After Hours with Amy Lawrence PODCAST: Hour 1

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Go to TuneIn.com or download the TuneIn app to start listening. Well, I'm sure glad the NBA champions waited for me to get back on the air. I know, I know, it's not about me.

It's not even remotely about me. Except we only get to do this a couple times a year. And there was a distinct possibility that both the NBA finals and the Stanley Cup final would end over the weekend in sweeps. Instead, oddly enough, both of the teams who had the upper hand in the series ended up getting routed. As in, destroyed in Game 4. I'm not starting any conspiracy theories. I'm just telling you, I don't know how a team loses by 50 after winning 15 other playoff games.

How do you lose by 50? That's a lot, to put it mildly. But all is forgotten. All is forgiven. And all is right in the world of the Boston Celtics because redemption is theirs. If you listen to me on any occasion where we're talking about a championship or we're building up through playoffs, one of my favorite storylines in sports always is redemption. I love the redemption stories, whether they're individual or whether they're collective.

And honestly, there's always individual redemption stories in the middle of that collective team story. The Celtics have a lot of numbers in their favor. I can throw a ton of numbers at you. In fact, I have some key numbers that I will always remember about this Celtics championship. But more than anything, it's about this team with the core duo of Jalen Brown and Jason Tatum, first coached by Brad Stevens and then built, retooled, reloaded and rebuilt by Brad Stevens as an executive. Finally, after multiple tries, multiple failures, multiple attempts, multiple denials, they are in fact NBA champions again.

Richards kick out for a Sam Houser three that rims out. But it's no longer what could be or what might be. Now it just is. The twenty twenty four Boston Celtics are one of the greatest teams in NBA history. They were told they had to win. There's only one thing you can do when expectations are that high.

Meet them. And there's only one way to stop being haunted by the ghosts and the legends and the champions of this building. Together they have it together. They stand alone on top of the mountain for now. And once again, the Boston Celtics stand alone for all time.

It is banner 18. The mission demanded is mission accomplished. We did it. We did it. Oh, my God, we did it. Jason Tatum.

Now, I suppose we could take a poll. How many of you think that he had Kevin Garnett in mind when he said first, we did it and then threw back his head and yelled, we did it. We did it. Oh, my God, we did it. And does that remind anybody else? I think that it does, since it's trending on social, reminding all of us of Kevin Garnett in 2008. Right now, anything is possible.

Anything is possible! See what I'm saying? I'm thinking there's a little bit of similarity between those two final exultations. And I remember going back to the moments, the days after the Washington Capitals and Alexander Ovechkin finally won the Stanley Cup. And the fact that the word that I kept hearing in my head, but also seeing in his face, two words, actually, both are words, a different R&R. Release, because the way that he exulted and the way that he yelled and the way that he just let out all that pent up emotion after he hoisted the Stanley Cup.

I still have that video saved on my own my own Twix page, but I liked it because as he picked up the Stanley Cup for the first time, after so many years of winning presidents trophies or winning this individual award or getting an opportunity and wasting it, finally, there was not just the release of all the pent up emotion, but the relief, the relief of finally meeting the expectations. And you hear the final call of the NBA finals with Sean Grandy, who I believe will join us at some point once the Celtics have another dug boat parade. He is indicating that's likely to be on Friday, but after that parade, since he'll be a part of it, and this time he'll have his young son who can participate. He's already told me that.

We'll talk to Sean at some point. But the release that he talks about and meeting the expectations. They had to do it.

Everybody said they had to do it or it would be an abject failure. Not that you need to tell the Celtics that because they know that. What I found about the most successful people, and this includes athletes, they are usually their own worst critics.

They are harder on themselves than you will ever be. And think about as we're talking Celtics redemption, the franchise and its redemption after the near misses. Think about the individual redemption of Jaylen Brown and how much he has beaten himself up, but also used last year and the year before that as motivation. It's not happening again. Couldn't you see and hear that with Jaylen Brown? Everything he said, how he played, his intensity and sense of urgency on both ends of the floor.

