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TL’s Sunday Sports Notes| Sept 29

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E.L.O. lit-up the Celtics’ Banners at TD Garden (photo by T. Peter Lyons)

 

By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – There are ninety-five days remaining in 2024 until the ball drops to bring in 2025. Twenty-five years since the world was going to end because of the Y2K (supposed) disaster. Just think? When 1999 turned to 2000, could you ever imagine that the most serious world disaster of our generation was just twenty years away?

Somehow, most of us survived. Some did not, taken by a global pandemic that so many have begun to publicly minimize, or forget, or pretend that it never existed while preaching the USA’s reaction was too cautious and overblown.

Truth be told, the key to surviving the 2019-2020-2021+ COVID pandemic was to circle the wagons with your immediate family and to bond together, trust each other and endure.

That’s what we did, and not to be forgotten, we added a puppy to the mix – Penny (Lane) is her name – and she just celebrated her fourth birthday in style. She made her biggest contribution as a puppy – she helped us endure. Four years later, joined by her “little brother,” Max, the message is still the same: keep bonding and keep on keeping on – everyday.

Why do I reach back, recall the beginning of this decade and send such a message as 2024 begins to meld with 2025?

Because it’s the same message being sent to the Boston Celtics by their coach, Joe Mazzula, just as the local pro basketball team starts training camp in an attempt to defend their title of 2024 – their record 18th NBA championship.

From Day 1 of training camp, all the way to the 2025 NBA Playoffs, the Celtics’ two all-world players – Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown – will hear the same question, over and over and over again as they meet with media from 28 different cities in North America. In fact, on October 4-6, they’ll hear the questions when they head to Abu Dhabi and meet with the scribes of Dubai.

To Brown: “Did the fact you were not selected to the 2024 USA men’s Olympic team both you after you won an NBA title and were named the MVP of the NBA Finals?”

To Tatum: “You were benched for two games at the Paris Olympics, a preliminary round game against Serbia on July 28 and the semifinal game against Serbia on August 8, will those perceived snubs from USA coach Steve Kerr provide motivation for you going into this NBA season?”

There’s no right answer to those questions, even though the Boston faithful will take it out on Kerr come November 6th when Kerr’s Golden State Warriors visit TD Garden for a “Day after Election Day, Wednesday night affair.” You’ve gotta wonder if the Boston fans will “stand back and stand by” when Kerr is introduced? I can imagine Tatum putting up 50.

Stepping back to Mazzula and the reality of 2024-25, the coach said to the Media Day assembly of hacks, TV types and social media followers, we can quote Cs point guard Jrue Holiday: “Joe’s message? … I think he just pointed out that people are going to say that we’re really good. And at times, people are gonna say that we suck,” Holiday said of Mazzulla’s message entering training camp. “I think that was word for word.

“People think we’re going to be really good. People think that we’re going to suck. But none of that matters,” added Holiday, another gold medalist from this summer. “All that matters is that we take care of each other, we go out there every day, do what we can for the person next to us.”

That’s called circling the wagons and bonding, as one. The 2024-25 Boston Celtics will be closer and they’ll know what it takes to win. The competition will be tougher, after all the Celtics have the proverbial NBA target on their backs. Like Mazzula said, none of that matters. What does matter is staying healthy, getting a healthy Kristaps Porzingis back from a very devastating injury and bonding/taking care of each other/enduring.

Porzingis might be back in action in December. Let’s see where he is in May and June?

An Indiana Fever fan wants to be like Caitlin (file photo)

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: I think it’s time to give Caitlin Clark – an incredible young athlete – a frickin’ break. Literally, and journalistically. … This note is being written off the top of my head, so please do not nit-pick if I miss something –> She’s had three BIG Ten titles, a couple Final Fours, three USA Basketball gold medals at U-16 and U-19 and she’s college basketball’s all-time leading scorer.

