Jayson Tatum was still in his Boston Celtics kit and casually swapping high-fives with attendees when he took a seat at the broadcast table on the very court he had just been playing on, barely a quarter of an hour earlier. The Dallas Mavericks’ stadium was all but deserted, the local audience having made a prompt exit following their team’s tumble into a 3-0 deficit in the Finals.
Tatum was quizzed on the impact of Jrue Holiday fairly quickly after the chit chat commenced. The Celtics had cleverly procured the “jack of all trades” guard just last October in a bold trick-of-the-hand deal that the club is notorious for. In response, Tatum could hardly conceal his delight, “It’s a mystery how we managed to snag him, but I’m absolutely thrilled that Jrue is now part of our team”.
Tatum’s short remark resonates deeply. The 6ft 8in guard, renowned for his lazy genius on the court and an almost indifferent temperament, faced a good deal of scrutiny at the start of this NBA season, on par with his partner Jaylen Brown. Brown, another 6ft 6in guard known for his volatile prowess and unpredictable streak, together with Tatum comprises one of the NBA’s most talented duos.
Both players have disregarded the longstanding belief that a team capable of winning a championship necessarily needs an alpha, a leader who sets the pace as per Michael Jordan’s description of “woofing”. The complicated dynamic between Brown and Tatum and the doubts about their capacity to gel have been the subject of numerous articles and discussion on podcasts. These doubts escalated following prominent team breakdowns against 2022 finals contenders Golden State Warriors, and last year’s conference finalists, the Miami Heat.
Fast forward to the early hours of Saturday morning awaiting the finals, the duo found themselves in the enviable role of being hailed eventual champions. Their commanding 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series is nearly unbeatable. Even in the absence of their major preseason signing, Kristaps Porzingis, their chances of bagging the championship in game four at Dallas or in front of their zealous home crowd at game five in Boston on Monday night, are exceptionally high.
The Globe proclaimed on its front page on Thursday, “Banner 18 is a foregone conclusion for the Celtics”, a headline befitting the arrogance that has made the Boston Celtics one of the most revered, adored, and despised sporting teams in the United States. Their supporters are vocal, well-versed, and blunt, and the crowd shots during games at the Garden give the impression that it’s populated entirely by characters out of the movie Good Will Hunting, both main actors and extras.
The Celtics have significantly impacted Boston, becoming symbolic of specific periods: The 1960’s Bostonians remember the Bill Russell’s Celtics, and the Larry Bird years at the Garden have left a lasting mark on the teenagers of the 1980s. The basic knowledge is that the Celtics outpaced all other NBA teams, causing almost psychological torment to the Los Angeles Lakers as they scooped up all the championships of the 1960s except for 1967, which was taken by the Philadelphia 76ers. But since the Bird era ended post the 1986 title, the Celtics have claimed only one championship, in 2008. In comparison, the Lakers have clinched eight titles in the same timespan, matching their East coast contenders with 17 NBA championships.
The competitive nature of the league hinges on the NBA draft system (which might be the potential saviour of the English Premier League, saving it from turning into a complete mockery). Just having a fanatical fanbase and substantial financial backing doesn’t cut it. Teams are bound by a salary cap and need to find a player line-up that clicks. Major teams such as the New York Knicks could spend decades in the shadows without a title if they fail to strike the right balance. The Chicago Bulls pocketed six championships during Jordan’s peak years. Since then, they’ve hit a dry spell.
Throughout this season, the Boston Celtics’ flourish has been attributed mainly to Holiday, whose understated skills breathed life into the Tatum/Brown collaboration. Tatum’s comment, “I’m baffled as to how we were able to acquire him”, speaks volumes. Holiday had a critical role in the Milwaukee Bucks’ triumphant NBA victory in 2022. However, the Bucks swapped him for Damian Lillard, a renowned scorer from Portland, hoping that this combination might outshine the formidable Celtics offense. Little did they expect that Holiday would eventually compete against them, donning a Celtics jersey, a foresight only possessed by the Celtics management. The team willingly parted with two key players and a pair of future first-round draft choices to secure Holiday, a gamble that seems to be paying off.
This move is just another example of the Celtics’ strategic trade moves that can be traced back to 1956. Red Auerbach, who has the same iconic significance to the Celtics as Bill Shankly does to Liverpool, reportedly tempted the now-defunct Rochester Royals with a week-long performance of the Ice Capades, a popular ice show of that time, to prevent them from selecting Bill Russell first. The enticement worked, and through Auerbach’s intricate pre-planned trade, Russell ended up with the Celtics as the third pick of the St Louis Hawks.
Auerbach then centered his team around Russell, creating an unbeatable unit for a decade. He also made significant history by appointing Russell as the first Black head coach in American sports. Auerbach repeated his tactical moves in 1980 when the Celtics had suffered a poor season the previous year with only 29 victories. Instead of going for anticipated number one pick Joe Barry Carroll, Auerbach cunningly diverted attention towards Carroll to secure Liam McHale, a laid-back Minnesotan with an impressive physique, when it was the Celtics’ turn. Accompanying this move, Auerbach secured Robert Parish, a centre who was yet to reach his potential. Together with McHale and Bird, Parish formed one of the most iconic backcourts in basketball history.
Fast-forward to the early 21st century, when McHale, as General Manager of the Minnesota Timberwolves, consented to deal Kevin Garnett to the Boston Celtics. This trade, agreed upon with his feisty former teammate from the 80s, Danny Ainge, was instrumental in securing the Boston Celtics’ 2008 championship win.
Subsequently, Garnett played a significant role in another high-profile trade that provided the Celtics with draft choices, ultimately leading to them procuring Tatum in 2016 and Brown in 2017. However, it was only due to the 76ers choosing Markelle Fultz, whose career was unfortunately marred by injuries, as their number one pick that year, that the Celtics were able to get Tatum.
While there might be a thin line of luck involved, the Celtics’ ability to deftly manoeuvre and assemble victorious teams certainly stands out. NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar once remarked, while glancing at the distinctive white and green banners adorning the rafters of the aging Boston Garden, “Those banners sure weren’t purchased from Woolworths.”/