You could hear that and you could see it in his play. It's not happening again. I'm not going through that again.

The number of times he's used the word embarrassing about their failures in the past, he took it personally. It's not happening again. It's After Hours with Amy Lawrence. I hope you enjoyed your Father's Day weekend, your long weekend. It was a great weekend for our family. Maybe I'll have a chance to share with you a little bit later on, but a bittersweet Father's Day.

However, just a special time to share with my new hubs, which by the way, I will always remember the Celtics winning Banner 18 on my six month wedding anniversary. So that's cool. By the way, another by the way, there is a new photo up on Twix at ALaw Radio. You're just going to have to go check it out. And also, I finally, finally changed our profile photo on our show Facebook page, After Hours with Amy Lawrence.

Also, big tease, big surprise. So go check it out on your own. We got a lot to do though, so we can't be wasting time. Our phone number is 855-212-4227. That's 855-212-4227.

Again, you can find us on either of our social media. The Celtics had 15 more playoff wins. Well, excuse me, 15 more playoff and regular season wins than any other team in the league this year.

They lapped the field. They paced the field during the regular season and then they lapped the field in the playoffs. They had their longest winning streak in postseason franchise history. They had the second best NBA playoff record of all time behind only the Golden State Warriors of 16-17. The Celtics only dropped three games along the way. And so, this is a little bit of a sweet 16 element. 16 wins in this playoff run, the 16th being the one that clinches the championship. Exactly 16 years to the day that they last won the NBA title with Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. Anything's possible! We did it! And Doc Rivers! Let's not forget about him and his pink stained Gatorade shirt.

Anything is possible. I guess a lot of people have forgotten about Doc Rivers and how he was a championship coach. So from the beginning, you could see and feel the energy, the intensity, the urgency. Now I have to say, even if the Celtics didn't have it, which there would be no excuse, whatever you think about Game 4, it was not rigged by the NBA, but no doubt the combination of the Mavericks playing likely their last game at home this year, not wanting to be embarrassed and watching another team celebrate on their court, giving it absolutely everything they had. What did Kyrie Irving say?

We're going to trot out the Arsenal. But also, if I'm in the Celtics locker room, of course I'll take the win if it comes in Game 4. But there's not a need to win it in Game 4. And again, I'm not saying it was a rigged job or they collectively agreed not to play as hard.

Hell no, that doesn't happen. But you could see the difference in Game 4 between the backs against the wall, the win or go home, the we have no other choice Mavericks, and the we don't need this game tonight. I mean, we'll take it if you're going to give it to us, but we don't need it. No team had ever come back from an 0-3 deficit. These Mavericks were not going to be the one that did it. And so to be able to get home, you got to say all the right things after you get embarrassed by 50. I mean, there's no way this team loses by 50 unless it's a mental and emotional attitude and approach that's different. That just doesn't happen to a championship team this deep in the playoffs unless your approach is we can give this one away.

Or we don't need this one. So from the jump, actually even before the jump, from warm ups to the time that Kristaps Porzingis came out in his uniform, dressed and ready to warm up inside the garden, they were nonstop. They were full tilt. I love the energy the fans brought. I think a lot of it probably was, hey, we would like to be here for the championship and the celebration. So we're going to give it everything we have to make sure the series ends tonight while we're in attendance. Fans, of course, want to say, I was there, I was there, I was there. So, yeah, these fans were giving it everything they had with a vested interest, not to mention the tone and the tenor of the series feels a little bit different if this goes to a game six. Then all of a sudden the pressure on the Celtics has ratcheted up a bit and the Mavericks can maybe taste, oh, what happens if we force a game seven?

So all kinds of elements, just the way that the ebbs and flows of this series went. The fans were giving it everything they had. I'm sure you noticed if you watch the game, they were on their feet for most of the fourth quarter. Not just waiting until the very end stages, but most of the fourth quarter. And I'm telling you what, the few seconds right before halftime, whoo, worth watching and hearing the crowd explode over and over again.