HUH? – But placing her name next to that of Serena and Simone Biles isn’t fair. Katie, too. This off-season, she’ll digest a very rough and tumble season of 2023-24, losing to South Carolina at her second straight Final Four, she was drafted No. 1 by the Indiana Fever in WNBA and she faced the toughest competition she’s ever seen in her life. – Ahhh, many of you weren’t paying attention to the WNBA being so deep and physical ever since its inception in 1997! … You might be hearing it here first: Caitlin Clark will see her day. She’ll come back for her second year in WNBA a little stronger and fully adjusted. She’ll be plugged into the USA senior national team that will begin preparation for the 2026 Women’s World Cup of Basketball in Berlin and she’ll be a core member of that team, although she might or might not be the best player on the team. She’ll be more reserved in her shot selection and her 3-for-16s will become 6-for-10s while her overall boxscore lines will improve with fewer turnovers (she only had three vs Connecticut in her last WNBA Playoff game). Her points, rebounds and assists will astound us, but, she’ll still be scrutinized more than any other player in basketball. Every hard foul, every scrape, every confrontation will make headines and SportsCenter. All the ssame tuff taken for granted when MJ was bounced around by the Celtics, Knicks and Pistons, will still be a big deal. In the WNBA, the only player scrutinized by so many “people” was Rebecca Lobo who was given a pretty hard time by ’96 USA Basketball coach Tara VanDeveer. Lobo, Cynthia Cooper, Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie, Tina Thompson, Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi were the trail blazing athletes for the WNBA. Caitlin Clark will take the women’s game to new heights. To a great degree, she already has made the 27-year old league tick like Big Ben. But, so has A’ja Wilson of the Vegas aces, Napheesa Collier of the Minnesota Lynx, Sabrina Ionescu of the New York Liberty or Clark’s teammate, Aliyah Boston of the Fever. They can all PLAY and I could go on. … But, let’s settle on one thing as the WNBA Playoffs progress without Clark and Boston and the Indiana Fever, let’s give Caitlin Clark a break. She’s earned it. She deserves it.

SPEAKING OF THE WNBA: The WNBA Players Association, via their current Executive Director Terri Carmichael Jackson (and surely with the approval of WNBA Union player President Nneka Ogwumike), issued a five segment statement – call it rant – on X to complain about coverage of the “W” by USA Today columnist Christine Brennan. … At a time when the WNBA Playoffs should be the only focus of the league, the players, the vendors and hot dog sales people, the Union decided to create a story pointing fingers at one of the very few national columnists that regularly covers the sport. The action(s) were so counterproductive. Gripes and any issues between Union/League/Team/Players to Media need to be resolved one-on-one and behind closed doors with the specific member of the media. That usually works 90-95% of the time. … What the WNBA PA’s ill-timed statement did was to magnify the story, totally out of proportion, and it now forces every columnist in the country to defend Brennan’s rights as a journalist and the rights of every media member to write their POV and opinion. Let’s keep in mind, the media is not in the business, nor required, to “celebrate” A’ja and Caitlin and DiJonal, and Napheesa. That’s the Union’s job, together with @WNBAPR. Please stop with this sophomoric behavior (writing on X) as it takes away from the professionalism of the #WNBA players at a time when the focus should be on the games and on the court.

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Chicago

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

CHICAGO – When I think of Chicago, I think of the NBA and I immediately picture Chi-town native son Brian McIntyre, my boss and partner in crime at the league office for years and years – far too many to count. I also think of No. 23 – Michael Jordan – (pictured above) who took a symbolic NBA baton from Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Earl “The Pearl” Monroe, Clyde Frazier and Oscar Robertson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Julius “Dr. J” Erving, then Larry Bird and Earvin “Magic” Johnson and ran it to every corner of the earth. How can you possibly think of Chicago and not think of Michael Jordan and the Bulls?

It’s great to be back in Chicago this weekend. I missed it a lot.

How did I miss thee? Let me count the ways.

I miss the 4:00am Blues Bar Kingston Mines. I miss the Twin Anchors and their baby back spare ribs.

I miss Magic Slim and the Teardrops. Slim passed away not long after a tour in 2013. We spent many a night chasing Slim to different dives around Chicago. One time during the 1997 Finals, were were disappointed not to see Slim playing in Chicago during the Game 1 and 2 schedule, only to find him at Club DV8 right next to the Salt Lake City Marriott for Games 3 and 4.

