View From The Rafters: Behind the Scenes with the Boston Celtics

Rajon Rondo didn’t just win two NBA championships during his NBA career. He did so while playing on both sides of the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers rivalry. Rondo explores the differences in those two experiences, and how each came to be, throughout this episode.   Rondo also gives his perspective both of being the guy who helped to end LeBron James’ first run in Cleveland, to playing against LeBron during the Miami years, to being LeBron’s teammate in Los Angeles. Rondo specifically remembers the moments of wanting to play LeBron and the Cavs during the 2010 Playoffs and then beating them, as well as LeBron’s career-altering performance during Game 6 of the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals.   Much more is covered in the episode, as Rondo recalls nearly being traded for Kevin Garnett, the epic 2009 playoff series against the Chicago Bulls, and what separates Boston from other sports cities. He also tells the story of playing on a torn ACL and how he eventually found out it was torn, as well as playing with a dislocated elbow following his dust-up with Dwyane Wade during the 2011 Playoffs.   0:30 – Rondo’s observations of today’s NBA game   4:45 – Boston’s guards and Jrue Holiday being one of his favorite teammates   7:00 – Nearly being traded by Boston and experience of playing for multiple teams   15:15 – Playing on a torn ACL and learning about the injury from a radio broadcast   20:45 – Reliving biggest moments of his Boston career   30:30 – Facing Brad Stevens and the Celtics in 2017 Playoffs as a member of the Bulls   40:30 – Learning about Rondo’s basketball IQ   43:45 – Winning another championship   WATCH on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tD8UAk92Gn8See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fresh off a shooting competition down on the Boston Celtics’ practice court, these three 2008 champions reunite for a lengthy conversation that touches on a long list of subjects but centers around their greatest collective talent: talking trash.   Seriously, you’ve got to listen to these guys chop it up about the way they not only used to talk trash to opponents, but also to THEIR OWN TEAMMATES! Paul Pierce recalls a story of the NBA putting in a private call to Doc Rivers to request that the team dial back its trash talk on the floor. Spoiler alert: Doc didn’t exactly give in to the request.   The interesting tie between the three champs is that not only did they win a title together, but now, 15 years later, they’re all back and involved with the Boston Celtics. Paul Pierce is serving in a team ambassador role, Sam Cassell is an assistant coach and Eddie House is an analyst for NBC Sports Boston. They discuss that and how their relationships are growing with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.   Naturally, there’s also plenty of talk about the 2008 team. They discuss the unbreakable bond between all of the players who won that title, as well as the process of working Cassell and PJ Brown into the lineup after their late acquisitions during the season. House and Cassell talk about the fact that House wound up losing playing time because Cassell joined the team.   0:45 – The guys relive the shooting competition they just had on the court, while throwing some shade at Cassell   2:29 – All three being officially involved with the team 15 years after winning the title   8:52 – Joe Mazzulla inviting Celtics alumni back, and Cassell and Pierce on their time with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown in LA last summer   11:30 – The level of trash talk from the 2008 championship team   16:30 – Cassell tells the story of stealing the game ball after winning the title in 2008   19:54 – Cassell joining the team, and a return to more trash talk, including the Doc Rivers story   26:30 – Remembering the journey to the 2008 title   31:35 – More discussion on how they’re building relationships with Tatum and Brown   35:00 – The pursuit of an 18th championship   WATCH on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-f4I5m7UeYSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After being traded to the Boston Celtics the day before training camp, Jrue Holiday has taken on the challenge of moving to a new city and accepting a new role on a new team. He dives into his experience, how he’s embraced having the ball in his hands less and how it all comes down to one thing: winning.   