Category: NBA

3 observations after Sixers fall to Spurs despite four 20-point performances  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Multiple career highs and four 20-point outings did not add up to a victory for the Sixers on Friday night in San Antonio.

The Spurs pulled out a 128-120 win at Frost Bank Center. They improved to 30-39 and the Sixers fell to 23-47. 

San Antonio’s top scorer was Jeremy Sochan with 23 points. Rookie guard Stephon Castle tallied 17 points and 14 assists.

For the Sixers, Quentin Grimes posted 25 points and a career-best 10 assists. Justin Edwards also put up 25 points, which is tied for the most he’s scored in a game his rookie year.

Ricky Council IV set a new career scoring high, adding 20 points. Guerschon Yabusele had 23 points, nine rebounds and five assists.

The Sixers were still heavily shorthanded. Lonnie Walker IV returned from a four-game absence with a concussion. However, according to the NBC Sports Philadelphia broadcast, Walker was ruled out at halftime because of a mild headache. 

The Spurs’ sidelined players included star center Victor Wembanyama, who’s out for the rest of the season because of deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder.

The Sixers will finish their six-game road trip with games Sunday against the Hawks and Monday against the Pelicans. 

Here are observations on their loss to the Spurs: 

Edwards’ steady scoring 

In their 70th game of the season, the Sixers used a 46th starting lineup.

After his 14-point, 15-rebound night Wednesday in the Sixers’ loss to the Thunder, Chuma Okeke started next to Jared Butler, Grimes, Edwards and Yabusele. 

The Sixers were the sharper team out of the gates. They played active defense, forced turnovers and profited in transition. Butler’s fast-break three-pointer gave the Sixers an early 15-6 lead. 

Edwards posted five of the Sixers’ first seven points with a put-back layup and corner three. He’s scored smoothly and consistently on this road trip, hitting double figures in all four contests. The rookie wing has generally taken sensible shots while also increasing his aggression for an extremely undermanned team. 

Over his past three games, Edwards has totaled 62 points and gone 23 for 43 from the floor (53.5 percent).

Grimes and Yabusele making plays

The Spurs eventually got rolling. The Sixers took plenty of hasty jumpers in the first half and missed many, opening 3 for 16 from long range.

They also committed 10 first-half turnovers. The Sixers were whistled for an eight-second violation after Walker couldn’t handle Blake Wesley’s backcourt pressure. A Wesley corner three built San Antonio’s lead to 42-32. 

The Sixers’ offense suddenly looked far more crisp when Grimes took charge. He had five assists in the first half, including a drive-and-kick dish to set up a Walker three.

Like Grimes, Yabusele has a knack for finding savvy ways to create open looks out of stagnant situations. He fed Grimes on a backdoor cut late in the second quarter and the 24-year-old guard slammed home a dunk before Sochan could recover. 

Offensive magic runs out

Chris Paul canned four three-pointers early in the third quarter and the Spurs extended their advantage to 16 points.

Not much was working for the Sixers’ defense, which has conceded 132.5 points per game thus far on the road trip.

Led by Grimes, the Sixers made a big run back. Grimes poured in 10 straight points, converting three layups, a three-pointer and a free throw. He’s been great this month at attacking constantly and going directly at any defense on its heels. 

Council drilled a three late in the third quarter to put the Sixers in front. Two nights after shooting 1 for 11 from the floor against the Thunder, Council had a strong, very efficient night. Over two career appearances in San Antonio, Council has scored 31 points on 10-for-14 shooting.

The Spurs went down 117-111 on an Okeke three, but they responded with a 10-0 spurt.

The Sixers’ offense grew shaky. The team committed two shot-clock violations, one of which came when Grimes air balled a deep, desperate three. Grimes threw a loose perimeter pass that Sochan picked off and turned into a slam on the other end.

Though Grimes made a triple to cut his team’s deficit to one point, the Sixers then left Harrison Barnes wide open. He nailed a crucial corner three and the Sixers wound up losing on a night they shot 56.8 percent from the field and received four excellent offensive performances.

Doctor explains why Steph's injury update is ‘good sign' originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Dub Nation experienced a collective fright when Steph Curry exited the Warriors’ win over the Toronto Raptors on Thursday after suffering an injury in the third quarter.