I miss Wrigley Field and the Cubs. And the great Harry Caray and his famous 7th inning stretch. How about Ernie Banks, Mr. Cub, stating, “Let’s play two,” because two games were better than just one in the days of frequent doubleheaders.

I miss a nice cold Old Style or a Falstaff. 🍺

I miss motoring down Lake Shore Drive in the spring and walking along Michigan Avenue in the summer.

I miss Buddy Guy’s at 700 S. Wabash. We had some good times there. I miss McCuddy’s, the old landmark Chicago saloon across the street from Comiskey Park.

I miss the Billy Goat Tavern on Lower Wacker. Word has it, this location wasn’t the original which was out on Madison. “Cheezeborger, Cheezeborger, Cheezeborger.” and “No Coke, Pepsi.” Now, they have eight locations. What a shame.

How about an Italian beef sandwich dreamt up by Al Ferrari? Or, maybe something as simple and great as a Chicago Hot Dog or Deep Dish Pizza?

I miss watching Gale Sayers running for the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Sayers was to NFL football what Julius “Dr. J” Erving was to the ABA and NBA. He was amazing and the best running back I’ve ever seen. Bears’ fans hold RB Walter Payton in the highest esteem, and I have no beef with that at all. Detroit Lions fans can boast of RB Barry Sanders, and they have every right to do so. But to me, Sayers was the best of all-time. He was drafted No. 4 overall in the 1965 NFL Draft. The Bears had the No. 3 (Dick Butkis) and No. 4 (Sayers), and they were preceded by the No. 1 pick, Tucker Frederickson of Auburn going to the New York Giants and No. 2 Ken Willard of North Carolina going to the San Francisco 49ers. Both Frederickson and Willard were Pro Bowl players. Butkis and Sayers are Hall of Famers.

I miss the Chicago Stadium, the loudest sports venue, by far, of any I’ve ever set foot inside and that goes for both ice hockey and basketball. Madison Square Garden rocks, and so did The Spectrum in Philly or the arenas – new and old – in the Bay Area, but the Stadium? Forget it.

Former Bulls PR man turned NBA guru Brian McIntyre says they had to wrap aluminum foil around the old Radio Shack computer couplers in order for reporters to send in stories late in the fourth quarter. It was so loud, the sound rattled the computer transmissions.

I miss Tony Esposito and Stan Mikita, Keith Magnuson and Bobby Hull, Pit Martin and Dennis Hull, all of the great Chicago Blackhawks teams. The most prominent musical instrument ever built was housed in the old Chicago Stadium. In fact, it was the largest Barton Organ ever built had some 51 ranks of pipes of massive scale with the usual percussion, traps, and effects. A rather gaudy red and gold “circus wagon” console (perhaps the largest organ console ever built) was on prominent display on the arena’s balcony. A balcony seat behind the goal was the best seat in hockey.

I miss Gate 3 1/2 – the media, employees, players and VVIP entrance to the Chicago Stadium, and possibly, the most unique “gate” in pro sports history. At a normal regular season game, parking in the Gate 3 1/2 lot was a breeze. In the Playoffs, forget it unless you had some serious juice. In many places around the league, the great (my old boss at NBA) Brian McIntyre had some juice. In Chicago, he was Mr. Tropicana. At NBA Finals games, we’d be able to drive within five-ten feet of Gate 3 1/2, hop out, grab out jackets and bags and Brian would hand the keys to an attendant – usually an off-duty or retired Chicago Police officers – would whisk the car away to be parked in a very safe and gated adjacent lot. On most nights, we’d be the last car to leave but the car would be waiting, backed in and facing outbound to make it easier to depart. On cold nights in the winter, the heater would be on and the car already nice and warm. On hot, steamy summer nights during the many NBA Finals games, the air conditioning would be on and the car perfectly cooled. A 5-10 minute heads up got the job done.

Yours truly bounding out Gate 3 1/2 on off-day of 1992 NBA Finals (NBA Photos)

So, I must state firmly, I miss the Chicago Bulls, in general, and I especially miss Tim Hallam and Joe O’Neill of the Bulls’ front office. And, yeah, I miss that guy who wore No. 23.