Winning a championship alongside Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and the rest of the Celtics is his one and only goal on the NBA court, but as Holiday explains, his competitive nature doesn’t stay in the locker room. He says it follows him home, into a house that features one of the most competitive families in the country. Holiday and his wife, two-time soccer gold-medalist and former US Women’s National Team member Lauren Holiday, can’t be on opposing teams for anything for fear of an argument. And now, their extreme wills to win have passed on to their kids to create an interesting dynamic to say the least. Holiday often calls his daughter “JT,” and he tells a story about how his son thought Jayson Tatum’s sneakers were actually his sister’s.   The second half of the episode dives into Holiday playing against his former team, the Milwaukee Bucks, for the first time and drawing the assignment to guard all-world forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. Was that actually Holiday’s idea? Maybe, he says. Holiday has now played alongside Antetokounmpo, Tatum, Brown, Anthony Davis, DeMarcus Cousins and on a gold medal-winning USA Men’s Basketball Team, so Marc and Abby ask him about common threads among the best of the best. The group rounds out the conversation by diving into Holiday’s experience at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics – AKA the Covid Olympics – and how bizarre it was for him to see Team USA’s opponents act like fanboys around the likes of Tatum and Kevin Durant.   0:30 – Jrue on his love for food   2:30 – Adjusting to playing with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and how they differ from other superstars he's played with   13:15 – Jrue on his competitive nature, and how that impacts his marriage to USWNT soccer great Lauren Holiday, who's also extremely competitive   22:10 – Flipping to the other side of the Celtics/Bucks rivalry, playing the Bucks for the first time, and defending Giannis   31:00 – Jrue’s experience at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics   35:15 – How the bubble led to the launch of his family’s JLH Fund   WATCH on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikhUGyjZtxMSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens joins us for a special bonus episode after a busy 48 hours leading into and through the NBA Draft. Stevens breaks down all of the trades and decisions that he and the Celtics front office made, including the emotions of trading away Marcus Smart, the arrival and fit of Kristaps Porzingis and balancing the roster. Stevens also dives into the value of replenishing Boston’s draft stock with a handful of second-rounders, gives his take on Jordan Walsh, and wraps up with comments about the new coaching staff and how they’ll develop players.      1:00 – Trading Marcus Smart   3:58 – Kristaps Porzingis’ Fit   6:15 – Accentuating Our Best Players   7:57 – The Celtics’ Toughness   9:29 – Draft Night Chaos & Second-Round Value   12:00 – The Jordan Walsh Report   15:20 – Coaching Staff’s Development Mindset See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For our last episode of Season 3, we combed through each episode to pull out our favorite moments. From current and former players, to members of the media and the Celtics front office, enjoy the best clips from View From The Rafters.     00:53 – Luke Kornet Takeover Best Moments 13:33 – Blake Griffin & The Bus 1 Boys 18:05 – Danilo Gallinari Recalls Playing Kevin Garnett 22:16 – Stories of NBA Scout 27:14 – Jayson Tatum’s & ‘The Confetti Game’ 32:23 – Rob Williams Balancing Fatherhood 37:20 – Paul Pierce’s Beginning In BostonSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Luke Kornet takes over as the host of this week’s episode, bringing in special guests Malcolm Brogdon, Sam Hauser and President of Basketball Operations, Brad Stevens.    In this episode, Luke Kornet starts by asking his teammate Malcolm the burning questions on his mind. They discuss Brogdon being a finalist for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year, Virginia basketball and his presidential nature. Kornet wraps it up by gloating about winning a lockerroom trivia competition.   Next, Luke brings in Sam Hauser to chat over a Wisconsin-inspired cheese tasting. In their conversation, Kornet asks Sam why teams target him on defense and gives him some unsolicited marriage advice ahead of Sam’s summer wedding.    To wrap up the episode, Brad Stevens joins Luke, giving Kornet the opportunity to ask Brad about his varied employment history and talk about what it was like to play for Brad.    00:40 - Malcolm Brogdon 11:37 - Sam Hauser 19:25 - Marriage Talk 22:50 - Brad Stevens 33:40 - Questions for Brad “from fans”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Antoine Walker joins us this week to reflect on his career and share thoughts on this year’s current Celtics roster. He tips off the conversation explaining how he plans to be around the Celtics organization in an ambassador role going forward. He then dives into his early career in Boston, drawing parallels between his relationship with Paul Pierce and what he sees now between Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.    