Do you think being a Celtic still holds weight?

[Ilikesports17]

No, it doesn't. If it did, free agents would actually sign here. I think playing for the Lakers holds weight, but that is truly the only team in the NBA I feel that way for. If the Celts were still as dominant as they were in the earlier decades, then I would agree, but they haven't been great since the 90s.

playing for the lakers doesnt hold either by that logic.

They signed who?

Lou Williams.

[tankcity!]

Watch what happens when Kobe retires, really dumb to judge now...Can the Celtics at least get a meeting with a free agent? Wasn't it down to the Lakers and Knicks last year for Carmelo? I love the Celtics too, but I'm not going to be unrealistic here. Players love playing for the Lakers. Think of it from their perspective. You're playing in front of Hollywood and the nightlife their is amazing.

[cb8883]

Nope the Celtics haven't been a sustained contender since we had Bird. Spurs and Lakers on the other hand are like what the Celtics and Lakers had. Players are proud to put that uniform on just like Duncan and Shaq and Kobe. You get young guys to go there and they will stay. The Celtics have no identity any more they can only get it back by tanking and winning titles. The KG years was a 3 year window. No difference between that run and the Pistons 10 years ago. Both mid market franchises that have had small windows of contending then back to mediocrity. They both have failed to do the right thing and tank since. If the Celtics tank and succeed then they will be able to make players want to play in Boston.

[walker834]

I think it does.  Being a Celtic is different.  It's not about the stats or the money these guys are making.   It's about winning basketball and sacrifice for the team.  This is why I don't mind if a guy doesn't  put up huge numbers as long as the Celtics are winning.  I consider that guy a superstar.

It's going to take time for some of these guys but patience is a virtue too. I hope Ainge doesn't feel forced to make moves with this team. Adding talent is good.  Talent is good in general  but it's also the type of talent.   I see it differently in ways I guess.

Numbers are part of it for sure. I'd be kidding myself if I didn't think Larry Bird didn't put up huge numbers but that stuff comes within the team concept and allowing other players to do that as well.   I see Smart putting up huge numbers.  I think he is going to be a catalyst.  I more think the numbers will come.

People will come. It's like that field of dreams if DA plays his cards right.

Dude do not mean to call you out but dont you think you are being hypocritical by posting this? Your talking about sacrificing numbers for the sake of winning. Thats is all well and good except that just under 2 weeks ago you wrote this

It would be nice but I'm starting to sour on Kevin Love a bit. If he is a guy who is going to be in lebrons pocket to win a championship he isnt a player i want here.

http://forums.celticsblog.com/index.php?topic=79207.msg1913247#msg1913247

If you really like players sacrificing numbers and money for the sake of winning then why were you souring on Klove for apparently doing just that? Cant have both ways dude.

You are probably right.  I'm not a Lebron fan though.  I guess by logic I'm being hypocritical with Lebron.  David Lee did it in GS and I don't knock him.  kevin Love is a really good player. 

[GreenCoffeeBean]

The kids playing today grew up in a different generation of basketball. The current generation was born in the late 80s and 90s where their idols were the Kobe Bryants and Allen Iversons of the world.

The only players who value being a Celtic are the ones who had parents that were players and coaches or are just basketball historians with a lot of respect for the game. We got lucky that KG (not a 80s/90s kid by any stretch) cared so much about our history, but modern day NBA players don't.

Bill Russell, Larry Bird, and Kevin McHale aren't cool to them. Glitz, glam, and hot air balloon shoes are. Some care about winning but there's a lot of players who care about winning but don't want to be the center piece.

[Hardwood Harry]

Of course it does. We drafted Sully and he's holding onto all his weight....

[kheldar52077]

Of course it does. We drafted Sully and he's holding onto all his weight....

  glen davis another example.

[RockinRyA]

Watch what happens when Kobe retires, really dumb to judge now...Can the Celtics at least get a meeting with a free agent? Wasn't it down to the Lakers and Knicks last year for Carmelo? I love the Celtics too, but I'm not going to be unrealistic here. Players love playing for the Lakers. Think of it from their perspective. You're playing in front of Hollywood and the nightlife their is amazing.

The Lakers didnt get any of their targets this year. Last year Love was seriously considering us, only he was under contract and Saunders wouldnt trade him. Players value more than location these days.

[Al91]

This past off season is quite convincing that it does not matter to current NBA players. 

We can't change the tax disadvantage (compared to Texas, Florida, etc.), the weather, that most of the city/fans are white (if an African American star is what we're trying to win over), or that making it big in the city of Boston is provincial compared to making it big NY, LA, Miami, etc.  What we can change is the stability of ownership, quality of coach, and quality of players that we draft.  What saddened me the most this past offseason isn't that we didn't land a star player, it's that none of them even gave us the time of day despite having great ownership, management, and coaching.  To me this is one of the key reasons that we (unfortunately) need to rely on the Draft to get a superb player.  Maybe then we can finally at least get an interview with a star player in the future.