Pressure, half court, it's in the air. He got it! He did it again! Peyton Prichard did it again with the world watching.

He knocks down a half-court three that will send the Boston Celtics into the locker room with a 21-point lead halfway to banner 18. There is a God! There is a God! And his name is Prichard! Bang! Bang! Bang!

I do love Grady and Max. Max is a former NBA champion himself, but no, God does not go by the name of Prichard. There is a God!

It's After Hours with Amy Lawrence. If you haven't seen the clip of Prichard hitting that three from half-court, which is really one of the things that he does well. That's why he's out there in that moment. But also, the eruption inside the garden. And I said to my husband, if you didn't know better, you would think they just won the championship on that shot. Because the place went insane. And not just the fans, the bench!

Right? I mean, at that point, you're allowed to be out on the court. There's no penalty for getting out on the court. Jason Tatum leaps up in the air to give Prichard a chest bump.

The guys go nuts. I mean, they might as well have dropped the confetti right there. In fact, Al Horford even said, our halftime was a little bit different after Prichard hit that shot.

That was beautiful. He did that and I just, you just kind of take a glance at the other team and it's one of those that just kind of breaks your spirit. You know? And then it just kind of fueled us. But Peyton, man, like that, I just summed it up. Yeah, Al Horford admits they knew they had it when Prichard hit that shot and the Celtics were up by 21 heading into the halftime locker room. And the Mavericks did what they do. They reeled them in and then the Celtics would go on a run.

And they would reel them back in. 9 points, 10 points, 11 points. Celtics would answer and go on a run. Not just the demoralizing nature of a half-court 3 to send you into the locker room. But if the Celtics know, of course the Mavericks recognize how much harder it is.

Just that 3 itself makes the job so much harder. I'm so, just so over the moon excited for Al Horford at 38 years old. Second only to Karl Malone with playoff games, playoff appearance, not appearances, but playoff games in his NBA career before winning a title. 186 playoff games logged for Al Horford before he wins his first title. I think he scored in double figures one time in this series.

But he was starting in place of Kristaps Porzingis. And if you don't recognize the intensity that Al brings to the table, you gotta watch the series again. And these playoffs. He sets the tone.

He's an emotional leader. The man is 38 years old and he'll do anything the Celtics need him to do on defense. Now his 3-point shooting, it's hit, it's miss, and when it's off, it's way off. I've never seen a guy go from burying 3s to airballing more 3s in the span of a series.

It's a little cringe-worthy at times. But the thing is, he'll get hot and then having Al Horford hit 3s is also demoralizing for an opponent. But the nature of his leadership is intense defense. He runs up and down the court. I know LeBron James deserves all the credit for being a 20-year-old old dude who looks like he's 20 years younger and could still push around most of the guys in the NBA.

He's the aberration. But so is Al Horford. Logging a lot of minutes and just out there giving it absolutely everything he had on both ends of the court.

Rebounding tenacity. That really sets a tone for a team. And so we're gonna get to some of the critical moments. Jaylen Brown, his redemption story that did not include the All-NBA team this year, does now include an individual piece of hardware, though of course he would never tell you it's about him.

Love to hear from you on Twix, ALaw Radio, or our show account. Actually, producer Jay could probably post the Peyton Prichard moment so you could see the Celtics celebrating like they knew that it was coming. It was just a matter of time. We got a lot of numbers. Significant numbers, not numbers as in stats.

Though I suppose you could qualify them as nerd alerts. Just numbers that stood out to me as I was watching and listening, kind of taking notes about the game. One of those being the 186 playoff games for Al Horford until he finally won a title.

But he's not the only one who had to wait a long time. It was 16 years to the day, June 17, 2008, and now June 17, 2024, that the Celtics collect their 18th NBA championship. We did it! We did it! Oh my God, we did it! Did you see the sweet moment when his son, Deuce 2, comes running up to him? Yeah, daddy! So cute.

The same young man who helps Jason Tatum warm up. It's awesome. Alright, find us on social.

