The Boston Celtics were the first team to open training camp. There were plenty of questions and most of the players spoke. President of basketball operations Brad Stevens also talked about the upcoming season.
Jaylen Brown got asked about his Olympics snub on the first question, and it set the tone for the surprises we got on Boston Celtics media day.
4 Surprising Things We Learned From Boston Celtics Media Day
Al Horford Says Jaylen Has Been Bulking
Al Horford is always an interesting fellow. He is among the most respected players around the league, and he gives interesting interviews. This time, he spoke about the Jays, and had some interesting things to say about Jaylen Brown.
Horford mentioned all team members have been working individually this summer, but it is nice to get together in the gym and work. Speaking on Brown, he said the Finals MVP looks unbelievable and he is ready to go.
“I’ve been in the gym with Jaylen the past few weeks. First of all, the dude looked like he’s put on 10 more pounds of muscle. He looks great — just unreal. He’s so hungry, so motivated, so driven.”
We might have guessed that looking at Jaylen’s offseason workout. Horford confirmed what we all suspected.
Retirement Was Never in Question For Celtics Veteran
Many experts around the league believed that when the Celtics won the title, Horford would retire. Yes, he did have one more year on his contract. Yet, given his age, speculation arose that the decorated center would go out on top.
Yet, on the first day of Boston Celtics media day, he commented on the retirement speculation.
“I don’t think there was ever a question that I wasn’t gonna not come back. For me… I’ve never put a limit of how long I’m gonna play, so I feel good and very fortunate to be in the position… To be in this position, to be able to continue to play and be on this team. It’s been a lot of years that we’ve been fighting to get to this point, and now that we’re here, I’m just fortunate to be here to wear this Celtics uniform. I’m just gonna keep playing, and that’s what that is.”
Last summer, Horford signed a two-year, $19.5 million contract extension with the Celtics. This season, he will earn $9.5 million before becoming an unrestricted free agent in the 2025 summer. At that time, he will be 39 years old. Whether he will play more or decide to quit, we will wait and see.
Porzingis Mentions Potential Return At Celtics Media Day
Kristaps Porzingis was an instrumental player during the Celtics championship run. While he missed most of the playoffs with an injury, he came back in the NBA Finals. His return sparked the Celtics and they would go on to win the whole thing.
In the summer, he underwent surgery to repair a torn retinaculum and dislocated posterior tibialis tendon in his left leg. Following the surgery, he was projected to come back after five to six months of recovery. But Kristaps is ready to come back sooner. During Celtics media day, he said,
“I’ve been doing a good amount of stuff, doing pretty good. Looking forward to keep making the progress at this rate, and hopefully be back out there with the guys as soon as possible.”
On the podium, he came with a big smile on his face, and no limp in his gait. Brad Stevens also spoke about Kristaps, saying the team has been encouraged and optimistic about his progress. They haven’t put a timeline on his return because of the unique injury, but so far, they are pleased with where he is.
Tatum Working on His Shot
Jayson Tatum averaged 22 points during the NBA Finals, yet did it on 38.8% shooting from the floor and only 26.3% from behind the arc. That trend continued during his Olympics run, playing a role in Steve Kerr benching him.
We now found out that he has been working with trainer Drew Hanlen to improve his jump shot. Ramona Shelburne of ESPN reported that Tatum is trying to fix a mechanical issue with his jumper. According to her article, the issue came up early last season and recurred during the playoffs and the Olympics.
With an improved jumper, Tatum and the Celtics are ready to chase another title.
