Audio/Video – Page 155 – Syndication Server

Blake Griffin tells the tale of the night he barricaded DeAndre Jordan in his own house

The epic tale turned out to be a bit different than we saw on social media.

At the dawn of the NBA making a community for itself on social media sites such as Twitter, one story stands out in league lore.

We are, of course, talking about the drama surrounding where big man DeAndre Jordan would sign. At one point, Jordan appeared barricaded online with former Boston Celtic Paul Pierce and future Celtic Blake Griffin. The epic tale turned out a bit different than we saw on social media.

Griffin recently sat down to tell the tale to the hosts of the team podcast “The View from the Rafters.”

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear what he had to say about that fateful night.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Is Joe Mazzulla struggling to coach the Boston Celtics?

The attention being paid to his use (or lack of) timeouts has dominated such criticism, but his tactical mistakes, rotations, and use of certain players has drawn the ire of fans and analysts both.

Is Joe Mazzulla struggling to coach the Boston Celtics?

His overall body of work indicates he is the man for the job, and was the reason the Celtics promoted him from his previous interim status. However, recent stumbles have had some high-profile analysts questioning Mazzulla’s coaching chops.

The attention being paid to his use (or lack of) timeouts has dominated such criticism, but his tactical mistakes, rotations, and use of certain players has drawn the ire of fans and analysts both. Is the West Virginia alumnus learning too much of the finer details of his job on the fly?

The eponymous host of the “Bill Simmons Podcast” linked up with The Ringer’s Ryen Russillo to talk it over.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear what they had to say about Mazzulla’s coaching of late.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Is load management necessary in today’s NBA, or is it being abused?

With fans spending more on ticket prices than ever before and the topic of load management as divisive as ever, is it a needed part of a long season or a problem that has to get solved?

It is not the same league as it was when players often played close to all 48 minutes of a game throughout the 82-game schedule as Bill Russell once did for the Boston Celtics.

Today’s NBA players are often sitting games they WANT to play in because sports science suggests they will be the better off having the night off.

On the other side of the coin, players seem to be missing large chunks of time to serious injuries more than ever. How best to balance the two poles of the phenomenon known in today’s league as “load management?”

With fans spending more on ticket prices than ever before and the topic of load management as divisive as ever, is it a needed part of a long season or a problem that has to get solved?

Stephen A. Smith and JJ Redick debated this on an episode of “First Take” not too long ago. Take a look at the clip embedded above to see what they had to say about load management in today’s league.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Larry Bird praised Bill Walton’s passing on his trade to the Boston Celtics

Bird also reportedly patterned his passing on Walton’s.

Hall of Fame Boston Celtics forward Larry Bird made a name for himself as one of the better non-guard players in the NBA almost as soon as he got to the league. But it is less well known who the Hick From French Lick modeled his game after.

Per the Los Angeles Times’ Frederick Waterman, Bird shared Bill Walton was a player he patterned his passing game on.

“We just have to make sure we rest this guy, that we keep him from getting injured,” said Larry Legend on learning Walton was on his way to the Celtics via trade in 1986.

“If we keep him healthy we can win a championship a lot easier than we could without him,” Bird added. “He’s the best passer I’ve ever seen in my life.”

Celtics alum Dominique Wilkins became the latest such elder stateman of the Association to challenge Redick’s characterization of the Hick From French Lick. https://t.co/JKVyqBzmnz

— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) March 5, 2023

With the benefit of hindsight, we know Walton stayed mostly healthy, the Celtics won a title and Bird became the first person to win three consecutive Most Valuable Player awards.

Not a bad result for a player some worried might already have played the last high-level basketball of his career before he even arrived in Boston — or for his new teammates.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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What it is like to scout at the NBA level for the Boston Celtics?

How did the pandemic impact identifying high-level talent, and what is the value of scouting in person? Do movies like the Netflix basketball film “Hustle” get the job right in how they portray it?

What it is like to scout at the NBA level for the Boston Celtics?

How did the pandemic affect identifying high-level talent, and what is the value of scouting in person? Do movies such as the Netflix basketball film “Hustle” portray the job accurately? And just how far in the field can scouting international prospects take you in this line of work?

Three scouts for the Celtics sat down to talk about their own experience and provided the answers to these questions and more in the video you see embedded below.

Take a look at the clip to hear what Austin Ainge, Ashley Battle and Benas Matkevicius — all scouts for Boston — have to say about their job working for the Celtics identifying the next generations of stars for the storied franchise.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Joe Mazzulla once passed on a job assistant coaching with the Boston Celtics to keep his word to a recruit

Mazzulla passed on a chance to assistant coach for the team he now helms in order to keep his word to a recruit at Fairmont State.