The conversation pivots into Walker’s college career, the development of the “Walker Wiggle” and what it was like to have his college coach, Rick Pitino, join him in Boston.    As the episode wraps up, Antoine and Marc discuss how he was a player ahead of his time, taking threes and playing the perimeter as many young stars and frontline players in the game do today. Antoine closes with final thoughts on how his career unfolded after being traded by Boston, including reflecting on his championship run with the Miami Heat.   2:25 - Updates From Antoine 4:05 - Playoff Outlook 6:48 - Relationship with Paul Pierce 14:21 - Early Years In The NBA 16:10 - Rick Pitino, From Kentucky To Boston 22:42 - Walker Wiggle 25:20 - A Game Of Threes 29:35 - Career After Boston 33:25 - Relationship With KGSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Celtics radio duo Sean Grande and Cedric Maxwell join this week’s episode to share stories of their on-air relationship. The episode begins with Cedric Maxwell praising Sean Grande’s ability to bring energy to their broadcast, regardless of the outcome on the floor. As a former player, Max admits he can get swept up in emotions, recalling a few trophy presentation stories from the 2010 Finals and last year’s 2022 Eastern Conference Finals.   From here they go back to the beginning of their on-air relationship, 22 years ago. They discuss how their chemistry developed, their roles on the broadcast team and how beneficial it’s been having the ability to work interchangeably with the broadcast crew at NBC Sports Boston.    Before wrapping up, the crew discusses how their longevity brings a level of intimacy to the stories they share with fans. For example, how intertwined Cedric Maxwell was with Kevin Garnett before he even played for the Celtics.    2:31 – Grande Brings The Energy 4:23 – Max’s Trophy Presentation In Miami 6:50 – How The Duo Began 14:01 – Complimentary Styles  18:15 – Chemistry From The Start 21:08 - Challenges This Season Splitting Time With Radio & TV 25:04 – Kevin Garnett  26:40 – KG Welcoming Back Ray Allen 30:00 – Body Of Work Matters 34:20 – Cedric Maxwell’s Multitasking Abilities See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Captain and The Truth, Paul Pierce joins this episode to talk all things Celtics basketball. Pierce has been making an effort in his retirement to try to get to as many games and continue to support his franchise whether it’s at TD Garden or meeting them on the road. Just like us, he’s a fan of the organization, but Paul also explains it’s now his job to pass on the culture to the next generation.   In discussing the Celtics culture, Pierce recalls seeing Legends not only at games, but any given practice players like Satch Sanders, Jo Jo White and Tommy Heinsohn and that their presence alone would give the current players energy.   The Truth then reflects on his early days as a Celtic, sitting down with Red Auerbach, learning from the vets on the team and soaking in the history from Legends on the sidelines. Now he views that at his role, setting the example and helping guide players would want to be the ones to raise another banner in TD Garden.   4:55 – Once A Celtic Always A Celtic 8:20 – Presence Of Legends 10:13 – Rookie Year Memories 13:24 - Learning On And Off The Court From Vets 16:02 - Tommy Heinsohn 18:00 – Passing The Torch To The Next Generation 20:00 – Work Ethic 21:39 – Relationship With The Current Roster 23:40 – PredictionsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Robert Williams III and Al Horford give their perspective on fatherhood in this week’s episode. We start out hearing from Rob about the importance of leading by example and being someone his kids can be proud of.   Rob talks about how everything changed when his oldest was born and the difference in his relationship and parenting styles between his daughter and son. He shares how he learned how to juggle the demands of the NBA and being a dad by watching how his teammates prioritize.   The conversation then pivots to talking about the Celtics’ family-first culture and how Brad Stevens sets a tone of prioritizing family moments from the top down.   Al Horford joins the conversation and opens by describing the moment he became a dad when he had his first child seven years into his career. He then comments on how great it is to see the level of joy and commitment younger guys on the team have shown raising their kids.   2:55 – Perspective Changes Raising A Daughter 7:25 – Rob Williams On Being A Role Model, Learning From Teammates 9:57 – Cherishing The Little Moments With A Busy Schedule 15:52 – Celtics’ Family-First Culture 22:03 – Al Horford’s Fatherhood JourneySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.