On Friday the Warriors announced Curry would be re-evaluated Monday after an MRI revealed the superstar point guard suffered a pelvic contusion, but not structural damage, which is a good sign according to Stanford Medicine’s Dr. Todd Alamin.

“So that’s really good news,” Dr. Alamin told NBC Sports Bay Area regarding Curry’s MRI results. “He landed directly on his tailbone, and the worry is that he might have a more significant injury to his tailbone such as a fracture or a dislocation of one of the joints within it. The fact that he had a contusion, which is basically a little bit of bleeding between the back of the bony part of the tailbone and the skin overlying it. It’s a really good bit of news because it tells us it’s more of a soft-tissue injury than a bone injury.

Following Thursday’s game, Warriors coach Steve Kerr shared that Curry wanted to come back into the game after suffering the injury. Dr. Alamin shared why that is an encouraging development in Curry’s eventual return to action.

“That’s also a really good sign. I think the team did exactly the right thing though in getting an MRI scan to really be able to understand the significance of his injury,” Dr. Alamin said. “Obviously he’s a competitor and an incredible athlete, sometimes incredible athletes can do things that might not be great for them in the longer term. But with this knowledge they’ll be able to use how Steph is feeling to determine when he’s able to get back to the game.”

While Curry missed five games toward the end of the 2020-2021 NBA season after suffering a tailbone injury, it’s unlikely that history would play a role in his most recent ailment.

“The only situation we’d be worried about is a situation in which he broke his tailbone and then re-broke it, which clearly did not happen based on the information we have available,” Dr. Alamin explained. “So, I think his previous injury and this one are not going to be affecting each other in any signifcant way, which is really good news.

While it’s hard to place an exact timetable on Curry’s eventual return, Dr. Alamin exuded confidence in the Warriors’ ability to assess whenever the two-time NBA MVP will be ready to return to action.

“Well, it’s a little variable from one person to the next. But soft tissue injuries like this can take a week to six weeks to heal. And it just sort of depends on how he feels,” Dr. Alamin said. “Again, I have not seen the imaging studies directly, but how significant the contusion was. I think he’s going to have a pretty good sense as to when he’s able to get back in. I think the [Warriors] training staff and the coaches will be able to have a pretty good idea of when it’s safe to get him back based on how he’s feeling and how he’s moving aorund the court.”

As the Warriors gear up for a stretch run entering the NBA playoffs, Dr. Alamin believes Curry’s pelvic contusion isn’t a significant concern when it comes to re-injury or additional ailments directly caused by it.

“No I don’t think so. Although, clearly basketball players are susceptible to direct falls ont heir back, on their tailbone. These things happen in games,” Dr. Alamin said. “If it were to happen again, it might take longer to heal from a secondary episode if it was within, hard to say exactly, but two to six weeks of the original injury here that he has just had.”

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

Doctor explains why Steph's injury update is ‘good news' originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Dub Nation experienced a collective fright when Steph Curry exited the Warriors’ win over the Toronto Raptors on Thursday after suffering an injury in the third quarter.

On Friday the Warriors announced Curry would be re-evaluated Monday after an MRI revealed the superstar point guard suffered a pelvic contusion, but not structural damage, which is a good sign according to Stanford Medicine’s Dr. Todd Alamin.

“So that’s really good news,” Dr. Alamin told NBC Sports Bay Area regarding Curry’s MRI results. “He landed directly on his tailbone, and the worry is that he might have a more significant injury to his tailbone such as a fracture or a dislocation of one of the joints within it. The fact that he had a contusion, which is basically a little bit of bleeding between the back of the bony part of the tailbone and the skin overlying it. It’s a really good bit of news because it tells us it’s more of a soft-tissue injury than a bone injury.

Following Thursday’s game, Warriors coach Steve Kerr shared that Curry wanted to come back into the game after suffering the injury. Dr. Alamin shared why that is an encouraging development in Curry’s eventual return to action.

