Tag: 2008 championship team

Boston Celtics studying 2008 title squad ahead of the 2024 NBA Playoffs

Sometimes, the coaching staff, players, or executives will tip their hand and let you know a bit about what it is they have on the docket

The Boston Celtics have earned a reputation for running one of the tightest ships in the league in terms of keeping on top of rumors. And they deserve it, as most of the time, we have no idea whatever of what their team building plans might be until the news breaks via a trusted source.

But sometimes, the coaching staff, players, or executives will tip their hand and let you know a bit about what it is they have on the docket. And at a recent Celtics practice, word was shared that the team is studying the 2008 title squad ahead of the start of the 2024 NBA Playoffs.

And while we don’t know exactly what it is they are focusing on, the hosts of the CLNS Media “How Bout Them Celtics!” podcast, Jack Simone and Sam LaFrance, reflected on the process in a recent pod, and how it might help Boston in the postseason. Check it out below!

If you enjoy this pod, check out the “How Bout Them Celtics,” “First to the Floor,” and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network.

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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How does this Celtics squad stack up against other historic Boston teams?

And how hard is their path back to the finals shaping up to be?

Few teams in the NBA are in the same class of ball clubs in terms of their institutional knowledge spread throughout the organization and the media covers them of what it takes to win an NBA title as the Boston Celtics are.

But given the Celtics are tied with the Los Angeles Lakers for the most banners hung, and Boston trails only the Lakers in overall trips to the NBA finals in the history of the league. So to get a bead on what sort of team this iteration of the Celtics is compared to historical Boston champion squads, the hosts of the CLNS Media “Celtics Lab” podcast linked up with longtime Celtics beat writer Steve Bulpett of Heavy to talk it over.

We also get into the field as it stands and who we think might give Boston the most trouble in the Eastern Conference playoffs, and even touch on the NCAA Tournament a bit.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear what they had to say about this Celtics squad’s place in history, and what it means for winning Banner 18.

If you enjoy this pod, check out the “How Bout Them Celtics,” “First to the Floor,” and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network.

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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Boston Celtics hit 60-win milestone for the first time since 2008

What can we expect from the Celtics in terms of how they approach the remaining games on their schedule for the rest of the season? 

For the first time since Hall of Fame Boston Celtics big man Kevin Garnett reminded us that anything was possible after beating the Los Angeles Lakers at TD Garden to win the 2008 NBA Championship, the Celtics have won 60 games in a season.

At the same time, Boston managed to lock up the best record in the league for the 2023-24 regular season, guaranteeing home-court advantage throughout the playoffs in a building where they’ve only lost three times all season. What can we expect from the Celtics in terms of how they approach the remaining games on their schedule for the rest of the season? 

The hosts of the CLNS Media “First to the Floor” podcast, Jake Issenberg, Ben Vallis, and Wayne Spooney, weighed in on the milestone win on a recent podcast. Check it out below!

If you enjoy this pod, check out the “How Bout Them Celtics,” “First to the Floor,” and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network.

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 on Boston winning 60 games for the first time since the Celtics’ 2008 title

‘Winning 60-plus games and clinching the best record in the league, it’s a big deal,’ said Tatum postgame.

When the Boston Celtics crossed the 60-win threshold with a 135-100 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on their own home court this past Wednesday night, star Celtics forward Jayson Tatum was well aware of the gravity of the situation in his postgame walk-off interview with ESPN.

“Seven years into the NBA now, you learn to appreciate the process,” explained the St. Louis native moments after locking up the best record in the league for the 2023-24 season. “All the while, we want to hang a banner, but you can’t skip steps. Winning 60-plus games and clinching the best record in the league, it’s a big deal.”

“But, you’re going to have to win some games on the road in the playoffs to do what you want to do, so I see both sides (of whether the focus ought to solely be on winning an NBA title),” added Tatum.

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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Celtics earn 60th win, clinch best record for first time since 2008 championship team

That achievement was not lost on the Celtics, who tried their best to soak up the glory of the victory without lingering on it too long.

The Boston Celtics have won their 60th win of the NBA’s 2023-24 season, their highest total of wins for any season since their 2007-08 campaign that saw them hang Banner 17. That achievement was not lost on the Celtics, who tried their best to soak up the glory of the victory without lingering on it too long Wednesday night in their 135-100 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

“It’s very hard to do. We may never be in this position again,” said Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla to the media postgame via the AP. “We should enjoy it tonight, and when (we) wake up tomorrow — nobody cares.”

NBC Sports Boston’s Eddie House and Brian Scalabrine joined Tom Giles to talk over Boston’s impressive night, the win total and its significance, and locking up the league’s best record on a recent episode of “Celtics Postgame Live.” Check it out below!

