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

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.

The NBA’s Executive Vice President of Global Events, Kelly Flatow, joins Marc D’Amico and Abby Chin to reveal the logistics that go into building All-Star weekend every year, some of her favorite All-Star memories, and she dives into some of the new events and celebrity performances that are taking place this weekend in Cleveland. Marc and Abby also discuss Jayson Tatum’s upcoming All-Star start, as well as Isaiah Thomas’ first All-Star game, and Marc somehow finding his way into the exclusive TNT Party at Chicago All-Star weekend. 1:25 – Marc and Abby discuss what they’re looking to learn about All-Star weekend from the NBA’s EVP of Global Events, Kelly Flatow 4:05 – Marc recalls his favorite memory from his All-Star weekend experiences 8:06 – Marc and Abby welcome Kelly Flatow to the conversation 10:21 – Kelly dives into the logistics that go into putting together All-Star weekend 17:35 – Kelly discusses the process of booking musical performers for All-Star weekend, and who will be performing in Cleveland 19:58 – The crew gets a preview of a new NFT art gallery the league is launching at All-Star weekend in Cleveland, and other new events the league is putting on 22:28 – Kelly recalls the moment she and her team were locked in a room in New Orleans as they and the league worked to move All-Star weekend from Charlotte to New Orleans 23:58 – Marc and Abby hit Kelly with a list of rapid fire questions, including best party at All-Star weekend 27:13 – Kelly drops her secret of something we might not otherwise know about Commissioner Adam Silver 31:58 – Marc describes what the exclusive TNT Party at NBA All-Star is like, and how he worked his way into the one in 2020 in Chicago 36:16 – Marc and Abby preview Jayson Tatum’s upcoming weekend at All-Star in Cleveland See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Al Horford was a silent leader during his first stint in Boston, but he has been more vocal this season. What changed? We get the answers to that question, plus Rob Williams and Grant Williams join the pod to give their perspective on Horford’s leadership and influence on them as young players. Horford then joins the conversation to speak about how he views NBA leadership through his own eyes. 1:12 – Marc and Abby preview their conversation with Rob Williams and Grant Williams 3:08 – Marc and Abby preview their conversation with Al Horford 5:10 – Rob Williams and Grant Williams join the conversation to discuss veteran leadership in the NBA 6:55 – Grant Williams on the advice he has sought from Al Horford, and he remembers the first time he ever met Horford 8:35 – Rob Williams on how Horford influenced him after a rough start to Williams’ career 11:15 – Rob Williams reveals his nickname for Horford 14:50 – Grant Williams reveals what he heard about Horford before Horford’s return to the Celtics 16:15 – What qualifies a player as an “OG” in the NBA? 16:45 – Grant Williams discusses the tricks of the trade he’s learned from watching Horford 19:00 – Grant Williams and Rob Williams compare Horford’s style of leadership to Gordon Hayward’s 23:30 – Horford on his return to Boston and what makes the Celtics “different” 26:30 – Horford on how he has changed from his first stint in Boston to his second stint 31:45 – Horford discusses what he tries to teach his young teammates 32:27 – Horford comments specifically on Rob Williams ‘and Grant Williams’ growth as players 36:30 – Horford on when he developed his leadership style 41:00 – Horford on what initiated him to become a more vocal leader this season 44:30 – Is Horford thinking about coaching in future? 47:20 – What it means to Horford that he has played a role in young players finding their way in the league See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To celebrate the release of the full 75th Anniversary All-Celtics Team squad, we brought three of the top 75 players of all-time and three members of the team in Bob Cousy, Dave Cowens and Paul Pierce onto the pod. This is the only podcast you can find that connects all 75 years of Celtics lineage together, from the voices who experienced it all first-hand. 0:35 – Marc and Sean intro S2E1 and the 75th Anniversary All-Celtics Team members who will join the episode as guests 2:53 – Bob Cousy joins the conversation and tells the unique story about how he wound up playing for the Boston Celtics 8:13 – Cousy on his relationship with Arnold “Red” Auerbach 12:53 – Cousy discusses his teammates and compared playing point guard to an art form 20:03 – Cousy remembers his ‘Houdini’ skills and playing in the NBA’s first All-Star game, which was played at Boston Garden 23:53 – Cousy describes what made the Big Three so special during the 1980s 27:22 – Dave Cowens joins the conversation and responds to being chosen to the 75th Anniversary All-Celtics Team 28:25 – Cowens remembers playing with John Havlicek and Jo Jo White 29:40 – Sean Grande asks how aware Cowens was of the history he was walking into with the Celtics back in 1970 30:50 – Cowens compared the game environment in the 70s to the game environment today 35:15 – Cowens on the pressure of trying to win titles in Boston 38:40 – Cowens recalls the 1974 championship series against Milwaukee 42:30 – Cowens on making the 75th Anniversary Team alongside his longtime coach, Tommy Heinsohn 45:10 – Cowens tells the story of when Larry Bird first joined the Celtics in 1979 51:03 – Paul Pierce joins the conversation and reacts to yet another accolade rolling in after his retirement 52:20 – Pierce recalls his first memory with the Celtics organization 55:00 – Pierce discusses how he, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen motivated each other behind closed doors with their individual work ethics 58:05 – Pierce reacts to Ray Allen being named to the 75th Anniversary All-Celtics team 59:30 – Pierce’s dog joins the conversation 1:00:00 – Pierce recalls his understanding of the Celtics organization before being Drafted, and how blown away he was by the history once he got to Boston 1:03:00 – Pierce tells the story of going out to dinner with Bill Russell for the first time 1:04:30 – Pierce on the environment around the team when it reached the 2002 Eastern Conference Finals 1:06:30 – Pierce on the importance of creating a legacy with one organization See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Get to know the 18th head coach in Celtics franchise history in this in-depth conversation about how and when Brad Stevens approached him for the job and what crafted him into the coach and person he is today.