PORTLAND, Ore. — Like clockwork, right around this time of the Celtics’ season, Jaylen Brown has a special few words for his teammates. This time, it was because the C’s became the first team in the NBA to hit the 50-win mark after they beat the Blazers 121-99 on Monday.
Usually, it’s when the Celtics officially clinch a playoff spot or another accomplishment. Sure, the C’s are title contenders and, realistically, they will be judged on what happens in the playoffs starting next month. But Brown still wants the Celtics to enjoy the little moments of the journey along the way.
“All the guys laugh because, at this time of year, I say the same thing: How much of an honor it is to be on the team,” Brown said. “One, getting to the playoffs, you don’t want to take that for granted. I’ma keep saying it till I’m blue in the face. I’m grateful to be on a team that’s winning, to be on a team that’s been playing the right way. Has another opportunity to do something special. That’s a blessing.
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“It’s been an honor giving that speech every year. You see what’s going on in different places around the league. Team chemistry, locker room, teams that are in losing environments. That hasn’t been us. For the most part, I’ve won every step of my career. And that’s been because of great teammates, great organization.”
As Brown mentioned, life is different across the rest of the NBA. The Celtics’ vibes this season have been great as the winning certainly doesn’t hurt. But the C’s have been all about the process as they continue to improve incrementally every single day. So as the wins have stacked up, there’s also plenty of appreciation to realize it’s difficult being successful on a consistent basis in the NBA.
So Brown’s speeches have become commonplace in recent Celtics lore. That’s not too surprising as the C’s continue to stack impressive seasons together. Even if they haven’t hung a banner yet with their current core, there are still accomplishments along the way. So it appears the Celtics have a healthy mindset, where they can prioritize winning a championship while still acknowledging the steps to get there.
“It’s important for us to not take these moments for granted,” Jayson Tatum said. “We want to win a championship, that’s the ultimate goal. But it’s important to acknowledge the small wins essentially through the process. Winning 50 games, making the playoffs, getting a top seed.
“It’s not to take those things for granted because we work extremely hard as a group to achieve that. Everybody not going to say it. It’s alright to pat yourself on the back at times as a team, knowing we got more things to accomplish. We’re doing a pretty good job so far.”
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