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

In the second episode of season three, Celtics forward Danilo Gallinari takes a break from his rehab work to join hosts Marc D’Amico and Sean Grande. They begin by talking about what it means to represent Italy in the NBA and hopefully be an inspiration for the growth of the basketball in his home country. As a young player, Gallo learned quickly how to hold his own and not be intimated by veteran players, a skill that helped him early on in the NBA to earn respect from Kevin Garnett. Off the court, Danilo shares how becoming a father changed his perspective and how valuable it’s been to have his dad around, supporting him through his current rehab. Throughout the episode, Danilo talks about the injuries he’s had to work through in his career and how sports science has played a role in continually teaching him ways to improve managing his body.    1:38 – Growing up in Italy and being an inspiration for growth of the sport 8:54– Earning the respect of veteran players 12:22 – Injury management, past and present 24:32 – Being a family man 30:40 – Constantly learning how to better take care of his body 36:36 – Inside look at the Celtics season and leadership in the locker roomSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Blake Griffin tips off Season 3 of ‘View From The Rafters.’ In this episode, Blake dishes details about his Celtics bench role and team chemistry, specifically between the famed “Bus 1 Crew.” He also discusses growing up in Oklahoma City and adjusting to starting his NBA career in a big market like Los Angeles. As a 13-year vet, Blake shares his thoughts on what makes Jayson Tatum so special while touching on Joe Mazzulla's leadership style. Listeners also learn about Blake’s hobbies outside of basketball as he discusses his interest in comedy and where he gets his stand-up material from. Blake closes out the episode sharing how Paul Pierce impacted his career, his thoughts on Boston fans, and details from his busy All-Star Weekend experiences including winning the 2011 NBA Slam Dunk Contest. *This episode was recorded in a live environment and has a few moments of brief, imperfect audio.  7:46 – Blake on the Celtics bench, team chemistry, and inside jokes 11:50 – Blake’s upbringing and NBA start 17:29 – Blake’s analysis of Jayson Tatum’s talent and Joe Mazzulla's leadership 26:15 – Blake’s interest in comedy and meeting Dave Chappelle for the first time 34:05 – How Blake set #NBATwitter on fire while convincing DeAndre Jordan to stay with the Clippers in 2015 40:45 – Blake’s relationship with Paul Pierce, opinion on Boston fans, plus his All-Star Weekend experiences Listen to new episodes of View From The Rafters every Tuesday or watch on YouTube every Wednesday.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We wrap up Season 2 in style with an audio documentary dedicated to answering one question: What is it that makes playing for the Boston Celtics so special? A long list of current Celtics, including Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, Al Horford and Ime Udoka, answer that question and explain their experience of donning the Green and White. Also hear the players explain in their own words the Celtics' culture, as well as what it feels like to be on the parquet - and even on the road - while thousands of Celtics fans create an absolutely electric atmosphere around them. This is the Season 2 finale - enjoy!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New England Patriots star running back Damien Harris loves the Celtics, and he knows what it takes to win. He joins Marc to dive into his fandom of the team and his relationships with Celtics players off the court. Harris regularly attends games and talks about sitting right behind Kevin Garnett at KG’s number retirement ceremony, and his excitement to attend Sunday’s Game 1 against the Brooklyn Nets. Harris also gives insight into what it’s like to be a young, professional athlete in New England with pressure to win, he gives his view on Boston’s exciting turnaround this season, and he previews the Patriots’ upcoming offseason workouts. 0:55 – Damien Harris joins the conversation and gives some context on his basketball background 2:10 – Harris talks about being a regular at Celtics games and his relationships with Celtics players 7:30 – Harris comments on playing under the pressure to win that exists in Boston sports 8:50 – Harris talks about Boston’s potential in the Playoffs and its incredible turnaround this season 12:50 – Harris comments on grinding through the tough days to come out on the other side 14:45 – Weight room talk! Harris comments on the C’s postgame lift sessions, and how the weight room helps to bring teams together 17:15 – Guess who was sitting behind KG at his retirement ceremony game? 19:45 – Harris says he’s big on individual handshakes, and discusses the art of them 21:00 – Harris gives an update on his offseason and what’s next for him and the PatriotsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ten months after shocking the basketball world by leaving the sidelines to take the President of Basketball Operations job for the Boston Celtics, Brad Stevens joins the pod for his first lengthy and exclusive conversation about the entire process. With his good friend Sean Grande on the pod with him, you’ll hear a whole new side of the new Celtics boss. What prompted him to switch roles? What does he have to say about his new responsibilities, including hiring a new coach and navigating the trade deadline? What does he think about the potential of this year’s team? Stevens touches on all of that and much more with Marc and Grande. 