The heavily motivated Celtics look really good on cover of Sports Illustrated
BOSTON -- The Celtics' trio of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Marcus Smart grace the cover of Sports Illustrated ahead of the new NBA season, and it's quite the sight to behold for Boston fans. But as visually pleasing as the cover is, it's what Boston players are saying in this month's feature that should have Celtics fans ready to run through a wall for the team.
It's been pretty clear since the Celtics walked off the TD Garden floor following their Game 6 NBA Finals loss to the Golden State Warriors that the team was going to come into the new season with a chip on their shoulders. Losing in the Finals is a really good motivator for any team.
But the sting of that defeat is still fresh, even after four long months. Having to watch the Warriors celebrate underneath Boston's banners of yesteryear is burned into everyone's minds.
"That, I'll never forget," Tatum told Chris Mannix for the SI feature on the Celtics, adding that the aftermath of losing in the Finals was, "f---ing miserable."
That loss has put a stain on everything else the team accomplished last season. That epic second-half turnaround? Meaningless. Tatum's All-NBA First Team or Eastern Conference Finals MVP? Forget about them. Marcus Smart's Defensive Player of the Year? What have you done for me lately?
"It's hard to call it a good year when you f---ing lose a championship," Tatum vented. Brown told Mannix that he is still not over the Finals defeat, while veteran Al Horford simply called last season "a step in the right direction."
The Celtics head into the 2022-23 season -- which they'll tip off Tuesday night by hosting the Philadelphia 76ers -- more motivated than they've ever been. The young Celtics aren't really that young anymore, at least not by NBA experience. Smart is heading into his ninth season, Brown his seventh, and Tatum his sixth. Tatum has been to the Conference Finals three times, while Smart and Brown have made four trips each. After getting so close to a title last season, there is no excuse for not bringing it home this year.
According to Tatum's trainer, Drew Hanlen, the C's forward has "become obsessed with winning." He worked out heavily with other pros around the league, and spent lots of time with Kevin Durant, picking his brain on how he can not only improve, but how he can both handle a heavy workload and stay fresh for a title run.
To further his game, Tatum adjusted his posture and added a floater to his arsenal. To get his body ready for another long run, he tweaked his diet and upped his conditioning drills.
This has been the common theme for the Celtics this summer. Everyone is looking to get even better. They're all also willing to sacrifice their own personal numbers for the better of the team. There will be no early season bickering or in-fighting, which led to the team's woeful start last season.
"Just about hitting the ground running," said Robert Williams III. "Not having the same start that we had last year. And letting people know that what we did, it wasn't a fluke.
"It's not even about proving it to other people. It's about staying true to ourselves. It's about showing your teammates," added Williams. "'We're still here. And we've got this.'"
The Celtics have to want it more than anything else. Which doesn't sound like it will be an issue for anyone this year.
"That's how this team has to be. We had an edge to us last year. We need to keep it," said Horford.
The Celtics may eventually get over their loss to the Warriors. But for now, it's given them a burning motivation, one that won't soon be damped out. Not until they get a banner of their own.
