From Moana to real-life lessons, fatherhood has bonded the Boston Celtics

Father’s Day means something to the Boston Celtics.

They’re competing for an NBA championship and their place in Celtics history, but they’re also humans. And in a lot of cases, they are fathers, too.

After getting blown out by 38 points, Jayson Tatum was ready to reset, on and off the court.

“Excited to go back home, celebrate Father’s Day on Sunday, and compete for a championship on Monday,” Tatum said after Game 4. “So, it should be a lot of fun.”

Fatherhood comes with challenges. Real life is far more important than the on-court waves of a basketball game. Being dads has bonded the fathers on the team.

“There are quite a few guys who’ve got young kids. I’ve joked before, sometimes it’s like, it’s a whole different NBA from when you didn’t have children to the time after,” Luke Kornet said back in March. “And I feel like it really, it’s a lot of responsibility, but also helps clarify a whole lot in your life in terms of your priorities. And I feel like that’s the case for parents, no matter what is. You really know now what you’re working for and what all your efforts are going towards.

“And to be able to love your children and take care of them is like the most rewarding work you have in your life. So, it’s definitely something that I feel bonds us, and I feel like bonds anyone who’s a parent. To have shared that experience.”

Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images

But sometimes the players’ dad-ness finds its way into their work life.

“Have you seen Luke Kornet dancing to the Moana soundtrack?” Hauser said with a laugh.

The dads of the Celtics love Moana. It’s one of the most popular movies across the board.

“Moana is an elite movie,” said Derrick White.

Though it may not be the same pump-up music that gets most players going, the songs are certainly well-known. And Kornet has led the charge.

“Moana’s great,” he said. “Some really beautiful songs that really move the heart.”

Kornet even threw on the soundtrack for some motivation in the weight room.

“He’s thrown it on. Me and him were in the weight room, and obviously, I have three kids myself, so I know the soundtrack,” Tillman said.

And obviously, Tillman couldn’t help but sing along.

“Absolutely. I know the soundtrack,” he said. “I’ve heard the soundtrack at least 300 times in my life.”

White wouldn’t have hesitated to get in on the action, either.

“I was not around when they put on the Moana soundtrack, but I would sing along, yes,” he said.

The ebbs and flows of Moana include a wide variety of songs. Auliʻi Cravalho and The Rock make sure to encapsulate the entire range of emotions that are portrayed throughout the film, and the Celtics appreciate it.

And they all have their favorite songs, of course.

“You’re Welcome,” said White. “That’s the first one that came to mind. I don’t know if it’s favorite, but that’s the first one that came to mind.”

“I guess it’s the — I don’t even know the name of the song — I guess I can tell you the scene in the movie where it is,” Tillman said. “The scene is watching her develop from like a young kid into like a teenager, and they’re singing about like their family and their village and how she needs to protect them, because they’re gonna protect her.” That’s How Far I’ll Go, for you non-Moana heads.

As for Kornet, he loves it all. But Where You Are is his favorite, even though the name of the tune escaped him in the moment.

“Alright, so there’s You’re Welcome, How Far I’ll Go, and what’s the third song I’m thinking of?” Kornet said. “What’s the song with like the family, and the dad starts singing? Because that’s probably [my favorite]. Who You Are? Or something like that? Something like that.

“I like to stand by the water,” Kornet sang, trying to remember the name of the song. “The granny gets a little portion of it. Yeah. That’s a great song.”

The Celtics dads seem to have united around Moana, but the rest of the squad doesn’t get juiced up by the soundtrack in the same way.

“No, definitely not,” Hauser said with a smile when asked if he gets motivated by the Moana soundtrack. “Luke is, though. Good for him.”

That said, earlier this year, Hauser announced that he and his wife are expecting their first child, so his appreciation for Moana could simply be a thing of the future.

The pressure and intensity of the NBA Finals has taken center stage for Boston, and rightfully so. They have a chance to make history tomorrow night, a chance to hang Banner 18 in the rafters, cementing themselves as legends in a franchise full of them.

But some things are more important than basketball. Fatherhood and being a son are perfect examples.

“I am trying to be as present as possible,” said Tillman. “Obviously, with my father passing away recently, it’s kind of a hard thing to talk about, but I don’t know. I’m happy. My kids celebrated me today, so that was pretty cool. My wife celebrated me today, so that was pretty cool. Hoping my siblings are doing okay back home.”

It’s a chance to appreciate loved ones and receive the appreciation that perhaps doesn’t get expressed on a daily basis, even though it’s always there.

“It’s great,” said Jrue Holiday. “I was actually the first one up today, which is weird. I’m usually sleeping in. But it was cool just to have the kids. Got breakfast and really just enjoyed seeing them. I mean, being lovey and playing around. It’s been a great morning.”

“It’s been a nice, relaxing day,” White said. “Spent some time with the kids. My dad is in town, and [I] spent time with him. Just try and enjoy it.”

Being a dad isn’t easy. NBA players make millions of dollars, but nothing can prepare a person for the difficulties of fatherhood, especially on an emotional level.

And for some, those obstacles are unexpected.

“I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason,” said Jayson Tatum. “When I found out that I was going to be a dad, I was still in college. I had like a week or two left. I wasn’t ecstatic. I was a little selfish at that point because I knew that I was about to go chase my dream and be in the NBA. I felt like that was going to affect what people thought of me, affect where I went in the draft.

“So I’d be the first to say I wasn’t like super thrilled to find out I was going to be a dad, and quickly realized that it was like the best thing that ever could have happened to me.”

But sometimes, the unexpected ends up being incredible.

“There’s nothing better than being a dad,” Tatum continued. “I think, especially for me and my first year in the NBA at 19, it taught me a sense of responsibility. Because it’s tough, being 19 years old and coming into fame and this newfound fortune. Nobody can, I guess, help you or prepare you for what it’s like to be 19 and have millions of dollars.

“And I think—not that I think, I know that having Deuce at that age grounded me. Because whatever decision I wanted to make, I had to make sure that he was taken care of. I couldn’t just up and go or do everything that some of my peers were doing because I had to go home and put him to bed. Or for Father’s Day weekend, I was going out of town or—I had to skip out on this trip with my friends because it was my weekend with him. Not that it’s a sacrifice. I willingly would choose those things.”

Fatherhood is beautiful. Whether it takes its shape in Josh Horford’s in-season road trips with his dad, Al, Tatum’s appreciation for Deuce being displayed in their pre- and post-game rituals, or the team’s fatherly bond over the Moana soundtrack, it all means the same.

The Celtics are a team fighting for a championship, but for a large majority of them, they’re also a team of fathers fighting to be the best dads they can possibly be.

And one of those things is far more important than the other.

“It has taught me a sense of responsibility, as well as just making the right decisions,” said Tatum. “Knowing that there’s a six-year-old mini me essentially watching everything that I do and knowing that I have to be the best version of myself. I have to make the right decisions because he’s always watching.”

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