Think back to the Bulls introductions, beginning with the visiting team players being dead-panned (announced) to Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon instrumental “On the Run,” accompanied by the crowd’s growing chorus of boos, was the greatest in sports history. … After the visitor’s were introduced and the dull, low of instrumental, then it really began, with an animation of a lonely bull browsing and grazing then gathering steam and running past the Chicago Theatre and through downtown Chicago until it reached the Madhouse on Madison. (a later animation had a whole stampede of Bulls on the way to the United Center). I miss hearing the instrumental of the Alan Parsons Project playing Sirius. … I miss the deafening introduction of Michael Jordan … And I miss having a courtside seat to see the most spectacular all-around player the NBA has ever seen. For those who never saw the intros in person, this version recorded in 1996 by NBC Sports and originating from the United Center doesn’t even do justice to the pure pandemonium that occurred at the old Stadium. Night and day with the level of noise, and United Center is a solid No. 2 in my eyes and ears, with Salt Lake City’s Delta Center being a distant No. 3 to back the Utah Jazz … But, back to Chi-town, when I think of the Chicago Bulls, I first think of Jordan and all the nights at The Finals, but I also think of Jerry Sloan, the toughest of all Bulls and one of the toughest players to ever play in the NBA. In most cases with the players and coaches of the NBA, you make acquaintance. With Sloan, you met him and – under the right circumstances – you had a true friend for life. Tough, sincere, loyal. I miss him greatly, and may he rest in peace. … As I close with my tribute to Chicago, I can say I even miss John Fett, the cranky old Operations Director of the Chicago Stadium. Fett was always clad in his NHL Blackhawks Starter jacket to show the NBA Bulls where his allegiance was every day of the season.

SPORTS TOWNS: I’ve always ranked the USA’s top sports towns as a three horse race, and here they are (in order):

  1. Philadelphia
  2. Chicago
  3. Boston

Everyone else is pretending or their city has so much else to offer (theatre, music, dance) that people are spread thinly with the many options. That said, if you’re going to measure sports towns by championships across the four major North American sports, here’s the list:

  1. New York (53 championships)
  2. Boston (40)
  3. Montreal (27)
  4. Chicago (26)
  5. Los Angeles (25)
  6. Detroit (22)
  7. Philadelphia (16)
  8. Toronto (16)
  9. Pittsburgh (16)
  10. St. Louis (15)

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: The sports division at Netflix has been busy signing deals with properties and greasing the skids on bigger and better relationships as live full game and highlights of sports programming continues to be the be-all, end-all of DVR-free content. Netflix is getting its NBA on with a 10-part series entitled “Starting Five.” It features: Jimmy Butler, Anthony Edwards, Lebron James, Domantas Sabonis and Boston’s Jayson Tatum. Netflix has featured successful sports documentaries in NFL, Golf and Formula-1 car racing, among others. The Starting 5 has an impressive list of Producers, including James’ cohort Maverick Carter, Peyton Manning, President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle. The series will drop its first episode on Oct. 9th.

VIDEO KILLED THE AM RADIO BAND: Get this? The House Energy and Commerce Committee voted 45 to 2 to send a proposed AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act (H.R. 8449) to the full House for a vote.

“It’s been a stalwart of American prosperity and information sharing,” said Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC). “Having AM radio available is important to my constituents,” he added, noting its role during emergencies.

The role of AM during natural disasters was cited by several lawmakers as they spoke out during the bill’s markup, noting that FEMA has also spent tens of millions of dollars solidifying the Emergency Alert System with AM radio the backbone of EAS.

“For those of us who have experienced a natural disaster like Superstorm Sandy, we know that AM radio is an important lifeline when other forms of mass communication go out. It’s an important bill that I believe will help keep Americans safe,” said Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone (D-NJ), who cosponsored the bill.

If passed by the full House, the proposed AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act will require the Secretary of Transportation to issue a rule requiring access to AM broadcast stations in motor vehicles. If they don’t, carmakers could be fined, according to Inside Radio trade rag.

