Author Topic: Celtics Stuff Live! Tonight, W/Steve Bulpett. 7-10 PM, EDT.  (Read 1318 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline JB_Celticsstuff

  • Author
  • Brad Stevens
  • Posts: 244
  • Tommy Points: 13

Quote
    When I was playing for them, the Boston Celtics won an unprecedented 11 championships in 13 seasons, from 1957 to 1969, by embracing a team strategy that I call "team ego." Team ego recognizes the collective alignment of everyone's individual talents for the benefit of the team. Team defense wins games. Team defense--that is, the coordinated efforts of five individuals--wins championships. From high school to the NBA, I played 21 years of organized basketball and won 18 championships, including the record 11 NBA titles, by focusing on our being the better defensive team.

The above quote was taken from Bill Russell's article in "The Wall Street Journal," June 8th, 2004.

That the Celtics have adopted this philosophy, which became  their mantra "Ubuntu," is a tribute to Bill, but we must look to a present day influence who insisted on this attitude from the beginning of this arduous journey to the finals.

According to "The Commisionah," Bob Ryan, in today's Boston Globe, Doc Rivers preached this selfless dimension to his star players before they even got together for a practice.

Quote
    "It didn't matter that they were great," Rivers said. "I told them, 'I don't want to hear about the history of what you've done. You have to give yourself to this team, and you have to trust my system, and some of it may not fit what you do, but it's going to be good for the team.

    " 'If we have an agenda-less team, we have a chance, and if we don't' - and I was honest with them - 'we have no chance.'

    "I gave them the names of other guys that always said they want to win, but on their terms, and, I said, it just can't work....from Day 1, gave themselves to the team."

Defensively, the team has been on this page all season, but  even over the course of these first three playoff rounds, the selfless play on the offensive end has matured.

It became apparent that the team played better if Rajon Rondo got to handle the ball on most of the offensive possessions and that any player holding the ball for a few extra seconds, meant that Ray Allen  would not get touches. Looking in retrospect, these two aspects, of submerging one's own comfort level for the good of the team were never more evident than in the last two games.

  Fittingly, our guest tonight will be Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald, the longest tenured beat writer for any team in the NBA.

Steve has seen most of the great Celtics teams of the past, having followed many of them on a daily basis. He will certainly keep us enthralled with his keen insights and caustic wit.

We hope you will join us.

 If you have a question for our guest or the show you can call our toll free number (1.866.751.9649), send us an e-mail to CSL@CelticsBlog.com, or join us in the “pit” (chat room) during the broadcast. 


JB - "Yes Indeed!"