, because that's what they do a lot of pick and roll and switch as well. So you know, just yeah, you can, you can expose that for sure, and I think they a lot of teams in the playoffs in the past have. That's why he's never won anything with Portland. But I and I don't trust Doc Rivers. He's, you know, outside of that big three with us. He's just showed that he's not really like a winning coach. He's good at like, I think, bringing people together and like getting it started, maybe, and like building a team, but I don't think he like I don't know if it's Texas and O's or the way he talks to people or what the actual reason is, but he just doesn't seem like he can do it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's. There's a reason why he's won the most three. One leads in basketball.
Speaker 1:I mean he did that with the Celtics, you know.
Speaker 2:So you knew who I think is the oh yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:That was probably one of his first ones. You know, I think is the toughest matchup for you. If they're healthy.
Speaker 1:Is it Nick's or I'm? It's weird because I I hate the next. Or, like one of our biggest rivals, nick's in the nets.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:I really hate. And the pistons just from back in the day with Prince and all those guys, chauncey and those guys, but uh, like the Nix I, it's just not right when they're not good. I feel so like it's cool to see them like, finally, cause they've been, they've drafted so many players that you thought were going to be great, you know, and they just never have. They just can't put it together. You know it's like the opposite of the Celtics, but you know they made some good trades this year. They have a lot of. Brunson is one of the coolest stories in the NBA, like you know. It's several years with San Antonio and never really getting a shot, and now they just ball and and I mean I think he's legit too.
Speaker 2:It's kind of funny how it worked out. All those Villanova guys like they've. They've all come together Right when they're all kind of peaking them and they add OG to it. So I just think they're so interesting cause they actually have the defenders to hang with you guys. And then Brunston he can go off for 50 hit at any time, even though he's just yeah, exactly, like I don't know how he does it.
Speaker 1:I don't think they've got enough yet. Probably in the next couple of years it'll be, I think, the Knicks and the Celtics at the top of the league. Is, I mean, honest? And if Orlando can either get a coach or get their stuff, they just gave their coach an extension. But if they can like one more player or something, I don't know what it is, Cause they just have so many like really good young players, I think that they'll be good in the next couple of years, but just not yet.
Speaker 2:I think they need. They need a guard that can shoot, but like them.
Speaker 1:them and the Knicks, I think will be good the next few years. I just don't think it's ready yet, Honestly, I mean anybody would scare me is the nuggets. And, honestly, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma City was scary. I think they're in the West, luckily, but like I don't know, all it needs is a run. They have all the players to do it. So I don't think they're old enough yet, but they could beat you in a series.
Speaker 2:I think the only thing stopping OKC is their age, because they just haven't played enough playoff basketball yet. It's going to be new to them this year, so they may win the round or two, but I think it's eventually going to catch? Up to them with just the level it takes and how much it jumps up, it's way to catch them and stuff.
Speaker 1:Like you know, they come back down to earth a little bit. Some players are probably hitting a wall a little bit whatever. But, they're a fun team to watch. Shea is awesome, so I think we would both maybe predict Nugget Celtics in the finals.
Speaker 2:What would be your prediction as far as winner? I can't imagine honestly like it not being the Nuggets and Celtics, and I don't know. I mean it would be. It has to be a seven game series.
Speaker 1:I think like it's both the very games have been close to the end of the season. I mean I think it's a good thing. I mean I think it's a good thing. I mean I think it's a good thing. I mean I think it's a good thing. I think, like just both the games have been close enough and you know, I think it just whoever's hotter. You know, nuggets come in like they did last year, hard, like only losing a couple of games here and here, and you know, just rolling, like they're kind of doing right now, like you know, it might be six games to them, but I think if the Celtics come in and Jason Tatum doesn't try and carry the team all by himself, and they're hard to beat, you know.
Speaker 2:I was kind of thinking along the same lines, Like my prediction would have been Nuggets in six, but the two games of the Celtics one I would guess they would win each of them by like 30 points. A bunch of three, because I just think, yeah, they'll have those games or they're just like unstoppable. So and then the Nuggets will win a couple of close games and that'll kind of swing at the series.
Speaker 1:But I just think it'd be such a fun match up. I hope we get all on Tatum. Honestly, the rest of the team, I'm not worried about it all. I think they all have their spots. I think it's just Tatum hits his shots and doesn't try and do too much. Then it's it's hard to stop them, but you know nobody. Nobody can stop Yokey.
Speaker 2:So let's say this, let's say if Well, I was going to say he's kind of a secret weapon. That is just unstoppable. But let's say this if they do end up matching up in the finals, we'll do a little part two of this episode and get to actually talk some, some X's and O's with some details to it, but I just so hope it happens. It'd be so good for basketball, I think, to see two teams like that match up.
Speaker 1:I just I don't want to see I don't you know I hate saying it, but like a crappy team, like the heat from last year. Like go to the finals and see what happens Last year. Like go to the finals again. Like I know they beat us but it just never seemed like they shut up.
Speaker 2:It was just like I know it's hard to say because they did they did enough to get there.
Speaker 1:They weren't a good team and like we were such a good team, but I don't know. We'll see. That's why they play the game right.
Speaker 2:Exactly. Yeah, well, cool man, this has been fun, I think. I think we did it.
Speaker 1:I appreciate you having me on.
Speaker 2:So I'll I'll be obviously texting you and as we get closer to the playoffs, but I think we're both in for a treat just because I think both both sides of the bracket are pretty deep.
Speaker 1:So hopefully we get some exciting basketball, but our teams will move on, so I think we just go ahead and write it in. Thank you, buddy, I appreciate it. All right, man, I appreciate it.
