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

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 roster 05:30: Isaiah promises it felt “different” the first time he suited up for the Celtics at TD Garden 07:00: IT touches on his height, at 5-foot-9, and how that supercharged his story 09:00: Grande says IT was “the match to the flame” for those underdog teams 10:50: Telling the story of a memorable trip to the Inside the NBA studios 14:00: 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 Brown 20:45: IT tells the story of when he popcorned Jaylen Brown’s car at TD Garden 23:50: 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 Boston 02:10: On the drivers in Boston 03:00: The Celtics have had an eye on Garza for a while 05:50: Attractiveness of the Celtics’ player development program and what sets it apart 09:10: On the developing chemistry of the new frontcourt with Neemias Queta and Xavier Tillman 11:50: The astonishing lineage of athletic success in his family, dating back decades 16:05: 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 years 03:02: Differences between being a Celtics kid now, versus back in the day 08:30: How social media reconnected the “Dynasty Kids” 11:33: Why KC Jones is under-appreciated, and how Red Auerbach respected his players 14:12: What it was like having an NBA coach as a dad 22:35: The care Russell, Heinsohn, Jones and the Celtics had for one another 23:50: The Celtics dynasty teams used to do what?! 26:55: Reflecting on the Celtics City docuseries on HBO 30:28: Remembering Bill Russell saying in the 1969 Finals that the Lakers’ balloons wouldn’t be dropped 31:18: Detachment from their fathers due to the team travel 34:15: Discussing the current players and their kids, including Jayson and Deuce Tatum 39:30: 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.

What led to Joe Mazzulla saying some of his wildest quotes? How did Payton Pritchard make it through the 2021-22 season, when he requested a trade? What makes the STOCK Exchange of Derrick White and Jrue Holiday so special? Those are just a few of the topics we cover in Season 5’s greatest hits episode. We also highlight the top moments from our mega Celtics podcast crossover, talk with assistant coaches Sam Cassell and Phil Pressey about their journeys and futures, and catch up with rookies Baylor Scheierman and Anton Watson on what they’ve learned from being around superstars like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Enjoy the greatest hits from another excellent season (and one that’s still ongoing – we’ve got more episodes to come)! 00:19 - Joe Mazzulla 11:06 - Derrick White & Jrue Holiday 17:25 - Sam Cassell 24:53 - Anton Watson & Baylor Scheierman 29:36 - Payton Pritchard 37:08 - Phil Pressey 42:25 - Mega-CrossoverSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens when many of the top Celtics podcasts unite under one roof? You get the official Celtics mega crossover pod 🎙️☘️ View From The Rafters hosts Marc D’Amico, Sean Grande and Abby Chin brought John Karalis of Locked On Celtics, Chris Forsberg of Celtics Talk and Jay King of Still Poddable together for a one-of-a-kind episode featuring great stories, New Year’s resolutions and light-hearted shenanigans along the way. They discuss their favorite Celtics memories, such as Leon Powe’s return to Oakland and Isaiah Thomas’ 53-point playoff gem, as well as which player is the best quote from those whom they’ve covered. They close it out with some measured opinions on the 2024-2025 campaign. Check out the end of the pod where they give a special shoutout to their fans and info on how you can listen to each show.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Phil Pressey has been around the Celtics for almost two decades. Whether it was beating Tony Allen in shooting bets as a kid, getting picked up as an undrafted free agent as a player, or now being a coach for the title-winning Celtics, he embodies what it means to be a Celtic. Phil tells us what it was like growing up around NBA players as his dad was racking up a 20-year coaching career, and how that experience shaped him as a coach. He also talks about his relationship with Brad Stevens and Joe Mazzulla, including how he wound up back in Boston on their coaching staff, and about Payton Pritchard’s insane work ethic. He even tells kids from his hometown to pay attention to what Pritchard brings to the table.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Payton Pritchard is in the middle of a career year, both on and off the court. Whether it’s going viral after playing with kids in the park, getting married to a social superstar, or being the NBA’s leading candidate for Sixth Man of the Year, it takes a lot of work and focus to keep everything under control. But how did he get here? What did he have to go through to become who he is today? Payton takes us under the hood of how he crafted his incredible work ethic, and how he battled through the hardest year of his life – and a public trade request – to propel himself into NBA stardom this season with the Boston Celtics.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The COVID-19 pandemic broke out at the tail end of Baylor Scheierman’s and Anton Watson’s freshman seasons in college. The pandemic wound up shaping the rest of their lives, as both wound up staying in college for five years. The two Boston Celtics rookies and draft picks recall what it was like when COVID hit, how they benefited from an extra year of college basketball, what they’ve learned from being teammates with superstars like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and what they think of head coach Joe Mazzulla.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sam Cassell has won four NBA championships spanning 30-plus years in the NBA. He’s played with multiple MVPs (Hakeem Olajuwon, Kevin Garnett). He’s coached an MVP (Joel Embiid) and multiple MVP candidates (Jayson Tatum, Blake Griffin, Chris Paul). When we suggest that when he speaks, you should listen, we mean it. Cassell describes the experiences of winning four championships and what set the 2024 title apart, including being the first person to greet Jayson Tatum in the locker room with a champagne shower. He also discusses what it’s like working with Joe Mazzulla, what makes Jayson Tatum such a special player to coach and what makes him ready for an NBA head coaching job right now.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Derrick White and Jrue Holiday react to their nickname “The Stock Exchange,” and say they need some suggestions from Celtics Nation about a Stock Exchange hand shake. They dive into what it’s like playing defense alongside one another, including Jrue’s disbelief at how Derrick blocks shots in so many ways as a guard. They also discuss how they communicate to each other in the middle of games, and give their takes on what makes both a great individual defender and a great team defense.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joe Mazzulla joins us for the first episode of the View from the Rafters season to break down his unique approach to coaching in the NBA, and to life in general. That includes his use of psychology and methodology with everyone around him, including his players. Most importantly, we ask him to give context to his best quotes, and he also talks about his inspiration from Red Auerbach and Pep Guardiola, and why he thanked every member of the Boston Celtics staff via a personal letter following last season’s championship.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Boston Celtics advanced to 4-0 on the season with a win over Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard and the Milwaukee Bucks thanks to an insane shooting performance from Payton Pritchard. He scored 28 off the bench and tied the Celtics franchise record with eight made 3-pointers as a reserve. It’s got fans talking about his Sixth Man of the Year candidacy. We also take comments on what’s different about this year’s team, as well as the balance on Boston’s roster.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Celtics are 3-0 after coming up clutch Saturday night in Detroit. Tonight we take a comment from Derrick White's father, Richard White, on what he took from the win, another fan is already looking ahead to the Playoffs, and another says Jayson Tatum has reached top-3 status after another 37-point outburst. Let's dive into the win!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

