Over the past season and a quarter, the Boston Celtics have won 101 of 128 possible games. Their point-differential was historically good en route to Banner 18 and they’ve set a similar pace for themselves to begin their climb to #19.
Any time a team wins as much as the Cs do, there will be plenty of room for celebration.
Fans have watched Jayson Tatum blow kisses, Derrick White search his pockets for threes, Jaylen Brown buckle up, and plenty more as Boston has risen to the top of the NBA. But who does it best? Which player’s celebrations are must-see television (or streaming, it is 2024 after all)?
Let’s break it down.
Honorable Mention: Al Horford – The Timeout
Alright, so, if this celebration wasn’t dead, it would probably be my number one pick, ranking, whatever we want to call it.
Al Horford’s timeout celebration was one of the most creative yet simple ways I’ve seen a player trash talk another team — even though Horford wouldn’t say it’s trash talk.
“It brings me a lot of joy, it brings me happiness,” he told NBC Sports Boston’s Abby Chin last spring. “It’s just something natural. I don’t really know when this came on. When I’m out there in the game, I’m obviously so focused, I’m locked in on the things that I need to do. But I obviously enjoy the process. I’m not the most demonstrative person at times, but sometimes I do stuff and the guys kind of catch on and like so I keep it going… When I’m doing all of that I’m really having fun with my guys. It’s not even really about the other team.”
Celtics fans would see the big man bust this one out after the team had poured on an avalanche type of run, forcing opposing coaches to call for a stoppage.
It went hard… until it didn’t.
Unfortunately, the celebration’s life came to an end during the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals. Horford had done the timeout motion in the first half of Boston’s Game 1 loss to the Miami Heat. It certainly doesn’t help that they lost the game, but the real nail in the coffin was Jimmy Butler’s use of it two games later when the Heat had built a 29-point lead en route to a 3-0 series lead.
There may be no greater “salt in the wound” moment than Butler’s use of the timeout making it into the NBA 2K24 video game trailer a few months later.
No matter how great the celebration was at its peak, it’s pretty tough to keep using it after it blows up in your face that bad.
5. Payton Pritchard – “That’s What I Do!”
Payton Pritchard’s “That’s what I do” celebration is the first one we’ll officially rank. Fast PP’s celly is simple, but it hits every time, mostly because you know he just did something pretty insane.
We saw this one for the first time back in the 2022 NBA Playoffs, as the former Oregon star drilled a three in the fourth quarter of a blowout Game 7 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.
He ran down the court, pointed at his chest, and let everyone know that sinking threes is what he does.
What’s a lot of fun about this celly, is that Pritchard has gotten more and more opportunities in the time since. So instead of making a shot when a game is all but over, now he’s become the designated buzzer beater man for Boston.
And man… is it ever what he does.
I think my favorite thing about this one, is that it ever so slightly reminds me of Kevin Garnett just going ballistic in street clothes, after Ray Allen hit a game winner in the 2009 NBA Playoffs.
Basically the same vibe, right???
4. Derrick White – What’s in Your Pockets?
Derrick White’s “what’s in your pockets?” move is the celebration equivalent of being the newest hit song at the top of the charts. It’s taken the Celtics community by storm and fans can’t seem to get enough.
Anytime White has sank a big three this year, he’s checked his pockets to show everyone he’s got an endless amount of threes in them.
White’s explanation of the unconvential celly is pretty simple.
“When I hit a three, you just feel it. You hit a pocket three and you look in your pocket.”
It’s one of the more random things I think I’ve seen a player do to celebrate, but everyone seems to enjoy it.
It’s too bad the NBA’s game shorts don’t actually have pockets. It’d be pretty sick to see White literally pull out his pockets after a big make.
3. Jaylen Brown – Buckle Up
Now, it’s not exclusively his, but Jaylen Brown’s “buckle up” celebration is a lot of fun. Traditionally, the seat belt motion is used to signify that you’ve got the offensive player strapped in, after playing a possession of great defense.
We’ve seen Brown use it for that purpose, but it doesn’t stop there.
As he told The Athletic’s Jared Weiss, he’ll put the seatbelt on anyone, including him or even Weiss.
“I’m putting it on people. I’m putting it on myself. I’m putting it on you if I got to. Everybody.”
Sure, it might not be entirely original, but the seat buckle celly is the most versatile on this list, so JB deserves so credit for that.
2. Jayson Tatum (h/m Jaylen Brown) – Kiss of Death
For a guy who’s been criticized for being “corny” or “having no aura,” Jayson Tatum has one of the most baller signature celebrations in the league. His “kiss of death” is well-established at this point. Celtics fans have watched the star essentially “call game” after drilling dagger shots for the last few seasons now.
Here are a few examples:
Game was tied early third. Celtics unleashed a 3-point barrage over next nine minutes and Jayson Tatum was blowing kisses by the end of it. pic.twitter.com/21cfTQJbZd
— Chris Forsberg (@ChrisForsberg_) February 25, 2024
Tatum’s kiss goodnight became popular a few seasons ago. Once it took off, Jaylen Brown joked that it was actually he who had been behind the motion.
“Jayson stole the kiss from me,” said Brown back in 2022. “He watches me work out … and then pregame when I’m getting ready for the game, he watches my workout and what I’ve got going on.”
Even so, we’ve seen Brown, as well as plenty of other Celtics blow kisses over the years.
Even Grant Williams got in on the fun during his time as a Celtic… except he wasn’t quite as cool with it as JT.
Tatum on Grant taking his kiss of death celebration:
“He was too excited, too hyped. He was jumping. I was like, ‘Grant, it’s still the 2nd qtr.’ So I pulled him aside & said, ‘You can do it, but I’m cool when I do it. I look cool. You didn’t look cool. You looked like a kid.'”
— Adam Himmelsbach (@AdamHimmelsbach) December 8, 2022
1. Whatever Luke Kornet Decides to Pull Out of His Bag That Night
There is only one king of the celebration and his name is Luke Kornet. Like, when you think of Kornet, the first thing you think of could very well be one of the ridiculous things he’s done after scoring a bucket.
In the words of Derrick White, “Just let him do what he do… He’s the best.”
There’s always something to watch for from the big man. We’ve seen him stir the pot, mime a unicorn horn on his head, make a dove with his hands, and plenty more during his time with the Celtics.
“You gotta love the Luke Kornet celebrations,” said Jaylen Brown, who clearly respects his game. “Where would we be without those? We love to have personality on our team and have fun, and Luke is the spirit of that.”
Kornet’s “bag” seems to be endless when it’s time to celebrate. Just take a look.
His horn can pierce the sky!
Luke Kornet explains his most recent post-dunk celebration — a nod to The Office and the Christmas season. pic.twitter.com/YkR5RjGVys
— Chris Forsberg (@ChrisForsberg_) December 13, 2022
There’s the rest, and that’s great, then there’s Kornet’s “Magnum Opus,” the “spazz dab.”
For the week after this happened, it felt like that’s all anyone could talk about. Sports are about having fun (and also winning) and there’s no question that Kornet is all about that.
Even at the 2024 Championship Parade, the man didn’t miss.
What do you think?
Which Celtics celebration is your favorite? (Yes, I know you like watching them raise a trophy, old heads).