No truth to the rumor the House will mandate Cousin Brucie will return to WABC or if 1010-WINS will be back in the news business.

EAS: A quick question for our readers. During the global Pandemic/COVID-19, did the Emergency Alert System in your town utter one word of advice in your home? We’ve all endured countless show interruptions and middle-of-the-night awakenings to the sound of the Emergency Alert system, and its recording … You know it: “If this were an actual emergency …”

My thought is that the global pandemic was the most dangerous and lethal emergency to come down the pike in my lifetime, but not a “beep” from my EAS. What’s the deal with that? Can there possibly be a bigger emergency than a global pandemic knocking on the door?

TIDBITS AND GOLDEN NUGGETS: How many of you were absent from pop and rock school the day they taught Dua Lipa? That’s what 60 Minutes is for, right? In case you didn;t realize, 60 Minutes has been the best show on TV for 57 years. What is its secret? … It informs. … Case in point: Last weekend they had an in-depth 20 minute report on Due Lips. In case you didn’t know, Dua Lipa hails from London and was born to parents of Kosovo (Former YUG). Her father, a son of a historian, frequently played the music of David Bowie, Bob Dylan, Radiohead, The Police/Sting and the Stereophonics. Her father played in a local rock band as he was a singer and guitarist. After being told as a youngster that she couldn’t sing, she practiced and took lessons. By age 15 she was recording covers and uploading them to YouTube and SoundCloud. She’d also signed with a top modeling agency which allowed her to audition for parts with singing roles. She recorded “Hotter than Hell” and it delivered a recording contract with Warner Brothers. The dance-pop/techno-pop tempo dictated the tones of the rest of her album recordings and she was on her way to stardom. … When you figure out why there’s a Dua Lipa note in the middle of a Sunday Sports column, let me know, although her workout routines are up there with Jerry Rice or Karl Malone. She reportedly does workouts with classic warm-ups and stretching, hill sprints, core training, all body weight programs, yoga, and even some boxing. Then she winds down with long dog walks and a nap. The message: 60 Minutes just rocks.

FUTSAL: Raise your hand if you’ve been following the Futsal World Cup ‘24. … Oh, let’s rephrase the question. What the hell is Futsal and where is its World Cup? The Futsal World Cup was listed in the Sports TV Guide of the Boston Globe this week and I was curious enough to check it out. … Futsal is a derivative of Futbal in a Salon, or, in other words, Indoor Soccer. It dates back to 1930 and was conjured up by a teacher in Montevideo, Uruguay who created a version of indoor football for the members of the local YMCA. … That sounds quite similar to the start of basketball, but came some 39 years after Dr. James Naismith began bouncing basketballs in Springfield. … Futsal was usually played on the basketball hardwood floors and it’s caught on in a big way. I can attest, in Phys Ed class in high school, we played football, soccer, floor hockey, European Handball (a personal favorite), basketball, tennis, track and field events – you name it. But we never played futsal. I wish we had tried it. … The Futsal World Cup is on-going in – their words, not mine – the multifunctional sports and entertainment complex in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. … Look it up on FS-2 or check your local listings and stream it.

Lakers Honor Kobe and Gianna

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LOS ANGELES – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – On the symbolic date of 8/2/24, the Los Angeles Lakers unveiled the second of three statues commissioned to honor Kobe Bryant near Crypto.com Arena.

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The new statue depicts Bryant alongside his daughter Gianna. The two were among seven people who died in a Southern California helicopter crash on Jan. 26, 2020. Kobe Bryant was 41 when he died; Gianna was 13.

 

 

In the statue, the two are seated, with the father’s arm around the daughter as angel wings spread behind them. Kobe Bryant, identified as “Most Valuable Girl Dad,” says in a quote at the base, “Gianna is a beast. She’s better than I was at her age. She’s got it. Girls are amazing. I would have five more girls if I could. I’m a girl dad.”

The date was chosen because 8 and 24 were the numbers Bryant wore in his Hall of Fame career for the Lakers, and 2 was the number Gianna wore.

The same numbers were in play when the Lakers unveiled the first Bryant statue outside their home venue. The team has yet to announce when the third statue will be ready.