Most of us have heard the story of a college recruit electing to attend a particular university in order to play for a head coach on the rise only to see that coach’s rise take him to a new school even before that recruit shows up on campus to start his college career.

But when it comes to Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla, the opposite scenario played out. Mazzulla passed on a chance to be an assistant coach for the team he now helms to keep his word to a recruit at Fairmont State, the school where the now Celtics coach cut his teeth.

The national media caught wind of that extraordinary feat of loyalty, with it even making it to an episode of ESPN’s “NBA Countdown.”

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear senior ESPN analyst Adrian Wojnarowski recounting the tale of Mazzulla staying at Fairmont State to keep his word.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Do NBA referees know when they blow a call?

Fans of the Boston Celtics aren’t the only ones who have their doubts about the profession, but what do refs have to say about it?

We have all been there: A blatantly obvious call to everyone but the referee who made it gets called, and the audience, coach and players melt down in response. At times, technical fouls follow soon after, piling on the damage that can make a bad call even worse, sometimes even shifting the entire momentum of the game.

And while it might seem to some Boston Celtics fans that it happens more often to their favorite team than others, blown calls are part of the landscape of the league, as LeBron James was quite vocal about drawing attention to in his last meeting with Boston as a Los Angeles Laker.

But do referees know when they make a bad call? Or do they need the benefit of replay and the crowd reaction to realize the errors they have made?

The hosts of the Athletic “Hoops Adjacent” podcast sat down with retired NBA referee Bob Delant to talk it over.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear it from the official’s point of view.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Among frontcourt greats in the NBA, Celtics’ Bill Russell cast a long shadow

And when those peers honored him with a lifetime achievement award, he couldn’t resist making a joke.

In 2017, during the first annual NBA awards show, the league honored Hall of Fame Boston Celtics big man Bill Russell with a lifetime achievement award. It was presented by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Alonzo Mourning, Shaquille O’Neal, David Robinson and Dikembe Mutombo — all big man legends in their own right. His friend and mentee Abdul-Jabbar spoke on Russell’s legacy.

“Combining a point guard’s quickness with a big man’s size, Bill’s talents refined this sport,” said the Los Angeles Laker legend via NBA on TNT (h/t Sportscasting’s Tim van Straten). “He showed how basketball could be won on the defensive end of the court; using his mind, as well as his body, to outthink and outsmart opponents.”

“Whether it’s his lifetime commitment to civil rights, or his role as founder of MENTOR, a national youth mentoring organization, Bill’s legacy is as profound as it is thrilling,” he added.

Just ahead of Collin Sexton, and just before Gary Trent, Jr., this number might seem a bit low given what Timelord can do when healthy. https://t.co/gcaJlUO8Dk

— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) March 5, 2023

Russell’s response revolving around an obscene hand gesture followed by an assurance he would kick their (expletive) was legendary.

“Thank you, you have no idea how much respect I have for you guys,” Russell continued. “Because you did it in your own time, in your own way, and I appreciate that. And it made me proud to have played this same game as you guys.”

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Jayson Tatum is making an impact for the Boston Celtics this season even in ‘bad’ games

As the Duke alum increasingly internalizes such winning habits, let’s not lose sight of the elite player he has become.

Star Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum has had his share of bad games this season. Unlike some of his poor showings in previous seasons, he has found ways to affect the game positively on nights when his shot is as cold as Antarctica’s summer.

While fans will justly point to the misses as a sign of his struggles, it should not be missed that the St. Louis native has left behind the nights full of bad body language, sulking, and complaining to the refs to the point where it takes him out of plays. And his critics will rightfully counter that Tatum could be getting to the free throw line more on those nights.

As the former Duke standout increasingly internalizes such winning habits, let’s not lose sight of the elite player he has become.

Such was the point in a recent conversation between veteran Boston broadcaster Sean Grande and the hosts of the CLNS Media “Celtics Beat” podcast.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear what they had to say about Tatum’s growth as a player.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Seniors hit the court with Celtics’ Derrick White

“You can be a kid, you can be older, you can be my age, you can always learn something,” said White.

Boston Celtics veteran guard Derrick White recently participated in an event to get local Roxbury seniors playing basketball for fun and exercise. The Colorado native showed off his roundball abilities to get the crowd engaged according to recent reporting from WCVB Channel 5 Boston’s Bob Halloran.

Said White at the event “that’s the thing about basketball. You can be a kid, you can be older, you can be my age, you can always learn something.” White, whose star has been rising this season with his best campaign yet as a Celtic unfolding, took an afternoon to give back to the community event.

One attendee voiced some concern over Boston’s recent play, but White reassured the camera that he didn’t think the concern was warranted.

“I think we’re going to be alright. We’re going to bond together, a close-knit group,” he added. “We’re going to have to stick with it and keep getting better.”

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear the rest of what White had to say.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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