“That’s also a really good sign. I think the team did exactly the right thing though in getting an MRI scan to really be able to understand the significance of his injury,” Dr. Alamin said. “Obviously he’s a competitor and an incredible athlete, sometimes incredible athletes can do things that might not be great for them in the longer term. But with this knowledge they’ll be able to use how Steph is feeling to determine when he’s able to get back to the game.”

While Curry missed five games toward the end of the 2020-2021 NBA season after suffering a tailbone injury, it’s unlikely that history would play a role in his most recent ailment.

“The only situation we’d be worried about is a situation in which he broke his tailbone and then re-broke it, which clearly did not happen based on the information we have available,” Dr. Alamin explained. “So, I think his previous injury and this one are not going to be affecting each other in any signifcant way, which is really good news.

While it’s hard to place an exact timetable on Curry’s eventual return, Dr. Alamin exuded confidence in the Warriors’ ability to assess whenever the two-time NBA MVP will be ready to return to action.

“Well, it’s a little variable from one person to the next. But soft tissue injuries like this can take a week to six weeks to heal. And it just sort of depends on how he feels,” Dr. Alamin said. “Again, I have not seen the imaging studies directly, but how significant the contusion was. I think he’s going to have a pretty good sense as to when he’s able to get back in. I think the [Warriors] training staff and the coaches will be able to have a pretty good idea of when it’s safe to get him back based on how he’s feeling and how he’s moving aorund the court.”

As the Warriors gear up for a stretch run entering the NBA playoffs, Dr. Alamin believes Curry’s pelvic contusion isn’t a significant concern when it comes to re-injury or additional ailments directly caused by it.

“No I don’t think so. Although, clearly basketball players are susceptible to direct falls ont heir back, on their tailbone. These things happen in games,” Dr. Alamin said. “If it were to happen again, it might take longer to heal from a secondary episode if it was within, hard to say exactly, but two to six weeks of the original injury here that he has just had.”

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

Stephen A. Smith isn't quite ready to admit he was wrong about Bronny James.

But the ESPN personality did lay the groundwork for such an admission on "First Take" the morning after the son and teammate of Lakers superstar LeBron James played his best NBA game.

Two weeks earlier, after Smith was confronted by an angry James over comments the TV analyst had made about his son, Smith had taken to the same airwaves to assert that he wasn't being disrespectful in saying he felt Bronny James belonged in the G League as a rookie.

On Friday, however, Smith told viewers, "I might have been wrong" about Bronny James' NBA potential this season.

Read more:Stephen A. Smith says LeBron James confronting him was 'weak': 'I was talking about you,' not Bronny

That acknowledgment came after Bronny James stepped up in the absence of a multitude of his teammates — including his father, Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt and Dorian Finney-Smith — against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks.

The result of the game might have been a blowout loss for the Lakers, but Bronny James had a breakthrough performance. His 17 points and five assists in 30 minutes were all career highs, and his three rebounds tied his NBA best.

“I was very impressed," Smith said of Bronny James' performance. "I was very impressed because I saw an elevation in his level of confidence and poise. It was like it didn’t really faze him. He didn’t look as nervous as he had looked in previous appearances on the basketball court. He looked like somebody that belonged. …

"I might have been wrong. Are you listening, LeBron James?" 🤯 @stephenasmith reacts to Bronny James' career-high performance against the Bucks 👀 pic.twitter.com/3GMW05zbwR

— First Take (@FirstTake) March 21, 2025

"There were some moves that he put out on the court — ball-handling skills, getting to the basket, finishing at the basket, pulling up for jumpers, hitting a three, 17 points, 7-of-10 shooting from the field — I was impressed."

He added: "And if that kind of stuff continues, then indeed he’ll be in the league as a bonafide player sooner than later. One game doesn’t make that determination. You need to do more than that. But I wanted to make sure I emphasized that point."

Smith was sitting courtside at Crypto.com Arena for the Lakers-Knicks game March 6 when James approached him during a timeout and angrily addressed him face to face. Smith said the next day that James had come up to him “to confront me about making sure I mind what I say about his son.”

Read more:Bronny James credits focus on his game for career-best 17 points during loss to Bucks

On Friday, Smith reiterated what he has said numerous times since the incident, that he had never disrespected Bronny James.

