Maaan, We Lost But We Really WON! - Celtics Nation

If you know me, you know that I am a Celtics fan. At the beginning of the season last year, I didn't know how far we'd get in season. When Kyrie Irving left the team in 2019 it made me wonder how well the team would hold together. While there, I noticed that Kyrie was in a very positive head space just based on his posts and I believe a few show drops. So I had no other choice but to see the residue of his positive energy lasting on the team. Kyrie played a huge role in the team making the playoffs the years that he was there and when he left, the success wasn't so available. This made me want to stick with the team more. I too was in my growing season and knew that it took some discipline and courage to really step out in the world and proactive the art of positivity. So I was inspired to live out my journey with this team as they lived theirs.

Well, as I said earlier, the season didn't start out well at all. We were on some hit-and-miss type basketball. It wasn't a consistent team. Plus they had a new coach Ime Udoka who was also trying to guide the team into a direction that he believed in. I felt like the team was still learning from each other for some reason. To me, it seemed that there were players who were the stars and the players who wanted to be the stars. Players that the plays were built around and players who wanted to create big moments for the luxury of being seen (Remember, this is just my perspective). This intrigued me because, in order for this team to even touch the NBA Finals, some things had to change from a mental standpoint. I felt that coach saw an opportunity to turn this team into dynamic team...And he did. There would have to be a brotherhood built in order for them to succeed. In my opinion, something clicked on January 29th, 2022. This was the first win of a 9-win streak!!!! The team was on fire. and I look back and realized that this was the first streak that was longer than 3 games. So to me, it seemed that players were checking in one at a time. They started to build this culture that looked and felt like a brotherhood. I'll never forget the moment Grant Williams activated and was all in. Then I'd recognize Al Horton step up to the plate and be a leader of the team and help direct them mentally to be better. The teamwork between Smart, Taytom, and Brown is unstoppable but seeing Rob Williams activate and truly step into his rightful place as a Center-Forward and be the wall he was meant to be has been such an honor to watch. I don't know why I feel this way but I truly feel that Rob activated during the Bucks series. He was dealing with some bulldozers lol so he had to stand up to his true potential and handle the rim.

I say all of this to say that they recognized what they needed to do to even touch the NBA Finals and they did it. They all made a contribution equally and they all played their hardest to get there. AND THEY MADE IT!!!! The fact that they were the Eastern Conference Champs ugggghhhhh!!!!! it's REMARKABLE!!! I was so honored to see the journey in full. It was like a Disney movie. LOL. I thought this would be a great post. This is the true reason I love the Celtics as I do. They're putting effort into building a team that is solid and filled with the willpower to make it to the NBA Finals! Had to get that off my chest because it lives on the top of my heart!! Don't give up on yourself...make it a point to connect with your team and open the environment enough to understand each other. Conquer together and WIN! We did'nt win the Finals but we won as a team and I respect that!!

I gotta stop this conversation, it's getting too emotional! lol

- Carter