Glad to be with you again. Check out the new photo on each of the sites if you have a minute and you feel like surfing the interwebs. We've got a lot to do, of course.

We'll hear from Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic and the disappointed Dallas Mavericks, though I do believe they could easily add a piece here or there and put together another run based on the experience they've had the last, I guess, two or the last three years. Monday in the rearview mirror, baby. Tune in is the audio platform with something for everyone. In the news.

In order to secure convictions in a court of law, it is essential that we conclusively. Sports. The clock at four. Doncic.

The step back three. You bitch! Music. And even podcasts. Whatever you love, hear it right here on TuneIn.

Go to TuneIn.com or download the TuneIn app to start listening. Start your summer road trip at Midas and get up to $30 off your next repair service. Plus, get a free Closer Look vehicle check to make sure you're road trip ready. So if you need brake service and alignment check or tune up, hit up Midas for up to $30 off.

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We'll be right back. Porzingis, one dribble, pump fake, short jumper, bounces in. The Celtics are getting every bounce in the first half tonight that they did not get in Game 4 on Friday.

This is After Hours with Amy Lawrence. Sean Grandy on the Celtics radio network, second NBA championship he's called. He's been with the team for 20 plus years and also called the 2008 title going back exactly 16 years ago tonight. This is a franchise that has lofty expectations, right? This is one of the franchises like, say, the New York Yankees. Even the Los Angeles Lakers, their arch rivals for all time. Duke men's basketball. Can you think of other teams?

This is a good show question just to loosely throw out there. Other teams whose standard is almost impossibly high. It's not possible, regardless of what Kevin Garnett would tell you. It's not possible to win a title every year.

It's not. It's hard enough to be a contender every year. But the Celtics are one of those franchises whose fan base and whose internal expectations. And you want to know why it's in the building? Because of the banners that hang overhead. Because of the Hall of Famers, the legends, the icons who played before them. Each generation kind of has to make their own way to be part of that tradition. UConn women's basketball, now UConn men's basketball. That's an interesting question, Jay.

Maybe we throw it out there. In light of the Celtics winning a record 18th NBA title, what other teams or franchises in sports annually have to live up to championship expectations? Would you say the Dallas Cowboys are in that? Or would you say that they've become, I don't know, more of a humorous footnote?

It's really funny because that's the first thing that came to my mind, actually, with the Dallas Cowboys. Yet, I've never seen them win in my lifetime. Right. It's been a long time. It's been since the mid-90s.

And yet, for some reason, there are still those expectations. How long has it been till the Yankees won a World Series? 2009.

Yeah. Last time they'd been in one. I mean, that's going back to almost as far as the Celtics in terms of their last championship.

It's 15 years. Even though these teams start every season with the expectation that they will win or that they should win. I'm trying to think if there's a team in the NHL that operates under those expectations. Hockey's so different than most other sports. I know they're a brand new franchise, but the Vegas Golden Knights have been pretty damn good for as long as they've been in existence.

That's true. Whether fair or unfair, what other franchises or teams, this can be college as well, what other franchises or teams operate under sky high expectations every year? Doesn't matter what happened every single year. I think the Kansas City Chiefs are now in that. They're a victim of their own success. Not a bad place to be.

No one's complaining. The New England Patriots were there for 20 years. But which teams and franchises kind of have that pressure and that championship expectation every year, simply because of the laundry they wear?

Doesn't matter who wears the uniform. The expectations come with the uniforms. It's interesting, too, because Joe Mazula was asked the question about being constantly criticized, constantly scrutinized, finally having the answer to the critics. And it's Boston.

We wouldn't want it any other way. And I think the ownership and the responsibility to give back to the franchise, give back to the city, give back to it, that's just part of it. You need criticism. You need praise. You need expectations. All those things go into making who you are as a person, making who you are as people, as an organization. So just have an understanding that they're never going to go away. If someone tells you good job, that's just as dangerous as someone telling you you suck.

But you need both of them in order to get to where you want to get to. And there's no place they'd rather be. With these lofty expectations, whether fair or unfair, obviously comes the criticism. And the praise comes in, too.