“But I did believe that he belonged in the G League to get himself honed for the NBA level," Smith said. "What may have been wrong about that is that evidently being around JJ Redick and that staff and being around Pops and the rest of the Los Angeles Lakers — combined with the G League, going back and forth — may be doing wonders for him sooner than we anticipated. Because I liked what I saw last night.

"And I’m gonna keep the same energy. When he plays well, we gonna give him props. When he doesn’t play well, we’re going to say so. That’s what happens with covering the league. Maybe his Pops didn’t tell him that, but I’m gonna tell him that. Congrats on a good performance last night. I hope it continues. I believe it will.”

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Why Draymond earned Pippen, Rodman comparison from Kerr  originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Warriors coach Steve Kerr showered Draymond Green with more two-way praise just days after labeling the veteran forward the “best defender in the world.”

Golden State’s coach compared Green to two of the NBA’s all-time great defenders in talking to reporters on Thursday before the Warriors’ 117-114 win over the Toronto Raptors at Chase Center.

Kerr first cited similarities between Green and his former teammate and Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Scottie Pippen. 

“I have a top two, and that’s Scottie Pippen and Draymond,” Kerr told reporters. “And I think what makes Draymond different from Scottie is that Draymond is physically stronger and more capable of guarding low-post players. 

“I’ll give Scottie a break because, back then, the low-post guys were [Shaquille O’Neal] and Patrick Ewing and Hakeem [Olajuwon]; it was a very different game back then where it was very low post-centric, and now hardly anybody goes down to the block.”

Pippen made 10 NBA All-Defensive teams over his 17 seasons and held his own around the rim despite being his best around the perimeter.

Kerr gives Green, 6-foot-6, the edge versatility-wise because he consistently has defended well against some of the league’s top bigs. But as the coach noted, there aren’t any Shaqs in today’s NBA compared to Pippen’s era, which nullifies Kerr’s point.

Still, Green is as strong as they come. But strength is just one of many things the eight-time All-Defensive honoree can bring to the table, as Kerr has seen for himself for over a decade and four NBA championship runs.

“What I see with Draymond when he’s guarding the post, it’s incredible when you then add on top of that his ability to guard [the] pick-and-roll all the way at halfcourt; I think Dennis Rodman is actually a great [comparison] for Draymond in that regard,” Kerr added.

“I should definitely have Dennis in that conversation too, probably those three: Dennis, Scottie and Draymond. And you can see the parallels – the length, the physicality, the speed, the versatility – but ultimately it’s up here, the brain. And Dennis and Scottie were two of the smartest defenders I’ve ever been around, and Draymond is amazing in that regard, just his ability to process.”

Rodman, another of Kerr’s former teammates in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, would suffocate opposing offenses from halfcourt, as reflected by his eight NBA All-Defensive Team selections and two Defensive Player of the Year awards.

Green can guard James Harden’s pick-and-rolls from halfcourt as much as he can a Victor Wembanyama back-to-the-basket situation – that says a lot about the Warrior’s defensive versatility.

Throughout his career, Green also has demonstrated one of, if not the, smartest basketball minds the game has ever seen. It is no secret why Kerr, who has played with and coached the best for generations, sees parallels between Green, Pippen and Rodman.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

Draymond reveals NSFW defensive mindset vs. NBA opponents originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Draymond Green’s love for defense has been no secret over his illustrious 13-year Warriors career.

And on the latest episode of his “Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis,” the four-time champion revealed his blunt, not-safe-for-work defensive approach.

“I take a great deal of pride in f—–g up your team’s offense,” Green proudly admitted Friday.

That should come as no surprise.

Green, recently declared the “best defender in the world” by longtime Warriors coach Steve Kerr, has been known in his time as arguably the league’s most versatile stopper with a peak rivaled by few; really, who can competently guard everyone from LeBron James to Victor Wembanyama?

Green’s 2016-17 NBA Defensive Player of the Year award and eight All-Defense team nods only cement his continuous two-way legacy.  

“As much as I enjoy locking one guy down, I take more pride in locking your entire offense down,” Green explained. “Your coach has to figure something else out, making your offense have to make adjustments; I take more pride in that. 