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From the moment Doc Rivers first heard it, to the moment it helped to secure a record 17th World Championship banner, this is the story of the birth of Ubuntu within the 2008 Boston Celtics. We're ending Season 1 with a bang - audio documentary style! Hear from a long cast of Celtics Legends, including Rivers, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Wyc Grousbeck, who come together to tell this complete story like it's never been told before.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fresh off his selection to the Hall of Fame, Celtics play-by-play man Mike Gorman joins the pod to take you inside the birth of his career and the many relationships he built along the way, including those with Tommy Heinsohn and Paul Pierce. Audio disclaimer: we had some technical issues at the start of the conversation but they clear up as the conversation goes on.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Celtics assistant general manager Austin Ainge was born into the NBA nearly 40 years ago as rookie guard Danny Ainge’s son. He’s lived a life of a million tales that’s led him to where he is today, scouting the world for basketball talent and helping the C’s hit a home run in the 2020 Draft with the selections of Aaron Nesmith and Payton Pritchard.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We've got a perfect primer for you ahead of Hall of Fame weekend. Hall-of-Fame finalist Paul Pierce joins the pod to tell his favorite stories about Kevin Garnett before KG is enshrined this weekend, and to speak on Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, who are facing a similar situation to what Pierce faced 20 years ago as a young superstar trying to break through to the Finals.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver joins Marc D'Amico and Sean Grande to reveal the personal struggles he's faced while leading the league through 14 months of a pandemic, and to give his view of the future of the league given its infusion of young stars like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You know him as the quote god. We know him as Evan Turner. He joins the pod to take you through his life journey, how everything changed for him when he joined the Boston Celtics, and for a full segment of Story Time with Evan Turner.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is where we typically provide a concise description of the podcast you’re about to listen to. But this is Bill Walton. There’s nothing concise about him, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Celtics guard Marcus Smart joins Marc D'Amico and Abby Chin for a candid conversation about the struggles he's faced throughout his life that have formed him into the player and the person he is today. Plus, hear why Smart and Danny Ainge have connected since Smart's first day in Boston, and why the All-Defensive First Teamer thinks he's Brad Stevens' "alter ego."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our four hosts come together for the first time to introduce View from the Rafters before having a wide-ranging conversation with Celtics President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You might've heard the story, but you've never heard it like this. You might know it happened, but you don't know how it happened. You might think you know the person, but do you really? See basketball's most historic franchise from a whole new perspective with the team's first official podcast: View from the Rafters: Behind the Scenes with the Boston Celtics.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Celtics Legend Robert Parish joins the VFTR pod for a wide-ranging conversation on one of the greatest eras in Boston basketball history, while connecting it with the game today. Parish reflects on the unselfish culture of the 1986 Celtics, reconnecting with Larry Bird and Kevin McHale, and what it meant to be a part of the original Big 3. He shares stories of the moment he knew how special that Celtics team would become, the hard lesson he learned when joining that team, and the underappreciated legacy of Cedric Maxwell. The Hall-of-Famer also dives into going head-to-head with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, winning titles with both Bird and Michael Jordan, and comparisons between the 1986 and 2024 championship teams. He gives his thoughts on why Jayson Tatum is a “generational talent,” and his view on Victor Wembanyama and the evolution of big men. From Celtics City nostalgia to a Maxwell Hall of Fame campaign, The Chief delivers honesty, humor, and timeless perspective on what makes championship basketball.  1:36 – What made the 1986 Celtics so special4:44 – Reuniting with Larry Bird and Kevin McHale6:21 – Cedric Maxwell’s overlooked impact8:08 – When Parish knew the Celtics were championship material10:14 – The origin story of No. 0012:11 – Jayson Tatum as a “generational talent”14:26 – Similarities between 1986 and 2024 title teams14:40 – Parish on load management & his games-played record19:30 – Battling Kareem & the most unstoppable big men22:48 – Winning titles with Bird and MJ, their different leadership styles28:54 – Cedric Maxwell’s Hall of Fame campaign

