This players dont want to play in Boston is getting old

[cltc5]

I love Boston but I’m not a 19 year old kid fresh outta college either

[mr. dee]

We got lucky that Horford was Dominican and one of our cities biggest sports heroes is Dominican (two if you include Pedro...three if you include Manny). We also got lucky that Hayward's college coach just happened to be coaching our ECF team.

This is not to say that Boston is bottom of the barrel in terms of FA destinations, but I think more evidence is needed before I begin ranking it in like the top 1/4. I agree that winning lots of games (and having cap space) are two things that can really help your cause, but guys like Kyrie and AD weren't even impressed by that.

Those two guys you mentioned are not exactly interested in winning. They are more concerned about their personal brands over the team they are playing. If they did care, they will sacrifice their own game for the better of their team, kinda like Ray and KG did when they were traded here. Nothing we can do about players who doesn't care about winning.

Paul George and Jimmy Butler have expressed their desire to play here when they were potential trade targets. And we were inch away from signing KD back in 2016, I just couldn't stress it enough.

[MaxAMillion]

and it is really becoming a hurdle for Boston. What can ve done about it.

You can start by not having a double standard where players like Gordon Hayward and coaches like Brad Stevens are never to blame. Doc Rivers sure took enough heat even though he won a title. I won't bother repeating again how Hayward's issues within the locker room get ignored by almost all the fans and local media.

Next year I am willing to bet that 21 year old Tatum will get more blame than $30 million Gordon Hayward whenever things go wrong.

[jambr380]

and it is really becoming a hurdle for Boston. What can ve done about it.

You can start by not having a double standard where players like Gordon Hayward and coaches like Brad Stevens are never to blame. Doc Rivers sure took enough heat even though he won a title. I won't bother repeating again how Hayward's issues within the locker room get ignored by almost all the fans and local media.

Next year I am willing to bet that 21 year old Tatum will get more blame than $30 million Gordon Hayward whenever things go wrong.

If this past season went as it did and Hayward was never injured, I am sure he would have take more blame.

The injury was just such an unfortunate incident for everybody- Hayward, the team, the fans - and it has apparently led to us not retaining Kyrie and subsequently not trading for AD.

If Hayward is not playing near peak performance next year, I think he will take a bit more heat, but people will probably give him somewhat of a pass forever after seeing such a gruesome injury with their own eyes.

[Moranis]

For divas who loves night life and parties, Boston is just not that.  But for players whose goal is only basketball reasons, Celtics is one of the better choices.

Al is a basketball guy, so was Hayward. If the Warriors won back in 2016, Durant would be a Celtic by now. Clowns like AD would pick personal brand over winning culture.

Are you saying the Lakers don't have a winning culture.  Lebron James went to 8 straight finals, does he not have a winning culture?  It seems like a strange argument you are making.

The Lakers have not been in the playoffs for quire some time though. It's clear that LeBron had numerous considerations that weren't to do with basketball that led to him moving there, whether it was his family, his desire to be more involved in entertainment, or something else.

The Lakers haven't had a winning culture since Kobe was around

eh.  C's had a 6 year playoff drought not all that long ago and didn't have one of the greatest players ever sitting there on the roster.  I doubt anyone around here was saying that the C's didn't have a culture of winning. 

[mr. dee]

For divas who loves night life and parties, Boston is just not that.  But for players whose goal is only basketball reasons, Celtics is one of the better choices.

Al is a basketball guy, so was Hayward. If the Warriors won back in 2016, Durant would be a Celtic by now. Clowns like AD would pick personal brand over winning culture.

Are you saying the Lakers don't have a winning culture.  Lebron James went to 8 straight finals, does he not have a winning culture?  It seems like a strange argument you are making.

The Lakers have not been in the playoffs for quire some time though. It's clear that LeBron had numerous considerations that weren't to do with basketball that led to him moving there, whether it was his family, his desire to be more involved in entertainment, or something else.

The Lakers haven't had a winning culture since Kobe was around

eh.  C's had a 6 year playoff drought not all that long ago and didn't have one of the greatest players ever sitting there on the roster.  I doubt anyone around here was saying that the C's didn't have a culture of winning.

Are we really counting the Pitino and Paul Gaston era where the environment was just unstable to build around? It's not just the team we should talk about. You should also consider the ownership and the management into equation.

Under Danny and Wyc, the team had only missed the playoffs 3 times within the span of 16 years. It is almost up there with the teams like the Mavs and the Spurs when it comes to playoff consistency.

[nickagneta]

For divas who loves night life and parties, Boston is just not that.  But for players whose goal is only basketball reasons, Celtics is one of the better choices.

Al is a basketball guy, so was Hayward. If the Warriors won back in 2016, Durant would be a Celtic by now. Clowns like AD would pick personal brand over winning culture.

Are you saying the Lakers don't have a winning culture.  Lebron James went to 8 straight finals, does he not have a winning culture?  It seems like a strange argument you are making.