....



Seriously? I really hope being black and not coming to Boston is a forum thing and not a real life issue.

And oh yeah, players are taxed from every state they visit. Each game is taxed individually. Players may go to Texas or Florida for the majority of their games to be without state income tax. Federal taxes still apply.

[Celtics4ever]

The current generation was born in the late 80s and 90s where their idols were the Kobe Bryants and Allen Iversons of the world.

  I don't see people running to be a sixer, rather I see kids dropping their jerseys like it's trash.  Also, I think no one wants to play with Kobe, the Lakers found this out this off season.

[indeedproceed]

I think a team only has as good a reputation as its current culture.

And if that culture involves being proud of wearing the jersey because of its history, then yes, it still matters.

But only if you buy into the culture.

[Celtics4ever]

This guy was not the happiest camper when he was picked and he worked out

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hk3PK6j5wFw

[ZoneD]

This past off season is quite convincing that it does not matter to current NBA players. 

We can't change the tax disadvantage (compared to Texas, Florida, etc.), the weather, that most of the city/fans are white (if an African American star is what we're trying to win over), or that making it big in the city of Boston is provincial compared to making it big NY, LA, Miami, etc.  What we can change is the stability of ownership, quality of coach, and quality of players that we draft.  What saddened me the most this past offseason isn't that we didn't land a star player, it's that none of them even gave us the time of day despite having great ownership, management, and coaching.  To me this is one of the key reasons that we (unfortunately) need to rely on the Draft to get a superb player.  Maybe then we can finally at least get an interview with a star player in the future.

....



Seriously? I really hope being black and not coming to Boston is a forum thing and not a real life issue.

And oh yeah, players are taxed from every state they visit. Each game is taxed individually. Players may go to Texas or Florida for the majority of their games to be without state income tax. Federal taxes still apply.

Boston absolutely has a history of racial prejudice and you can't tell me that perception is substantially different now. Do you really think that a black basketball player views Boston as the same as Atlanta, or Miami or even New York? In most situations they're thinking of moving their families and they have their kids to think about. Do you think that a black family living in Boston area has the same experience as a black family living in Atlanta?

To the other point concerning whether  Celtics history matters or not I say it doesn't matter to most modern players nor should it matter to them. The only thing these players should evaluate is the future available to them. Now the Celtics are in a good spot right now but why should a player care that we won a bunch of championships forty years ago? Why should they even care about the 80s? Many of these young guys never even saw Larry Bird play or Michael Jordan for that matter. How does anyone expect them to care about Celtics tradition? Honestly I am as big of Celtics fan as anyone but even I think that tradition side of things is overblown. If we are having a real discussion about tradition does anyone think we actually compare with franchises like the Spurs or even the Lakers? For goodness sake Red Auerbach and Bill Russell won the majority of our franchise's championships in the 50s and 60s! In the past 20 years we won one championship (end rant). How about I put a different spin on things. Imagine you're buying a stock to invest in. Do you buy Coke because of their tradition? Because you drank it as a kid? Because their product tastes good even? No, you buy it if you think they're going to grow in the future. These guys are making the same call. They're making an investment of time and money. They're looking forward not backward.

[bdm860]

I really believe the history doesn't matter at all, nor should it.  You don't want to play for a team because of what they did 10, 20, 30, 40, etc. years ago.  You want to play for a team because of what they are doing right now.

Same reason UCLA doesn't sign the top recruiting class every year, or how Kentucky didn't before Calipari and most likely won't after he leaves (if he ever leaves for the NBA again.)

History is the kind of thing that's cool to appreciate while you're there, but is such a minor selling point.  Plus that selling point cuts both ways: do you want to write maybe a chapter, page, or paragraph in a book playing for a team with a rich history, or do you want to be the one to write the entire book for a team with no history yet?  Do you want to be the first person people think of when they think of a team or city, or do you want to be one of many and possibly very easily forgotten and/or over looked?  While it's cool to be thought of in the same sentence as (but most likely behind) Bird, Russell, and Cousy or West, Wilt, Kareem, and Magic, it's also pretty cool to be thought of as the one and only face of a team and city (like Jordan and LeBron).  Think of how great guys like Shaq and Kobe were, but they still might get overlooked when talking about greatest Lakers or Lakers history.

History is something you should be selling to yourself after the fact, looking at the bright side of whatever situation you're in.  Wow I get to play for Boston, they have such a rich history, look at all those banners and numbers, that's pretty cool.  But if you end up in Orlando or Denver or Toronto, you should be telling yourself: wow I can bring the first championship to the city, really put them on the basketball map, that's pretty cool.

[Celtics18]

I think our history matters.  Rather, I think our history adds to the name recognition and marketability that is the brand known as the Boston Celtics.

The Boston Celtics are still one of the most famous sports franchises in all of sports, not just in the US but all over the world.

Yes, I think that matters.