Also on Friday, the locker Bryant used at the arena for his final 13 NBA seasons sold at auction for $2.88 million. ESPN, citing auction house Sotheby’s, reported that the amount was a record for a sports locker.

 

 

The locker had a value estimated at $1 million to $1.5 million, according to Sportico.

–Field Level Media

Celtics Cash Out as Tatum Cashes In

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Boston Celtics and All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum are finalizing a five-year supermax extension worth $314 million, which would be the largest deal in NBA history, according to multiple media reports on Monday.

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The deal comes after Tatum helped guide the Celtics to the NBA title this summer, the 18th in franchise history. The report also coincides with the announcement the franchise will be placed up for sale in the near future.

Tatum, 26, averaged 26.9 points, 8.1 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game in 74 regular-season starts before adding 25.0 points, 9.7 boards and 6.3 assists per game in Boston’s 19-game romp through the playoffs.

Tatum was an All-NBA first-team selection for the third straight year and has been named to five All-Star Games. He has spent his entire seven-year NBA career in Boston and has career averages of 23.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists per contest over 513 games.

The Celtics also locked up starting guard Derrick White to a $126 million contract extension earlier Monday.

–Field Level Media

The Boston Celtics | For Sale

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report with Team News Release) – Investors with deep pockets willing to purchase a champion can line up for bidding on the 2024 NBA Champion Boston Celtics.

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The franchise is available for purchase, according to a team issued news release.  The imminent sale comes on the heels of a record 18th NBA title secured last month, as the league’s most storied franchise defeated the Dallas Mavericks in a five-game NBA Finals.

No purchase price was reported. Earlier this year, Forbes estimated the franchise’s value at $4.7 billion.

The potential sale comes at a time when the Celtics could approach a record payroll — and payroll tax to the NBA — with All-Star and MVP candidate Jayson Tatum discussing a contract that would make him the league’s highest-paid player.

Boston Basketball Partners was formed in 2002 and it completed the purchase of the Celtics on New Year’s Eve of that year from previous owner Paul Gaston for $360 million. Reports at the time indicated the actual sale price was $310 million since $50 million of debt was not assumed by the new ownership group.

 

NBA Draft: Hawks Pick Risacher at No. 1

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BROOKLYN – (Staff and wire Service Report) – The Atlanta Hawks selected forward Zaccharie Risacher with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2024 NBA Draft on Wednesday night.

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Risacher comes out of France, where he most recently played for JL Bourg-en-Bresse of LNB Elite, the country’s premier division of professional basketball.

In 32 games last season, Risacher averaged 10.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 0.9 assists for JL Bourg. The 19-year-old is 6-foot-9 and weighed in at 195 pounds at the draft combine back in May.

Atlanta does not own another pick in this year’s draft, which has been split into two days. Wednesday’s first round is being held at Barclays Center in New York. ESPN’s Seaport District Studios — also in New York — will host the second round.

The Washington Wizards will be on the clock next.

–Field Level Media

NBA Draft: Who’s Got Next?

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BROOKLYN – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The second round of the 2024 NBA Draft tips-off  tonight switching from Barclays Center in Brooklyn to ESPNS’s New York City studio. The second round will begin with the No. 31 pick, held by the Toronto Raptors.

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With well-known names and unknown talents vying to be selected before the draft ends with the 58th pick, here are 10 prospects viewed as the top available players:

