There’s a little moment at the end of the Celtics’ All In series chronicling the championship run last season when Joe Mazzulla is finally leaving TD Garden after the duck boat parade down Boylston Street. The often deadpan head coach is reminiscing about the banner year with his wife Camai and says, “for every person that’s worked in this organization, for every person that’s played for this organization, you’ve helped move the Celtics organization forward. We’re all in it together and everybody needs to know that.”
The clip is littered with familiar faces — beloved figures really. It opens with Heather Walker, the vice president of public relations that passed away from brain cancer two years ago who many of us at CelticsBlog had the pleasure of working with. There’s Isaiah Thomas, the engine of Brad Stevens’ early teams. Avery Bradley. Kemba Walker. Marcus Smart. My king, my heart and soul, Marcus Smart.
It’s a ten-second reminder of the stretches of this game, how being a fan extends as far as everything you’ll ever experience in your lifetime and maybe even farther if you’ve got kids and/or your parents raised you right. There are mile markers in this life. Some are punctuated by banners. The Celtics received their rings on Opening Night, but it felt like dozens more could have been given to guys like Jonas Jerebko, Jared Sullinger, and Amir Johnson.
I get a similar bout with nostalgia whenever the trade deadline nears. For the last couple of years, the Celtics have gone into February with a spot or two on the roster unfilled. Even with constraints of the new CBA, delusions of grandeur of bringing back Kelly Olynyk or Robert Williams or Guerschon Yabusele always fill my head. Every offseason and trade deadline, I’m waiting for that tweet telling me Al Horford (or some other fan favorite) is coming home.
Yesterday, Javonte Green agreed to a buyout with the Pelicans and is expected to join the Cavaliers. Before that, Daniel Theis was dealt by New Orleans to Oklahoma City. And while two title contenders getting a little bit stronger and deeper threatens a potential repeat for the Cs, that’s not what bothered me.
It’s that these were former Celtics who maybe, just maybe, could have had a reunion in Boston.
Green had a cup of coffee with the Celtics five years ago before playing in Chicago, New Orleans, and now Cleveland. He was notably one of Tatum’s best friends when he was traded with Theis to the Bulls. For Theis, he actually did find his way back to the Celtics in 2022 and started a few games in that failed Finals run. It’s not crazy to think that either journeyman could come back to the 617.
Unfortunately, sentimentality doesn’t make a good GM. If it did, Brandon Bass might have Udonis Haslem stature. But from a fan’s perspective, we know how everything is connected. Every draft pick and every transaction comes from and leads to something else and the best players leave an indelible mark.
In his introductory press conference in DC, Smart was asked about what he picked up in his nine seasons with the Celtics and he said, “just what it takes to go into it. It takes everybody. It’s also not easy. When you’re trying to do something great, it takes a lot.” Sound familiar?
It surprisingly didn’t work out for Smart in Memphis and with an opportunity as an elder stateman in Washington, he’ll enter the final year of his contract next season as a mentor to the young Wizards (for now). But trust me, when free agency opens up this summer or the trade deadline looms next year, it’ll be Love & Trust daydreams all day.