You're part of something like this, it changes a whole lot. And so in the first half, they build a double-figure lead. The Mavericks kind of reel them back in. But late second quarter, they step on the gas. Peyton Pritchard hits that half-court shot. And what did Al Horford say after? We knew at that point this was our night.

It's after hours with Amy Lawrence. They never trailed, despite the fact that the Mavericks were able to hit a handful of shots here or there. They actually went on a stretch in which they could not crack the Celtics defense. And even the shots they got, the threes were not dropping for the Mavs most of this game. But really, the second half was more a coronation.

I wouldn't say playing out the string, because they had to keep safely in front. But they were never challenged in the second half. Jaylen Brown, left-hand dribble. Turns to the free-throw line, kick in to the corner. Al, three, got it. You asked when the bomb squad coming out that night. Twelve of twenty-three of the Celtics, their lead is now twenty-five. Kick out Horford, now Jaylen Brown, attacks to the free-throw line, shovel pass, Holliday coming strong, scoops and scores. No. Oh, they're cake-walking this puppy home now.

They're cake-walking it. Jason Kidd, everybody on their feet in the garden. Too nervous to sit. Jaylen from nineteen, swing. It's back to twenty-one, exactly where we were at halftime. Ten on the shot clock, Jaylen coming downhill, finds the cutter. Porzingis, two-hand slam. The first points of the fourth quarter come nearly three minutes in. Timeout, Jason Kidd. Big fella, he's game out there.

He is game right now. It's actually kind of funny, at the beginning of the fourth quarter, it reminded me of game three in Dallas, where the score sat. It just sat. At the same, I think it was ninety-three to ninety, just sat and stayed at that same score for a good three and a half, four minutes. It was a lot like that, but of course the Celtics didn't care about that because they had the healthy lead and it was okay if the score didn't change.

As long as the minutes kept ticking off the clock. And I think it's interesting what Sean Grandy said about the fans that were nervous. Now he would know, he's right in the middle of the crowd, he doesn't sit up in the halo, he doesn't sit down on the court, he sits in the corner. I've sat in his seat, well at his broadcast spot, and it is right in the middle of all the fans. I mean you're right there. And so he would know.

I didn't get the sense that they were nervous more than just, hey can't this clock go any faster type of thing. Can't we finally get to the point where it's done, it's over, and the redemption is realized. Jaylen Brown, the NBA Finals MVP, and he averaged nearly twenty-one points, five and a half rebounds, and five assists per game. As much as you could see and hear from him all year long that it wasn't happening again, when the Finals MVP, the Larry Bird, the Paul Pierce, the guys that have come before him. I mean I could go back to the 60s and 70s with the Celtics, but the men who have earned this honor before.

I love that even though he's part of that tradition now and part of that line of Celtics greats, he remains humble and really doesn't want all the praise himself. I can't even put into words the emotions, you know, it's just, I'm blessed and I'm grateful. This was a full team effort, we had a great team. My teammates were great, they allowed me to lead us on both ends of the ball, and we came out and just performed on our own floor.

It was just amazing, and it could have gone to anybody, it could have gone to Jason. Jason, I can't talk enough about his selflessness, I can't talk enough about his attitude, and it's just how he approached not just this series or the Finals, but just the playoffs in general. And we did it together as a team, and that was the most important thing. The main goal for us was to win a championship. We didn't care who got Finals MVP.

I know that I need him through this journey and he needs me. So it was great to see him have that moment and share that moment with him. I'm extremely happy for him, well deserved. That was big time, he earned it.

There were people that were talking about Tatum and how he should be the NBA MVP. He had a banner night, if you will, 31 points, another performance with double digit assists. Remember, he had a game with 12 assists earlier in the series, and that was one shy of his career high.

11 assists, 8 rebounds, 2 steals. He was firing up the crowd and afterwards had just all the emotions come pouring out of him as well. And yet, this reminds me a little bit of the journey with Sidney Crosby. It feels like he's been around forever, and yet Tatum's only 26 years old. Same thing with Luka. Now he hasn't won a title, but Luka's been around forever since he was a teenager.