1:00 – Grande explains how and why he and Brad Stevens became close friends 8:55 – Brad Stevens explains why he moved from coaching into President of Basketball Operations for the Celtics 11:25 – Stevens comments on the impact he felt from the two COVID seasons and the bubble 15:30 – Stevens gives his take on the key differences between his current role and coaching 19:30 – Listen to Stevens recall his first trade deadline experience 23:15 – Stevens goes into the hiring of Ime Udoka and how Udoka has performed this season 28:15 – What’s it like trading someone for the first time? Stevens answers that question 29:50 – Marc asks Stevens about his incredible basketball intuition 35:20 – Marc and Grande react to their conversation with Stevens 39:15 – Grande comments on Stevens taking on his new role, as a new challenge 40:00 – Marc revisits his experiences of interacting with Stevens’ intuitionSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What's it like to bask in the glory of being a Boston Celtics cult hero? It's time to hear straight from the horse's mouth. There’s a long list of obscure players in the team’s history who, for reasons other than their play, became some of the most popular players on their team. In this episode, Marc and Grande talk to not one, not two, but THREE of those players, as Brian Scalabrine, Tacko Fall and Gigi Datome all join the pod to discuss what it was like them to become a cult hero in Boston. How did it happen? Why did it happen? What did it involve? And most importantly – what were their favorite memories from their cult hero days in Beantown? They answer all of those questions and many more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the college basketball tournament well underway, former collegiate stars and current players within the Celtics organization Payton Pritchard and Denzel Valentine join the show to look back on their tournament experiences. Pritchard appeared in two tournaments as a member of the Oregon Ducks, including a run to the national semifinals back in 2017 that ended in heartbreaking fashion. Valentine, meanwhile, played in four tournaments as a. member of the Michigan State Spartans, including a trip to the national semifinals and being shocked in the first round by 15th-seeded Middle Tennessee in 2016. 1:20 – Payton Pritchard joins the pod 3:20 – Pritchard remembers his close second-round game against Rhode Island, and why it mattered 4:40 – Pritchard dives into the experience of playing at the Final Four 5:37 – The discussion goes deep into Oregon’s gut-wrenching, semifinal loss to UNC in 2017 10:50 – Denzel Valentine joins the pod and explains what it’s like playing in the NCAA tournament 16:15 – The conversation begins to detail Valentine’s experience as Michigan State was shockingly upset in the first-round in 2016 by 15th-seeded Middle Tennessee 21:58 – Valentine speaks on the lack of pressure small schools and lower seeds feel when playing big programs, and how that leads to upsets 25:50 – Valentine remembers his experience as Michigan State made a run to the Final Four during his junior year 29:45 – What’s it like playing for Tom Izzo in a tournament? Valentine explains 32:00 – Valentine speaks about his brother, Drew, who coached his team at Loyola-Chicago to the tournament this yearSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In celebration of Women’s History Month, we’re proud to deliver our first-ever all-female podcast episode featuring a handful of accomplished women and trailblazers in the basketball world. Abby Chin and Amanda Pflugrad host and bring in Big East Commissioner and the first president of the WNBA Val Ackerman, Connecticut Sun President Jen Rizzotti, and Boston Celtics scout and three-time national champion Ashley Battle. The group weaves through a long list of topics all centered around what it’s like to be a woman in the sporting world, and in particular, the world of basketball. 