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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Champion Celtics alumni Scot Pollard plans to advocate for organ donors after lifesaving transplant

The former Boston big man owes his life to the kindness of someone who had the foresight to become an organ donor.

Champion Boston Celtics big man Scot Pollard may be a Survivor (alum), but he has a lot of heart — literally — and wants to help pay forward the ultimate kindness that saved his own life. Now discharged from the hospital after getting life-saving heart transplant surgery to replace his own heart after it was damaged by a viral infection, Pollard hopes to leverage his platform to campaign for organ donations for others.

The former Boston big man was in intensive care waiting for a heart big enough for his nearly 7-fooot, 260 lb. body, and though things ended well for Pollard, they easily might not have. “That thing was a wreck,” the former Celtics center told the Associated Press.

“The doctors immediately knew I was much closer to death once they pulled my heart out,” he added. “I don’t think I would have made it another couple of weeks.”

“The fact that it came so quick probably saved my life. I don’t know how much longer I would have lasted,” said Pollard. “I was just declining so fast.”

“I’m going to annoy people with becoming a donor. That’s going to be a project for the rest of my life.”

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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NBA media in a civil war over former Celtics coach Doc Rivers and accountability

Was Redick right about Doc’s accountability? Or was the former NBA sharpshooter off the mark?

Fans of the Boston Celtics and the NBA more generally have found themselves divided over Doc Rivers’ job at the helm of the Milwaukee Bucks and his detractors, most notably former NBAer and current broadcaster JJ Redick. The “Old Man and the 3” podcast host took Rivers to task for supposedly shirking responsibility for his teams on social media recently.

A not-small portion of the NBA media landscape leapt to Rivers’ defense, including his son and fellow broadcaster Austin Rivers, and current Bucks guard Patrick Beverley. A back-and-forth then ensued, and the rift still seems to be in place because of the comments.

Was Redick right about Doc’s accountability? Or was the former NBA sharpshooter off the mark?

The hosts of Fox Sports Radio’s “Ben Maller Show” weighed in on a recent episode. Check it out above!

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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JJ Redick blasts former Celtics head coach Doc Rivers on accountablity

“I’ve seen the trend for years,” said Reddick.

There is an oft-repeated truism about fans of the Boston Celtics that suggests that fan base has got more mileage out of a single title (in 2008) than some clubs who have recently won several. A similar logic seems to apply to former Celtics head coach Doc Rivers, who has bounced from one shortcoming to the next while sometimes throwing his players and coworkers under the bus seemingly without pushback. At least, until now.

Former NBAer and host of the “Old Man and the 3” podcast, JJ Redick recently laid into Rivers for exactly this. It came after another bout of Rivers deflecting accountability during a rough start to his takeover of (some would call stealing) the Milwaukee Bucks’ head coaching gig from Adrian Griffin as a consultant.

“I’ve seen the trend for years,” said Reddick via Awful Announcing. “The trend is always making excuses.”

“Doc, we get it. Taking over a team in the middle of a season is hard … it’s always an excuse,” he added. “It’s always throwing your team under the bus … there’s never accountability with that guy.”

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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Celtics champion center Scot Pollard on the mend after heart transplant surgery

It was, evidently, hard to find a heart big enough for Pollard’s 6-foot-11, 260 lb. body.

Champion Boston Celtics big man Scot Pollard has undergone a successful heart transplant surgery after a viral infection damaged his heart, putting the former Celtics center’s life at grave risk before the operation. Now recovering after the ordeal of waiting in the intensive care unit for a suitable heart to be found, Pollard is expected to fully recover after a long recuperation.

It was, evidently, hard to find a heart big enough for Pollard’s 6-foot-11, 260 lb. body — and hearts are not easy to come by for transplants to begin with. Pollard is thankfully out of those particular metaphorical woods and on the mend, however, thanks to the kindness of another and the skill of his medical team.

The folks at the local WCVB Channel 5 Boston news desk put together a short segment with more details about his ordeal.

Check it out in the clip embedded above.

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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Cultivating championships in the city of Boston

When it comes to calling a city “title town,” there may be no better metropole than the city of Boston, Massachusetts to lay such a claim.

When it comes to calling a city “title town,” there may be no better metropole than the city of Boston, Massachusetts to lay such a claim. For decades, the city saw the Boston Red Sox, New England Patriots, Boston Bruins, and Boston Celtics hang banners in their respective leagues.

And while there have been plenty of long pauses for respective clubs in their pertinent sports, Boston as a whole has been among the winningest metropolises in North American sports history. In order to honor that tradition in a moment of transition for New England sports with no head coach having more than three seasons’ experience, the hosts of the WEEI “Gresh and Fauria” show looked to Boston’s past for clues about its future.

To hear what they had to say about the future of championships in the city in their estimation, check out the video embedded below!

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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