And still, he's only 26 years old. So let's hope we have some more duels between these two guys. For Jason, he was asked what did his son do say to him when he finally found him on the court in the midst of the confetti that was so thick it looked like whiteout blizzard conditions in Boston. He told me that I was the best in the world.

And I said, you damn right I am. Alright, except you're not NBA Finals MVP. So we'll get more from the Celtics. We've got more of the audio as well from on the court.

We are always excited, or I'm always excited, but I think Jay is too. Whenever we can snag our NBA Finals conversation with ESPN Radio, National Radio Voice, Mark Hestisher, longtime colleague and friend of mine. And he is still in Boston. They do their broadcast dinner whenever the Finals is done. So he texted me at 1230 Boston time and said, we're just sitting down to dinner. And so he will join us live next hour from Boston. We'll ask him about the confetti. Oh gosh, and that moment where Kyrie Irving went flying right into Mike Breen's broadcast spot. Goodness. It was one of those series where Kyrie Irving will tell you how much he learned and how much he can take away.

But no doubt he's going to feel extra motivation because he did not perform the way that he wanted to in his old haunt. So many elements, so many layers. But what we're asking, and Marco, you can think about it or you can offer a team like the Boston Celtics, who start every year with championship expectations, fair or unfair, regardless of what they did in the offseason. And it's a team that if you wear the laundry, you're expected to win a title. We've thrown out a couple of other franchises, teams in college.

What's the first one that comes to mind? The Yankees. The Yankees. And it's been quite a while since they've won a title. A year later, Celtics was 0-8 and they win it now. The Yankees was 0-9.

It's the same concept. Every year, fair or not, it doesn't matter what the Yankees are expected to be in the World Series and to win a World Series. It's been a long time since they've been there, a long time since they won it. So Jay and I were talking about kind of chewing over the Cowboys as an example, except it's been since the mid-90s. And yet the expectations are still there. Every single year.

And you know what? Rightfully so, though. You win 12 games, you're in the playoffs constantly.

You're expected to get back there. Plus, they're one of those franchises. I mean, the Steelers have some of that. The 49ers have it a little bit, but it's the Cowboys. I mean, you go through the whole Americas team and whatnot. They're expected each and every year to get back there.

And it hasn't been since they won a title in 95, the last time they went to an NFC Championship game. It's wild to think that, but it's the truth. So again, right or wrong, that's what comes with it.

You put that uniform on and you're expected to perform. So coming up, we'll take some of your answers on both Twix, at Amy After Hours. That's our show account, our Facebook page as well. I'm wondering how many Cowboys fans will show up and say, yep, or maybe be cynical. But either way, we're looking for some of the answers from your respective fan bases. I think the Lakers probably fall into that category, too, regardless of who it is that is wearing the blue, sorry, the gold and the purple. Don't ask me why I said blue. They're blue right now because they don't have a coach.

I was going to say blue because you looked at the Dodgers on the TV because that's another team that's expected to get there each and every year. Temp check. What kind of summer are we having this year? A family road trip summer? A beach bum summer?

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So forget everything you thought you knew about EVs and turn the extraordinary into something truly electrifying. There's joy in every journey. You are listening to the After Hours Podcast. The Celtics who have roared to this historic season by knocking teams out for the three-point line are now throwing body shot after body shot after body shot. And they are closing in on the finish line.

So many doubted they would ever see. This is After Hours with Amy Lawrence. At the top of the hour, we've got Marc Kastescher, national radio voice of the NBA Finals. Still in Boston after wrapping up another cool season for him.

He's been the voice now for, gosh, six, seven years, I think. And really earned his chops as well. Paid a lot of dues, if you will.

And so I can't wait to hear his perspective. He's always generous to join us during the NBA Finals when they're finally done. Celtics won this game five in a lot of ways. They had some threes.