2:20 – Abby and Amanda welcome in their ridiculously impressive list of guests 3:35 – Val Ackerman explains the path she’s taken to becoming the Commissioner of the Big East 5:55 – Ashley Battle jumps in to tell the story of her career 7:55 – Jen Rizzotti rounds out the group by explaining how she came to be president of the Connecticut Sun 11:20 – Rizzotti and Battle explain how the WNBA bubble empowered the players of the league 15:00 – Ackerman states her ‘four buckets’ between the connection of women and sports 18:00 – Ackerman recalls an experience that scarred her and proved to her just how much more work needs to be done within FIBA to embrace women in basketball 23:43 – The group discusses the challenges women face of having a family while trying to build their careers 28:15 – The group gives advice on how to overcome challenges while discussing their own stories 32:40 – Allison Feaster, the Celtics’ Vice President of Player Development and Organizational Growth, is discussed amongst the group 36:05 – Rizzotti reveals her perspective on women in the workforceSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s a Kevin Garnett Mega Pod! Ahead of the retirement of KG’s No. 5 on March 13, we hit the Garnett story from all angles. First by bringing in two of his former teammates in Eddie House and James Posey to explain what it’s like to be KG’s teammate. Next by bringing in Wyc Grousbeck to break down how the Garnett megadeal came together back in 2007. And last but not least, the man who is credited with discovering KG, William “Wolf” Nelson, who coached Garnett in high school at Farragut Academy and has been alongside KG ever since, joins the pod to talk about Garnett’s early years and how the two first met back in the day at the Nike All-American camp. 4:00 – Eddie House and James Posey join the pod 5:00 – House and Posey comment on how the Kevin Garnett trade influenced them to sign with Boston, and how House recruited Posey to the team 8:45 – House and Posey explain what it’s like being KG’s teammate for the first time 10:20 – Posey tells the story of when Doc Rivers told KG that KG would be fined if he stepped on the practice court 14:00 – House recalls how KG used to get himself amped up before every single game and every single practice 15:50 – The two former Celtics reveal the time before a game when they knew not to speak to KG anymore because he was in the zone 18:15 – Celtics lead owner Wyc Grousbeck joins the pod and reveals when and how he told KG that he wanted to retire KG’s No. 5 22:20 – Grousbeck recalls the preparation that went into the Celtics preparing for and completing a trade for KG back in 2007 25:30 – Marc and Wyc recall the story that Paul Pierce told Wyc during a free throw against Minnesota back in 2006 that KG was Boston’s missing piece 27:00 – Grousbeck comments on the lasting impact Garnett made and left on the Celtics 31:08 – KG’s high school coach at Farragut, William “Wolf” Nelson, joins the pod 33:00 – Nelson recalls when and how Garnett first moved to Chicago, and what made him allow KG to play an unconventional style of basketball for a big man 37:00- Nelson remembers the famous KG pre-Draft workout, and when he first told Garnett to not restrain his emotions on the court 42:00 – Nelson recalls when he first saw Kevin Garnett at the Nike All-American camp 49:30 – Nelson compared Garnett to Jack and the Beanstock 52:30 – Marc and Grande reconvene to break down the pod interviews 56:30 – What were plan rides and hotel experiences like with KG? Competitive. Loud. Profane. Marc and Grande remember their experiences alongside the Big Ticket 1:00:00 – Wait… KG. turns elevator rides into competitions? 1:05:30 – Grande gives context to KG’s defensive greatnessSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Derrick White’s road to becoming a member of the Boston Celtics is one of the most unique paths you’ll ever hear. During this episode, he takes you deep into the moment when Gregg Popovich knocked on his door on the day of the trade deadline, and what ensued during the minutes, hours and days afterward. Later on, he dives into his story of being told over and over again during high school that he wasn’t good enough to play D1 ball while not having a single scholarship offer. Then he details his redemption story of flipping that script over the course of the next few years to spur many basketball minds, including Chauncey Billups, to tell him that he had a chance to make it in the NBA. 0:33 – Marc and Sean open up the show by discussing their initial reaction to the Derrick White trade 3:33 – Derrick White joins the conversation and tells us how he’s settling into Boston and what his trade experience was like 5:30 – White recalls the specifics of Gregg Popovich calling him as the trade deadline approached to ask him for his room number, and what ensued afterward – including notifying his pregnant wife 9:20 – White details how he’s been helped by the fact that multiple former Spurs staff members, including Ime Udoka and Will Hardy, are now on Boston’s staff 11:14 – White recalls the moment he first checked into a game as a member of the Celtics 13:40 – White again discusses his preexisting relationships with Ime Udoka and Will Hardy 17:30 – The conversation returns to discussing White’s relationship with Gregg Popovich and what it’s like to play for the legendary coach 21:15 – White goes into detail on his fascinating story of turning from an unrecruited high school player into an NBA player 26:45 – White reveals when he began to believe that he could make it to the NBA 28:15 – White comments on his relationship with his father, who grew up a Celtics fan 31:00 – Marc asks White about his passion for supporting the Special Olympics and those with special needsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.