“For me, there’s a lot of pride in how you guard your matchup, how you guard the ball. I almost enjoy more messing up your offense from the weak side. I think when you start talking about guys who can guard the ball and guys who can be great help-side defenders, I think I’m elite at all of that.”

Most of the league’s stellar defenders specialize in a certain area like the perimeter or paint. Green, however, survives – shines, rather – wherever he or Kerr sees fit.

Green isn’t your typical star-stopper. Instead, he proudly is an offense ruiner.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

Draymond reveals KAT's blunt trash talk during heated matchup originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Typically Draymond Green is the one delivering trash talk on the court, but the Warriors star revealed Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns provided plenty of commentary during their matchup last weekend.

The fued between Green and Towns took center stage during Golden State’s gritty 97-94 win, but the Knicks star made sure that the four-time NBA champion wasn’t the only one chirping.

On a recent episode of “The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis,” Green revealed what Towns told him during their intense matchup.

“I think this was a big moment for Towns in my opinion, and I’m going to go more into why I think it was a big moment, but I’m going to tell you what he said,” Green explained. “He said I called him, ‘soft.’ I said he’s soft. He said, ‘You a hoe.’ I said, ‘oh.’ He said, ‘hoe, hoe, hoe.’ I said get him out of here, go sit him down. Go sit him on the bench, ‘Hey [Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau], get him out of here. He said, ‘You a hoe!’ “

Green explained that he believes Towns is an exceptional talent but could benefit from the kind of motivation the Warriors star’s trash talk appeares to provide.

“So listen, I’m loving that … If Karl-Anthony Towns is my teammate, that’s what I’m looking to get out of him every single night.,” Green said. “I need you on this type of time, and here’s why. I need to get that from him because there’s guys like Karl-Anthony Towns that are that talented that sometimes they need somebody to put the battery pack in their back. And Karl-Anthony Towns in my opinion is one of those guys. Because he’s got the size, he’s strong as hell and he obviously has the skill.

So, if I can get you to play with that level of physicality more often than not, We’re going to win way more games than we lose and I’m going to get you to be a better player than you knew or thought you were. So he would 100 percent be better off if he always played that physical, and by the way, if he played that physical all the time he’d be a lot more respected around the NBA than he is.”

Towns finished with a game-high 29 points and 12 rebounds in the loss, giving the Warriors all they could handle right down to the final minute of the hard-fought game.

Green shared that if Towns plays with that chip on his shoulder in every game, it will provide an incredibly difficult challenge for the opponents tasked with slowing him down.

If KAT comes out and plays with the type of dog that he played with against me the other night, man good luck guarding Karl-Anthony Towns. The way he shoot the ball like a guard and he got that type of dog, you’re not stopping him.

While the Warriors wont see the Knicks again during the 2024-25 NBA regular season, there is a chance Golden State and New York could meet in the Finals, which would provide the ultimate stage for a Green-Towns showdown that would be sure to deliver fireworks.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

Jayson Tatum reacts to Bill Chisholm purchasing Celtics originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum is optimistic about the franchise’s future under new majority owner Bill Chisholm.

Chisholm, a Massachusetts native and Dartmouth College graduate, purchased a majority stake in the team at a $6.1-billion valuation. The lifelong Celtics fan is the managing director and co-founder of private equity firm Symphony Technology Group.

On Friday, Tatum explained why he believes Chisholm could be the right fit for the organization.

“I mean, just everything you all heard,” Tatum said. “Grew up around the area, big Boston fan, is proud of what we’ve accomplished and understands what the Celtics mean to the city and to the NBA. Wanted to be a part of that and help take it forward any way he can.”

Tatum and fellow Celtics star Jaylen Brown weren’t caught off guard by the ownership change. Longtime team owner Wyc Grousbeck kept them informed throughout the sale process and assured them it would be a smooth transition.

When asked how much he had thought about the team sale during the season, Tatum responded, “Not much. I talked to Wyc a few times. He’s still going to be around, and he kept me updated, saying whoever takes over will be great for the organization. I told Wyc I trust him, and I have no doubt things will continue to run smoothly.”

