While eating dinner with my son in front of the television and watching PTI on ESPN, I caught Wilbon and Kornheiser interviewing Kenny Smith. I found a comment that Kenny Smith said about the Lakers team attitude to be very interesting.

Smith said that the Houston-LA series wasn't over because the Lakers were an arrogant team and that their arrogance led to complacency. He went on to say that because of their arrogance that they could be very unpredictable because they won't always bring 100% effort because they feel their talent is enough to win. He mentioned Game 4 in Houston and the Finals last year as prime examples of what happens to the Lakers when they start believing they are simply better than everyone and don't have to go all out every night.

The Lakers are arrogant!!!

Which made me be so, so, so grateful for the attitude that Doc Rivers instilled, grew, matured and fostered in this particular group of Celtics. Doc from the very beginning saw a group of super stars that hadn't won it all and convinced them that their sacrifice for the team, their trust in one another, and that view that each was as important as the next was the most important thing in determining their ultimate destiny. Every player, from the super stars to the rawest rookie bought into it and the Celtics took the mantra of UBUNTU and became World Champions.

And what amazes me about this team is that through all the adversity that it has gone through, that that team concept, that unselfishness, that trust in one another, and that experience it all created, gave them the heart of a champion. It has persevered through it all and carried them further than any thought possible this year, given the circumstances.

I know we make fun of the word "intangibles" at this site a lot, but how fitting is it that a very intelligent and knowledgeable analyst such Kenny Smith thinks that an intangible, such as the Lakers arrogance, is what could eventually doom them this year? He is, in an indirect way, advocating that having the best talent isn't always what it takes to be great.

I love the Celtics team attitude and I love this team. In some some ways I love this team more than I loved last year's team because of how UBUNTU has carried them so far and allowed younger players to develop and become integral components of the team. So many basketball "experts" are so quick to write off these Celtics because they lack the talent and the experience in the replacements of KG and Leon. Yet, it has been the young trio of Perk, Rondo and Baby that are responsible for making up the slack created by the holes the team's injuries have made.

I don't ever see these Celtics being called arrogant, selfish, complacent, dumb, unmotivated, or lazy. Watch and read everything you can on the Celtics and you will almost never hear these type of words describing our Green Team. And that's even from people who hate the Celtics.

Much of the Celtic hating world was rejoicing when it looked to those that don't follow the intangibles or team attitudes as if the Celtics were done for this year. But now they are one win away from playing in the ECF again and once again being predicted to fail because of a lack of talent.

I believe the Celtics team attitude, if they get by Orlando, will take them further than almost all will expect. I hope it's for some shocking wins and another banner. But if not, I'll be happy because I know they'll fight to the end and never become complacent because of their arrogance.

So, once again, thanks Doc. You realized that basketball and physical talent and ability can only get one so far and you turned the team inward upon itself to become more cerebral and hence, gave it the ability to take control of their destiny through positive mental preparation and attitude. Thanks Doc.

And thank you, UBUNTU!!!!

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I don't ever see these Celtics being called arrogant, selfish, complacent, dumb, unmotivated, or lazy. Watch and read everything you can on the Celtics and you will almost never hear these type of words describing our Green Team. And that's even from people who hate the Celtics.

The Celts are never called selfish, dumb, or lazy.  However, they *are* called arrogant, complacent, and unmotivated.  Heck, Perk called them unfocused, and said "think we get too comfortable after we get a little success, have a win".  If that's not complacent, I don't know what is.  Repeatedly this year, the team has had slow starts, and has lost against inferior teams because they didn't seem to play with the fire of last year.  Recently, Doc has been questioning Rondo, saying he's not playing at full speed.  Again, if that's not complacency, it's something akin to it.

In terms of arrogance...  you've never heard that about the Celtics, even from their critics?  That's *all* I hear from the critics.  The Celtics talk a lot of trash, they brag up their ring, they don't come to play as hard against inferior teams, Paul Pierce calls himself the best player in the world, etc....  I know it's not a popular sentiment around here, but I think the Celtics have a collective cockiness -- which many are going to call arrogance -- that the team thrives off of.

So, I agree with being proud of this team, the way it's fought through two playoff series in a row.  However, I disagree that the attitude of this team somehow sets them apart from other teams, in terms of lack of arrogance, constant hustle, etc.  The team definitely buys into ubuntu, but it suffers from many of the same personality flaws that fans don't like in other teams.

Quote from: Redz on May 14, 2009, 01:00:46 PM

I think the word "dumb" gets passed around a bit too.

Hello Tony Allen.

For sure.  As a whole, the Celtics aren't a dumb team.  However, we do have some dumb players (i.e., Tony, Mikki, etc.)

Okay so maybe I was wearing my extra green dark sunglasses when I typed the Celtics haven't been called arrogant. They have. A lot. Especially back in the Red Auerbach days.

And maybe, on the rare occasion, they have been complacent, but I think complacency has less to do with some of their struggles this year than focus, age, health, and maturity.

But I wouldn't say that this particular group's overall team demeanor can be described in the manner that Kenny Smith described the Lakers. When it comes down to game time, I don't consider trash talking arrogance. I think trash talking is more of a weapon and a motivating factor these days and it is done by players on even the worst of teams.

Arrogance the way Smith used it was meant as a sense of conceit, of entitlement, a way in which the team carried itself because of their own self image and not necessarily because of their accomplishments. I don't find the Celtics to be described that way.