All the way back in October, Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge admitted his team lacked a “transcendent player.” The Celtics haven’t acquired one since then, but apparently they’re embracing that identity.
In a press release Thursday announcing several promotions for the upcoming playoffs, Boston announced its players will wear special T-shirts in the postseason emblazoned with the words, “We’re One Superstar.”
That mantra is a reference to a comment made by swingman Jae Crowder in mid-February, one day before the NBA Trade Deadline.
“There’s a lot of talk about we need a superstar and stuff like that,” Crowder said at the time, via ESPN.com’s Chris Forsberg. “But all five guys on the court are so locked in and so engaged that we’re one superstar. We all play together.”
The Celtics’ only move at the trade deadline was waiving veteran forward David Lee, but they’ve certainly played up to snuff. Despite Isaiah Thomas being the lone All-Star on the roster — and a first-time All-Star at that — the C’s already have notched 46 wins, their highest total since the 2010-11 season, and currently own the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference.
The playoffs might be a different story, as the East is loaded with perennial All-Stars like LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Kyle Lowry of the Toronto Raptors and Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat.
But the Celtics have made a habit of playing with a chip on their shoulders all season, and it appears they’ll carry that chip with them into the postseason.
Thumbnail photo via Mark L. Baer/USA TODAY Sports Images