1. SG Johnny Furphy, Kansas
Australian late bloomer lacks pure strength but has the traits to be an-off-the-bench shooter at 6-foot-9 while he grows into his frame at age 19.
2. PG Tyler Kolek, Marquette
Not explosive enough to run by NBA on-ball defense but crafty with the vision to lead the second unit and dominate in pick-and-roll sets.
3. Kyle Filipowski, Duke
Fundamentally sound with the touch as a shooter to be a mismatch problem. NBA teams fear he’ll be in chase mode too often on defense.
4. SG Cam Christie, Minnesota
Lead guard with room for growth at 18, he’s more of a project than most shooting guards in this class but patience could be richly rewarded.
5. PF Bobi Klintman, Sweden
More mobile than given credit for, Klintman has size (6-9, 212) and the range to space the floor.
6. SG Justin Edwards, Kentucky
All the tools to take off in the right role, Edwards has a nearly 7-foot wingspan, giving him a foothold as a defensive stopper until his 3-point shot becomes more consistent.
7. Tyler Smith, G League Ignite
Southpaw shoots it well and at age 19 has enough upside to earn a spot because of his potent finishing skills.
8. PG Juan Nunez, Spain
From the Ricky Rubio mold of pass-first point guards with a slick handle and creativity, Nunez lacks the mid-range game and jump shot to be more than a backup for now.
9. SF Kevin McCullar Jr., Kansas
Competitive and experienced, McCullar isn’t elite in any single area. His value is versatility, particularly consistent rebounding and defense for his 6-7, 212-pound frame.
10. SG Pelle Larsson, Arizona
A gamer who makes winning basketball plays and decisions. Size and savvy are Larsson’s calling cards, even if he didn’t test exceptionally well or finish with ease against NBA bigs.

–Field Level Media

Championship Window is Wide Open

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – With a Game 5 win on Monday night the Celtics sealed the NBA title, but Boston had actually been waiting for this moment for over a decade. Just over five years after the Celtics claimed their 17th championship, Boston went into a complete rebuild on June 28, 2013, trading franchise centerpieces Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for a package that included role players and draft picks.

What followed was a stretch of nearly 11 years that featured ups and downs, plenty of change and a constant belief that Banner 18 was always just one season away.

Two of the draft picks in the Brooklyn deal ended up turning into Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, drafted third overall in 2016 and 2017, respectively. The Celtics decided to build around the duo, and it ended up being the right choice.

But before the arrival of Brown and Tatum, Boston went through the 25-57 2013-14 campaign that featured Jeff Green as the frontman. Then a 5-foot-9 Isaiah Thomas came to town and started to establish himself as “The Little Guy,” in the words of the late Tommy Heinsohn.

Those teams may not have realized it at the time, but they were laying the foundation for something special.

Once Brown’s rookie season rolled around, the Celtics were really starting to look like contenders. Thomas averaged 28.9 points per game during the 2016-17 season, leading Boston to its first Eastern Conference finals appearance since 2012.

The Celtics came up short but proceeded to load up the following offseason, trading for Kyrie Irving and signing Gordon Hayward. Even though Hayward fractured his left tibia just minutes into his Boston debut, the Celtics ended up returning to the East finals, where they fell to the Cleveland Cavaliers in seven games.

From there, Boston overcame a fallout with Irving and an underwhelming two seasons with Kemba Walker running the point to punch its ticket to the Finals in 2022. Heartbreak was again in the cards, though, as the Golden State Warriors raised the coveted Larry O’Brien Trophy after beating the Celtics in six games.

After getting bounced in the Eastern Conference finals once more a year ago, Boston went all in.

The Celtics parted ways with fan favorite Marcus Smart, considered by many to be the heart and soul of the team, to acquire Kristaps Porzingis via trade, and they also made a deal with the Portland Trail Blazers to bring in point guard Jrue Holiday.

Those moves paid off, and now a league-record 18th banner will be raised this fall.

While this year’s team was the one that broke a 16-year title drought, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla is forever thankful for Green, Thomas, Smart and every other player that checked in for Boston over the past 11 seasons.

“I think the most important thing, something that’s really been going through my mind throughout this process, is you can’t lose sight of the people that came before us,” Mazzulla said. “And I want to make sure every person that’s worked for the Celtics, that’s played for the Celtics that didn’t win, knows that their work and what they have done has not gone unnoticed

“It can be so easy when you work for this organization and you don’t win that the work that people put in just gets brushed over or gets ignored. … So I think that’s one of the first things that came to mind, was just because we won this doesn’t mean what the people have done before us isn’t just as important.”

Through everything over the past seven years, Brown and Tatum have been the one constant.

“We’ve been through a lot, the losses, the expectations,” Brown said. “The media have said all different types of things: We can’t play together, we are never going to win.

“We heard it all. But we just blocked it out, and we just kept going. I trusted him. He trusted me. And we did it together.”

