Tag: scott pollard

Scot Pollard and fellow Boston Celtics alum Kevin Garnett reportedly nearly fought on the 2008 title team

Given the personalities of both men on the Banner 17 squad, we are not surprised to hear about the kerfuffle in a recent interview.

We don’t want to think about who might win in a fight between Boston Celtics 2008 title team member Scot Pollard and Kevin Garnett. But, per Pollard, he and The Big Ticket nearly came to blows when they were teammates on the Celtics.

Given the very large personalities of both men on the Banner 17 squad, we are not too surprised to hear the Survivor alumnus tell us about the kerfuffle in a recent interview with the folks at Heavy on their “Celtics Collective” podcast. Then again, given their also-very large bodies, it’s probably for the best of the entire franchise that pitched disagreement did not turn into something worse.

To hear the full details of the narrowly avoided dust-up between Pollard and KG in the run-up to the title, take a look at the clip 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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‘We called him Bambi,’ says Scot Pollard of fellow Boston Celtics alum Paul Pierce’s time at Kansas

Pierce was especially thin in his NCAA days, it seems.

Many years before they linked up again on the Boston Celtics in pursuit of Banner 17, ex-Boston big man Scot Pollard and Hall of Fame wing Paul Pierce were teammates on the roster of the Kansas Jayhawks.

And while we think of The Truth today as a stone-cold killer with broad shoulders and an unstoppable will to get to the basket, in those days Pierce could have benefited from more muscle on his frame, according to Pollard. “We called him ‘Bambi’ because he was still so skinny, and he was all elbows and knees,” said the 2008 Celtics champion center.

Check out the clip embedded below to hear what Pollard had to share about their time together playing for Kansas long before Pierce was ever a Celtic.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/PEZvHTJBjw4

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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Former Boston Celtic Scot Pollard on how he almost passed on joining the 2008 title team

You might know him for his time on Survivor, but Pollard nearly voted himself off of the Banner 17 island.

Many of you know him more for his role on the popular “Survivor” reality show series than his contributions to the Boston Celtics‘ 2008 title team that would hang Banner 17. But Scot Pollard was part of it, even if he did not get on the court during the postseason run it took to win it.

The journeyman center actually needed a little persuading to sign with the Celtics, according to his interview with the folks over at the Heavy YouTube channel. “Boston calls and says, ‘Hey, come help us win a championship;'” related Pollard. “I said, ‘Nah, I’m good.'”

To hear the rest of Pollard’s story, take a look at the clip embedded below. Hear how the big man better known by many for his island exploits on reality TV today ended up winning a ring with the Celtics.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/7BGozMUCU9I

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

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

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

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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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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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On this day: Bill Russell, Scot Pollard born; Bob McAdoo trade

On this day in Celtics history, iconic big man Bill Russell was born, as was center Scott Pollard on a day the team traded for Bob McAdoo.

On this day in Boston Celtics history in 1934 in West Monroe, Louisiana, one of the game’s all-time greats was born: legendary Celtics Hall of Fame big man William “Bill” Fenton Russell.

Widely considered one of the greatest frontcourt players to ever play the game, Russell was renowned for his unearthly defensive skills and timing, especially rebounding and shot-blocking. To this day, he is still in second place for both total rebounds and rebounds per game in the NBA with 21,620, and along with Wilt Chamberlain, is one of two players to ever have over 50 rebounds in a game.

He’s also one of only seven players to win Olympic Gold, an NCAA championship.

2008 Celtics champ Scot Pollard reveals he is waiting for a heart donor

The revelation came via social media as the Survivor alum debunked rumors he’d been faking a medical condition.

Former Boston Celtics big man Scot Pollard is a survivor — and not just because of his stint on the popular reality television show of the same name. Not only has the 2008 champion center been dealing with a heart condition that has had him in and out of the hospital, but he has also had to put up with a bizarre conspiracy theory that he is faking the ailment.

The Kansas alum recently took to social media to draw back the curtain on his ordeal, his wife even weighing in on his condition to (hopefully) silence the doubters pushing the narrative Pollard is making it all up.

“Ever been on a heart transplant list and then have someone say you’re faking it?” he asked via Larry Brown Sports’ Darryn Albert. “It’s super weird.”

Scot Pollard on playing with Paul Pierce for the Boston Celtics and at Kansas

The former Boston big man had a host of tales to tell about his life playing alongside Pierce and other NBA and NCAA greats.

Former Boston Celtics big man Scot Pollard may be as well known for his stints on the popular reality series “Survivor” as he is for his contributions to the 2008 title team during the regular season. But Pollard recently shared some stories about both times he played with fellow Banner 17 winner Paul Pierce — once with the Celtics, but long before that as a big man for the University of Kansas Jayhawks.

Pollard also talked about his larger-than-life personality and unique hairstyles that made him a cult figure during his NBA days, and discussed in detail being on the court for the infamous “Malice at the Palace” brawl in 2004 when he was with the Pacers.

Speaking in a recent appearance on the Mercury “Rock Chalk Unplugged” NCAA-focused podcast, the iconic former Boston big man had a host of tales to tell about his life playing alongside Pierce and other NBA and NCAA greats.

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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Every Boston Celtics jersey in team history worn by ONLY one player

This is every player in Celtics history who was the only player to wear their jersey number.

The Boston Celtics have more retired jerseys than any other team in the NBA does, and given that knowledge, it might surprise you that they have plenty of jerseys only worn by one player in the entire 75-year history of the team.

Of course, a few of them are among those retired jerseys, but quite a few of them are not. As we draw near to the end of the 2023 offseason series of every jersey ever worn by a Boston Celtics player in the regular season, we would of course be remiss if we skipped out on these loners.

Let’s take a look at those most unique of Celtics jerseys throughout the years.

Nine Boston Celtics alumni changing places in re-draft of NBA’s 1997 class

Let’s take a look at which Celtics alumni landed where.

As Hoops Hype’s Frank Urbina and Raul Barrigon keep themselves busy reassessing the draft orders of the last few decades over the years, there are always a fair number of Boston Celtics alumni making moves in their re-drafts as a result.

In the H/H reassessment of the 1997 NBA draft class, a total of nine Boston alumni ended up seeing their draft stock shift with the benefit of hindsight lifting their fortunes. And while they won’t see any pay raises or anything else of that sort given the fictitious nature of such an exercise, it’s also nice to see this duo get their flowers, too.

Let’s take a look at which Celtics alumni landed where.