Remember when Isaiah Thomas popcorned Jaylen Brown’s car during JB’s rookie season? Isaiah Thomas does, and he tells the whole story here. IT joined the VFTR crew in studio during his recent trip to Boston to remember the glory days of when he and Celtics Nation first fell in love, and how it still feels like he’s on the roster. Thomas describes what it felt like to become a bona fide superstar for the Celtics during his 2.5 seasons in Boston. He became an MVP candidate. As a result, he earned some dream opportunities that he still remembers like it was yesterday, like hearing Shaq and Kevin Garnett respect and compliment him during a trip to the Inside the NBA studios, and his first experience as an NBA All-Star. 00:55: IT explains why Boston feels like home to him, and how it feels like he’s still on the roster05:30: Isaiah promises it felt “different” the first time he suited up for the Celtics at TD Garden07:00: IT touches on his height, at 5-foot-9, and how that supercharged his story09:00: Grande says IT was “the match to the flame” for those underdog teams10:50: Telling the story of a memorable trip to the Inside the NBA studios14:00: Remembering his first All-Star experience and being like “a kid in a candy store”17:00: What it was like playing with rookie Jaylen Brown20:45: IT tells the story of when he popcorned Jaylen Brown’s car at TD Garden23:50: IT plugs is hew podcast – the Point Game Pod

Luka Garza grew up an East Coast guy, and after eight years in the Midwest, is excited to be back after signing with the Boston Celtics this past offseason. He explains what separated the Celtics from other potential suiters in free agency, including the fact that some members of Boston’s front office still remembered his pre-Draft workout from 2021. Garza also dives into the astonishing lineage of athletic success in his family, and opens up about a life-threatening surgery he underwent heading into his sophomore year of college that led to a 10-pound cyst being removed from his abdomen.00:15: Living in downtown and settling into Boston02:10: On the drivers in Boston03:00: The Celtics have had an eye on Garza for a while05:50: Attractiveness of the Celtics’ player development program and what sets it apart09:10: On the developing chemistry of the new frontcourt with Neemias Queta and Xavier Tillman11:50: The astonishing lineage of athletic success in his family, dating back decades16:05: Reliving a life-threating surgery that led to a 10-pound cyst being removed from his abdomen

Bill Russell, Tommy Heinsohn and KC Jones told stories for decades about their basketball dynasty during the 1950s and 1960s. But what was it like growing up as one of their children during those epic dynasty years?Karen Russell, Paul Heinsohn and Bryna Jones, who are children of those three NBA legends and Basketball Hall of Famers, came together for a special episode that revolved around that exact topic. Amid the conversation, they discuss parallels between those great dynasty teams,and the teams of the present that are headlined by Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.00:40: Growing up as a kid during Celtics dynasty years03:02: Differences between being a Celtics kid now, versus back in the day08:30: How social media reconnected the “Dynasty Kids”11:33: Why KC Jones is under-appreciated, and how Red Auerbach respected his players14:12: What it was like having an NBA coach as a dad22:35: The care Russell, Heinsohn, Jones and the Celtics had for one another23:50: The Celtics dynasty teams used to do what?!26:55: Reflecting on the Celtics City docuseries on HBO30:28: Remembering Bill Russell saying in the 1969 Finals that the Lakers’ balloons wouldn’t be dropped31:18: Detachment from their fathers due to the team travel34:15: Discussing the current players and their kids, including Jayson and Deuce Tatum39:30: Why are they and their families such fans of the current Celtics teams?44:55: Seeing their dads’ numbers hanging in the rafters never gets old

Get to know the history and personality of one of the newest Celtics, Anfernee Simons, as he joins View From The Rafters for the first time. Simons explains why he believes the Celtics culture and coaching will take his game to another level this season. He also opens up about some of the most emotional and “craziest” experiences of his NBA career, including having a front-row seat to Damian Lillard’s game-winner against the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2019, and scoring 43 points the day after his grandfather passed away in 2022.