The Lakers have not been in the playoffs for quire some time though. It's clear that LeBron had numerous considerations that weren't to do with basketball that led to him moving there, whether it was his family, his desire to be more involved in entertainment, or something else.

The Lakers haven't had a winning culture since Kobe was around

eh.  C's had a 6 year playoff drought not all that long ago and didn't have one of the greatest players ever sitting there on the roster.  I doubt anyone around here was saying that the C's didn't have a culture of winning.

You really should have clarified that those six years were the ML Carr and Rick Pitino years. I think almost anyone that experienced that time would admit that the Celtics actually did not have a winning culture at that time. Kind of important information to omit.

[droopdog7]

Is it this player doesn’t play in Boston or this player only wants to play in LA-NY?

[GreenEnvy]

I think KG almost single-handedly changed the narrative of playing in Boston.

Then the way IT4 was embraced and the love he had for us pushed us to almost get Durant AND Horford. We were close to nabbing the two best free agents in the same offseason.

Once we traded away IT4 (which at the time looked bad in the public eye but now made a ton of sense) the perception seemed to shift.

Now that Davis/Klutch publicly shunned us and Kyrie is leaving to a lesser team for less money, I think we are in a very bad spot. Those are two very high-profile stars in their prime. Not a good look.

[bellerephon]

It's a false narrative to state players don't want to play in Boston. Just like any other city, some players want to play here, others don't. KD seriously considered Boston and chose Golden State because of the talent level there, not because of any aversion to playing in Boston. Horford and Hayward chose Boston. Kyrie was willing to play here until he soured on the basketball situation. Davis didn't want to come here, but I think most of that was due to a desire to play with Lebron. If Lebron were still in Cleveland I suspect that's were he would want to go.

[Bobshot]

There's a lot of resentment in the NY and LA big markets for all those championships the Celtics have won. There was such an outcry from them when McHale, then Wolves GM, traded KG to the Celtics. The media is equally hostile in Philly, where the Celtics used to have a big rivalry with the 76ers. Bigger than it is now. The biases of the sports media know no bounds.

The one I love is the phony accusations out of NY about "racist" Boston.  This stems from Bill Russell's stories of the racism he encountered living in Boston--while he was playing for probably the most liberally managed team in the NBA--which broke racial barriers in sports.

The fact is Boston is typical in makeup to every big city in the Northeast, with all its different ethnic sections. No difference at all. This contrasts to the segregation African Americans had to endure in the Southern cities when Russell was playing.

I am concerned, however, near term about the current Celtics situation. And it's not about the city they play in. It's about their current lack of diversity in their coaching and management--in a league that is 85% African American. They have lost their two African American asst coaches recently to the colleges, and now have none in their coaching or (I believe) their management.

The Celtics have some great African America alumni  out there--Pierce and Garnett come to mind. And there are others. Pierce, in particular needs a closer association with the team. Their young players could benefit, and the team  might look more attractive to other players in the league.

[saltlover]

I was talking with someone who is good friends with Marcin Gortat just the other day, and was told that even Gortat didn’t want to come to Boston because it’s too cold.  Gortat isn’t someone I’d lose sleep over not being a Celtic, especially at this point in his career (which is likely over according to his friend), but the bias against Boston is real.

[Walker Wiggle]

Who says players don't want to come to Boston? We've signed two max free agents in the past few years -- the first time that's ever happened in this franchise's history -- and less than a year ago Kyrie Irving was making commercials in which he dreamed about hanging #11 from the rafters.

Recency bias, man.

[RJ87]

and it is really becoming a hurdle for Boston. What can ve done about it.

You can start by not having a double standard where players like Gordon Hayward and coaches like Brad Stevens are never to blame. Doc Rivers sure took enough heat even though he won a title. I won't bother repeating again how Hayward's issues within the locker room get ignored by almost all the fans and local media.

Next year I am willing to bet that 21 year old Tatum will get more blame than $30 million Gordon Hayward whenever things go wrong.

TP for you.

[PhoSita]

For divas who loves night life and parties, Boston is just not that.  But for players whose goal is only basketball reasons, Celtics is one of the better choices.

Al is a basketball guy, so was Hayward. If the Warriors won back in 2016, Durant would be a Celtic by now. Clowns like AD would pick personal brand over winning culture.

Are you saying the Lakers don't have a winning culture.  Lebron James went to 8 straight finals, does he not have a winning culture?  It seems like a strange argument you are making.

The Lakers have not been in the playoffs for quire some time though. It's clear that LeBron had numerous considerations that weren't to do with basketball that led to him moving there, whether it was his family, his desire to be more involved in entertainment, or something else.

The Lakers haven't had a winning culture since Kobe was around

eh.  C's had a 6 year playoff drought not all that long ago and didn't have one of the greatest players ever sitting there on the roster.  I doubt anyone around here was saying that the C's didn't have a culture of winning.

The late 90s / early 2000s may not be "all that long ago" to you but to NBA players it's literally an entire generation.