The Year the Boston Celtics Did Not Disappoint Fans

And why was this year different?

By Ric man at English Wikipedia

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I tip my cap to the Boston Celtics, who won the 2024 NBA championship final last night.

The cap is green, which is the Celtics' color, but this year, I don’t bleed green with envy at a lost opportunity. That would be 2023 when Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat soundly defeated the Celtics in Game 7 by a 103–84 score to send the team packing. 

So the question for any Celtics fan is, “What was different about this year?”

I am no Stephen A. Smith, a favorite sports pundit of many, but as a casual observer (well, not that casual), the reason this year is different is due to three reasons.

Reason 1: Failure taught them something

The team was carrying a monkey on its back all season long for having fallen so short of expectations. Jaylen Brown says the feeling of failure fueled him and made him work harder during the offseason. 

Brown’s words, shortly after their victory last night, said it all:

“I think we learned from all of our mistakes. All of our adversity has made us stronger, tougher. All season, you could see it. We started from the jump.”

No Celtic player wanted to revisit the pain of disappointing so many — the most important being themselves — and they put that pain to good use.

Reason 2: There is no “I” in team

With so many stars and so many egos, trying to build a culture of “we” is extraordinarily hard. It’s even harder when the media celebrates a star and then dismisses it as lacking true star quality.

This criticism was particularly levied on Jason Tatum, a disciple of Kobe Bryant, who has historically been greatest when it counted least. The Dallas Mavericks coach, Jason Kidd, was well aware of the criticism and tried to heighten Tatum’s insecurities when he called Jaylen Brown the Boston Celtics’ best player.

Kidd hoped to create tension between the stars, but it didn’t work. Instead, we heard from Tatum:

“No reaction. This is a team sport… We understand people try to drive a wedge between us.”

Reason 3: Brad Stevens built a roster that helped everyone succeed

As the former Celtics’ coach and now Celtics’ president, Stevens understood in a real way the psyche of his players. His understanding transcended athleticism and delved into their minds.

Stevens understood that Tatum carrying the load would be too heavy for how he is built. Tatum would most likely tighten up and not show his best. He re-upped Jaylen Brown with a huge contract because he knew Brown could manage the pressure and help Tatum show his best stuff.

Stevens then made a few more critical strategic moves:

• He traded for Jrue Holiday, a point guard who can do it all. He is the basketball equivalent of a Swiss army knife.

• He traded for Kristaps Porzingis, who gave the Celtics size, an excellent outside shot, and eight years of experience. His presence in Game 1 of the Dallas series set the tone.

• Stevens rounded out the bench with some great role players, including Payton Pritchard, who has a fantastic three-point shot and would be Webster's Dictionary’s definition of “hustle,” and Sam Hauser, another strong outside shooter. Stevens kept “old man” Al Horford, who is 38 and informally leads the team. Horford is often the guy speaking to the players in an animated way during timeouts. 

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I said “three reasons” because I believe in the rule of three, a writing principle that states people process information best when it is contained to three points.

However, I also believe that sometimes rules are meant to be broken, so I will break one now. It is, after all, the day after a historic championship win, and passed the Los Angeles Lakers for most NBA titles with 18.

Reason 4: Full credit needs to be given to coach Joe Mazzulla, who leads by example

In case Mazzulla’s players might forget there is no “I” in team, he reminds them. Mazulla is the youngest coach in the league and seems to have little “I” along with little charisma at the podium. 

It doesn’t matter. Mazzulla, though, brings knowledge at a detailed level, an authentic appreciation for his players, and an ability to be both a motivating and calming presence. The players respect Mazzulla, and they hear him. 

Mazzulla has a way of reminding his players that the challenge is not bigger than them. He tells them that they’ve trained all their lives for this opportunity, and they’re ready. He says:

“I think the most important thing is our process toward getting better has been the same whether we have won or lost, whether we have won big or lost big.”

Mazzulla adds, as a motivational extra:

“You get very few chances in life to be great... When you have few chances in life, you just got to take the bull by the horns and you got to just own it.”

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There are many reasons why I bleed green and root for the Celtics with heart and soul. It is not because, at night, some magical elves add something to the Boston water that turns the most callous observer into a raving fan.

There are personal lessons about why I bleed green, and it has to do with the insights I gain that help me navigate life. I am reminded that:

There is no “I” in team. When I write a strong piece on Medium, it is because there is an editor to do their job. There are fellow writers I learn from and am inspired by. Even the most solitary sport of writing has a “we’’ aspect.

We learn from our weakest moments and emerge stronger. This was true when I captained a tennis team. It’s true for every hit-and-miss in parenting and being a supportive partner, and trust me, there have been many. It’s true in writing. The cringe experience of reading a prior piece is never fun. Why did I write that, I wonder. 

I believe in comebacks, and growth, and green. Yes, green!

Thank you, Celtics, for giving us a happy ending and reminding us of the commitment and roster that it takes to help us be our best. 

Your example transcends the sport. So thank you.