GreenGuru thinks the Celtics might finish this season with record-breaking 75-7 record. Is that realistic? We discuss that, as well as the play of Payton Pritchard, The Jays and Neemias Queta in tonight’s episode of SOUND OFF after the Celtics led by as many as 32 points before polishing off a 122-102 win over the Wizards down in DC.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SOUND OFF is back for another season and we tip it off from Banner Night at TD Garden. How insane is Boston's 3-point shooting? Are the Celtics apex predators? How good is the defense? We answer it all after the Boston Celtics received their preposterously-sized championship rings, then raised the franchise's 18th championship banner to the rafters, and then clobbered the Knicks.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sound off with us on the Celtics proving their naysayers wrong YET AGAIN during Game 3, as they came through in the clutch for another win behind Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown each scoring at least 30 points. We touch on their performances, Xavier Tillman filling in for Kristaps Porzingis, what the Celtics have done to arguably the most talented backcourt in NBA history, and how far an 18th championship would go beyond just the Celtics’ locker room.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re sounding off tonight on Boston’s backcourt of Jrue Holiday and Derrick White providing the Celtics with clutch play from start to finish, and we also touch on Payton Pritchard’s impact plus give the latest on Kristaps Porzingis on the health front. Our fans join the conversation with comments on what they took away from the win, on the national media not understanding what this Celtics team is all about, and on what Boston needs to do to close this series out.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re sounding off on the Boston Celtics dismantling the Dallas Mavericks during Game 1 of the NBA Finals to take a 1-0 series lead. We’re diving in on the ridiculous performance that Kristaps Porzingis put forth during the first quarter, on Jaylen Brown having yet another take-over game while making life difficult on Luka Doncic, on the Celtics proving their critics wrong, and on how Boston can be even better during Game 2 against the Dallas Mavericks.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sound off with us on Jaylen Brown winning the Eastern Conference Finals MVP award, the Boston Celtics coming up clutch time after time after time, on the team dripping with resilience, on Joe Mazzulla being celebrated by his team on international television, and on the Celtics going a ridiculous 12-2 en route to the Finals without the services (mostly) of Kristaps Porzingis. Off to the Finals, let’s go!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.