Brown was named Finals MVP. He averaged 20.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.0 assists in the series, and Tatum quickly shot down any notions of him being jealous of his co-star.

“Extremely happy for him. This is a hell of an accomplishment,” Tatum said. “The main goal for us was to win a championship. We weren’t — we didn’t care who got Finals MVP.”

The Celtics traveled to Miami on Tuesday to celebrate for a bit before returning to Boston for their championship parade on Friday morning. And if all goes to plan, Celtics fans should get used to lining the streets and watching the city’s duck boats roll by.

“I think we definitely have a window,” Brown said. “We take it one day at a time. We definitely have to make sure we stay healthy. But, you know, we’ll enjoy the summer, enjoy the moment, and then we get right back to it next year.”

– Field Level Media

Koch Industry Heir Invests in Nets

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BROOKLYN – (Wire Service Report via Sportico) – New York billionaire Julia Koch and her children are purchasing a minority stake in BSE Global, which owns the Brooklyn Nets of the NBA, the New York Liberty of the WNBA and Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

BSE Global announced the pending transaction but did not disclose financial terms. The NBA Board of Governors must approve the deal.

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Sportico reported the Kochs will buy 15 percent of BSE Global, adding that the value assigned to the company’s sports holdings was $6 billion. Under that scenario, the Kochs would pay $900 million for their share.

Forbes ranks Julia Koch as the 23rd-richest person in the world, with a net worth of $65.7 billion. She and her children inherited 42 percent of Koch Industries — one of the largest privately held companies in the nation — upon the death of her husband, David, in 2019.

BSE Global and the teams will remain under the control of Joe Tsai and Clara Wu Tsai. Joe Tsai’s net worth is $8.6 billion, per Forbes.

Brown, Tatum Lead Celtics to Banner 18

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BOSTON – (Staff and wire Service Report) – Forward Jayson Tatum dominated with 31 points and 11 assists as the Boston Celtics locked up their league-record 18th championship with a 106-88 blowout of the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night in Game 5 of the 2024 NBA Finals.

Tatum also had eight rebounds while teammate Jaylen Brown added 21 points, eight boards and six assists for Boston, which celebrated the 16th anniversary of its previous title by completing a 16-3 playoff run. The Celtics defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2008 Finals, and those two teams shared the league record with 17 championships apiece before Monday.

Jrue Holiday had 15 points and 11 rebounds and Derrick White chipped in 14 points as Boston wrapped up the best-of-seven series on its home court.

Luka Doncic paced the Mavericks with 28 points and 12 boards, but he committed seven turnovers. Kyrie Irving finished with 15 points and nine assists for Dallas, and Josh Green netted 14 points.

After Dallas called a timeout with 3:11 left in the second quarter, trailing by 11 points, Boston completely broke the game open.

The Celtics scored 17 of the next 24 points, six of which came from Brown. Boston reserve guard Payton Pritchard capped the outburst in jaw-dropping fashion, canning a 49-foot heave from beyond half-court at the buzzer to send Boston into the break with a 67-46 lead.

Holiday’s layup pushed the Celtics’ lead to 78-52 with 9:10 to go in the third quarter. Green then converted a putback and knocked down a 3-pointer as part of a 10-2 run that got the Mavericks within 80-62.

Dallas later got the deficit down to 17, but Boston took an 86-67 lead into the fourth.

The Celtics were on top by at least 18 the rest of the way.

A three-point play from Tatum put the Celtics up 46-31 with 7:08 remaining in the first half, but Dallas then took over down low. The Mavericks scored all of their points in the paint during an 8-2 spurt to get within nine before Al Horford stemmed the tide with a hard-nosed layup.

Horford’s bucket came just before the Mavericks’ timeout that preceded Boston’s game-changing run.

Boston came to life in the final 1:39 of the first quarter, ripping off nine unanswered points to take a 28-18 lead into the second.

The Celtics wound up shooting 42.7 percent from the floor. Dallas shot 44.9 percent overall but was outscored by 10 points at the foul line and committed 13 turnovers to Boston’ nine.

– Field Level Media