Grousbeck revealed after the sale that Chisholm asked him to stay on as CEO and governor for the next three seasons, and he is “glad to do so.”

Chisholm takes over a Celtics team with its sights set on its second consecutive NBA championship. Boston entered Friday with a 50-19 record that puts it on track for the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Watch NBC Sports Boston’s exclusive interview with Chisholm and Grousbeck below or on YouTube:

Draymond reveals Steph gave him ‘night night' tips before Bucks game originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Draymond Green always takes notes, even when it comes to perfecting Warriors superstar Steph Curry’s iconic “night night” celebration.

Green took his first shot at mimicking his teammate’s celly after a game-sealing dunk against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Dec. 8. The Warriors forward hit the pose from baseline to baseline in true Draymond Green fashion.

Draymond hit the “night night” on Rudy Gobert and the Wolves 😅

pic.twitter.com/qiMW47egGG

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) December 9, 2024

While it certainly was iconic in its own right, the master of the celly, Curry himself, couldn’t help but share some pointers with his teammate.

And that eventually carried over into the second and latest “night night” celebration from Green, who whipped it out with 25 seconds remaining in the Warriors’ 97-94 win over the New York Knicks last Saturday.

“Here’s what I will say: everything I do I do aggressively,” Green said on “The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis.”
“My shoulders come up. If you watch Steph, Steph shoots the ball and it goes through, he’s just going to do it like this. When I do anything, my shoulders do this, I’m tense. The first time I did the ‘night night,’ which was after the Rudy Gobert play when I dunked, I hit the ‘night night’ and it was way up here. It was aggressive as hell.

“Now, Steph gave me notes after that one, and he said it was a little aggressive, you were too high up, you got to come down a little. So I took notes. What I will say is on that one, I think my hands were a little lower, I learned to drop that down a little more.”

DRAYMOND DROPPED A "NIGHT NIGHT" ON THE KNICKS 😴pic.twitter.com/UDPgczUAUu

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) March 16, 2025

You be the judge, Dub Nation. Did Green correct his flaws the second time around?

Curry seems to think so.

“[Green] has evolved his version of it since the Minnesota game earlier in the year,” Curry told reporters. “He’s softened it a little bit. He’s brought it down to where a pillow is supposed to really be. I realized he does everything aggressive and with his whole body.

“I’m giving that a solid A-minus effort on the “night night” tonight. That was beautiful.”

While Green is well on his way to perfecting the “night night,” or what his teammates have twisted into something more fitting for Green, “The Nightmare,” he also figures it might be time to craft his own celebration given how well he’s been playing as of late.

“I’ve had a couple ‘night night’ moments over the last week and a half, so maybe I need to come up with my own celebration,” Green said. “But I love paying homage to the GOAT, Steph.”

At least we know if Green plans to do the “night night” — or some variation of it — again this season, third time will be the charm.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla reacts to change in team ownership originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Celtics will have a new owner soon.

An investment group led by Massachusetts native Bill Chisholm — the managing director and co-founder of private equity firm Symphony Technology Group — has agreed to purchase a majority of the team at a $6.1 billion valuation.

Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck will stay on as CEO and governor of the team through the 2027-28 season.

Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla reacted to the news in an interview with 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Zolak & Bertrand show Friday morning.

“I just spoke to (Chisholm) yesterday, briefly, but that was a good conversation,” Mazzula said.

“I think it’s two-fold, right? I think you’re grateful for what our ownership has done up until this point, and it kind of goes back to what we’ve always talked about is, the Celtics have always been in great hands. And the people who have either coached, played, owned it and been a part of it have left it in a better place.

“I think Wyc and (Steve Pagliuca) have done that, and now we transition into Bill and his group and Wyc still being there, but it’s great that we have someone that is from the area and has a passion and commitment to just keep pushing the Celtics forward and trying to make it the best it can be. He shares that, and I’m looking forward to growing our relationship with him.”

The Celtics have won two championships since the Grousbeck family bought the team in 2002, including last year’s league record 18th title in franchise history.

The C’s are in a good position to win another one this season. They entered Friday with a 50-19 record, good enough for second place in the Eastern Conference standings.

They start a six-game road trip Friday against the Utah Jazz.