They were aggressive. They attacked the hoop. They had 15 offensive rebounds. And I remember one possession in the second half. They had four offensive boards on that same possession. They shot 33 percent-ish from deep. So I say only 13 triples in this one.

But that was really a strong point of theirs, not just the three-point shooting, but the three-point defense. And so finally, for Jason Tatum and for Jalen Brown, who played in 107 postseason games as a duo, they have their first title together. We'd love for you to find us on Twix at Amy After Hours asking you, in addition to the Celtics, and in light of them winning their record 18th NBA championship, which other teams in sports operate under these same aspirations every single year, from the outside but also from the inside, where the laundry you're expected to compete for titles.

So that's a post up on both of our social media sites, including our Facebook page. The Celtics got 31 points, 11 assists from Jason Tatum. His son told him he's the best in the world, but how about winning it at the Garden? This is going to be a night that I'll remember for the rest of my life, from the game, the celebration, these moments. Over the last couple of years, we had some tough losses at home in the playoffs, and we've lost the NBA championship at home in front of our fans. We had a chance to beat Miami in Game 6 a few years ago and lost that one. So to have a big win, the biggest win that you could have in front of your home crowd, I felt like that was really important to go out there and do everything in my power to make sure we win this game tonight.

You know what I thought was interesting? He did not mention the loss to the Heat at home last year in the Eastern Conference Finals. So he mentioned Game 6 to the Heat a couple years ago, but did not mention how embarrassed they were just over a year ago in Game 7 of the East Finals, and how the crowd was so intense. My best friend was there as a present for a milestone birthday, and she's in the Garden with her two sons.

She's sending me videos. She says, I've never heard it this loud, and we grew up going to Celtics games at the old Boston Garden. And then within minutes, Tatum gets hurt, and the Heat just pound them into submission. And he doesn't mention that one. Maybe that's just a repressed memory now. Of course, Jalen Brown looks back on it all the time. So you hear what Jason has to say about winning the title at TD Garden.

So maybe, just maybe, it was okay. They didn't need to win in Game 4 in Dallas, that's all I'm saying. But why were the Celtics ready to win in 2024? We learned. I think we learned from all our mistakes, all of our adversity.

I think it's made us stronger, made us tougher, and all season you can see it. We started from the jump. We made all the sacrifices. We played both ends of the ball at a high level.

We didn't skip any steps, and this was the result. But all of those experiences led to here. All of those moments where we came up short. We felt like we let the city down.

We felt like we let ourselves down. All of that compiled is how we get to this moment. And it makes it feel even that much better. That we had to go through all the journey, the heartbreak, the embarrassment, the loss to get to the mountaintop.

So it's great. That's the voice of NBA Finals MVP Jalen Brown. Love that story for him.

Love the fact that he was able to do it the way that he wanted to do it. Drew Holiday a big piece of this too. He wins his second NBA ring in his first season with a team.

Isn't that interesting? He goes to Milwaukee. They win a championship in his first year as the starting point guard and now does it again. Only player in NBA history ever to join two different franchises and guide, help, spark, use a verb, that franchise to a title in his first season. And he and Brad Stevens were standing together in the Celtics victorious locker room and NBC Sports Boston caught up with them. He was the first one to call me when I knew, besides Blue, besides my agent.

But he was the first one to call me. Thanks man. Thank you.

Thanks for bringing me here and being a part of this because this is, I mean there's no greater trouble than this. When I say I didn't do anything, like I didn't do anything. I sat and watched and ate popcorn in the suite for like 100 games.

Alright, he's being modest. First of all, he was the first to coach JB and JT, so Jalen Brown and Jason Tatum. Second of all, he's the one who hired Ime Udonka, got them to their last NBA finals, but then suspended Ime and promptly promoted a guy from the second level of the coaching area. You know, Joe Mazula sat in the second row. He wasn't even on the court and he got promoted and he was certainly the right guy to lead them to banner number 18. Marquesa sure is next. It's After Hours with Amy Lawrence. Clock at four. Doncic.

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