I suspect the creators of “Celtics City,” the 9-part HBO documentary on Boston’s beloved basketball franchise that debuted Monday, knew they had a tall task in front of them when they began creating the project.
So much of the franchise’s history is ingrained in our national sports consciousness. Red Auerbach, Bill Russell, Larry Bird, Len Bias, etc. Locally, fans love the NBA’s winningest franchise. Elsewhere, many people hate the Celtics as much as the Yankees. But love ‘em or hate ’em, everyone knows ‘em.
Finding enough fresh perspectives and stories without feeling like a rehashing of a familiar story wasn’t going to be an easy task, especially over nine episodes.
On top of that, there’s a high bar for sports documentaries about Boston teams. From the darkness of the “Aaron Hernandez: The Killer Inside” to the caper of “The Great Brady Heist” to the warm nostalgia of “The Comeback” about the Red Sox 2004 curse-breaking championship, Boston has been fertile ground for sports documentarians.
That’s created a watchability standard that wouldn’t have existed 25 years ago. That’s especially true for a multi-episode doc. In the same way the public isn’t going to pay for bad Italian food in the North end, they’re not going to keep watching a bad Boston sports project. There are far too many better choices available.
It’s why a lot of discerning fans never made it to the end of “The Dynasty.”
But there was reason to be optimistic about “Celtics City,” a creation from the partnership of HBO Sports Documentaries, Ringer Films, and Words + Pictures, from the outset, despite its nondescript title. In addition to Emmy-winning director Lauren Stowell, sports documentary enthusiasts could trust it because of the presence of producer Connor Schell, who was a producer on “The Last Dance” and “OJ: Made in America.” New Englanders could be optimistic about the tone because unapologetic Celtics fan Bill Simmons, who founded and runs The Ringer, was also an executive producer.
Maybe Lakers, Knicks or Sixers fans would feel differently, but to me, it felt like there was a reverence for, but not fawning over Celtics’ history and mystique.
The challenge for a multi-part documentary is how much is the right amount of good stuff to show in Episode 1. They want to entice the viewers to come along for the whole ride. Nine episodes is a hefty commitment. “Celtics City” checked that box effectively. It’s clear that the creators gained access to a treasure trove of old footage and photographs and got a lot of people from varying eras and perspectives to sit down for interviews. They only offered a peek at that Monday night.
Basketball Hall of Famer Bob Cousy speaks at a news conference Monday, April 7, 2008, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)ASSOCIATED PRESS
Bob Cousy is the star of Episode 1. He’s one of more than 20 people to be interviewed in the first installment. The fact that Cousy is alive and still incredibly sharp is such a boon to this project. His intelligence and willingness to be introspective added an authenticity to the storytelling about the early days of the team that would be missing without him.
Hall of Famer Satch Sanders added a lot, as did the creators’ use of old interview footage of Bill Russell, Tommy Heinsohn and Red Auerbach.
It’s obviously valuable to get famous faces to participate. “Celtics City” did that, but good documentarians know what people to include who aren’t famous. Authors Aram Goudsouzian, Gary Pomerantz and Bill McSweeney don’t have instant name or facial recognition for most viewers, but each immediately added knowledge and perspective that effectively moved along the documentary, which didn’t use a narrator.
Including wives and children of players of some deceased Celtics greats Red Auerbach and K.C. Jones added some unpolished humanity as well.
Viewers got just a glimpse of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum in Episode 1, with the expectation there will be more of them featured as the project progresses.
The project won’t go strictly on a linear timeline from start to finish, but it did tip off with a look at the early years of the NBA and the Celtics. Episode 1 introduces the viewer to both Russell and the racial challenges of the time period that he played.
But they left a lot of story untold for the second installment that will focus on Russell’s social and societal impact in Boston and the country as a whole.
Keeping “Celtics City’s” momentum through nine episodes won’t be easy, but it’s off to a strong start. Certainly good enough that I’ll be eager to turn in again next week.
