Harder than the refs.

Harder than my teammates.

That's just my mentality.

He's played and 340 plus straight games, and he plays his heart out every single night.

Being active enough to get your hands on the offensive rebound is very, very difficult.

He's averaging four game during the playoffs.

It's unbelievable.

What a performance on the board for Tristan Thompson, 11.

A rebound Tristan should probably a cavalier for his whole career.

You really built a life in Cleveland, and now you're building a whole new path for yourself in Boston.

So what's been the hardest part of relocating and then switching teams for the first time in your NBA career?

It's almost very, so much like a kid going to college, you know, growing up basically my whole MBA career, being in Cleveland and, you know, spending nine years there and knowing the staff in the front office and keep arena.

So it felt like home.

And obviously, you know, going to Boston now, especially with the quick turnaround in free agency.

It was it was definitely a little nervous just because it's all new.

But one thing about the Celtics they made feel very comfortable.

Very, you know, open arms.

As soon as I signed, I got text left and right for everyone from from the top of you know, Danny Ainge.

Thio guys are working equipment, so they've been so welcoming.

And it feels good to be we wanted and need.

So it made me feel good.

Make decisions.

Who was the first one of your new teammates that reached out to you when you sign?

Uh, shoot e J T J T s been texting me for the last couple of years.

You know, after the trade, that line so we could go ahead, take a buyout.

I said said, no, bro, I'll see you guys.

Free agency.

Best of luck.

But you know me, jt even cool.

I know, Jalen, since he's been a rookie, me and Kemba we've known each other since high school, so every guy reached out Marcus Smart like everyone literally text within the 1st 10 minutes.

Like we need you here.

We've been talking about it like, you know, you're you're the guy that we want here.

You feel like you're the missing piece for them.

So it felt good to just get like that.

Kind of like welcoming and not much love.

Uh, question, because it's my first time we have a different team.

That's been the overall sentiment about signing you, that you really seem to be the missing piece for this team.

But before we go more into the Celtics, I do wanna talk a little bit more about your time with the cabs because you really were part of three different eras with drafted in 2011.

And you were a few years with you in a young Kyrie.

And I guess you want to say rebuilding or just really at the bottom of the then boom championship run every year with LeBron and then boom, you're the veteran trying to teach young guys.

So how can you describe what those transitions were like for you?

I think first of all, I was just so lucky to be ableto be a part of, like those three different errors.

I think, uh, for me, you know, being with ground for the last four years, it just shows you like what great players do and and being around LeBron, you know, the first year right after Labor Day, he was in the gym ready to go, and training kind of starts three weeks later.

So he was in the gym.

So I was like, Wow, like me Carry we thought we worked on were like, you know, this guy is, you know, full germ swept before 10 a.m. We're like, Okay, so this is what the great This is what the greats do.

And I think for me learning that and being a sponge and I even text LeBron When I made my decision to the Celtics, I texted and said, You know, everything you taught me There's four years, and even prior to that relationship, I wanna basically pay it forward.

Thio.

These guys like Jason and Jalen and Marcus because, you know, these guys all have potential to be very good in our league.

And you've seen how great you know Jason is, and Jalen is.

In my opinion, he is an all Star talent, and Marcus Smart's got better every single year in his career.

So for mental brown everything you taught me, I want to just pay it forward.

I think that's what this league is about, you know, what you know, if you're able to play with great players and learn stuff from them, you should pay for it because they keep things going in.

It's just great for our league.

Yeah, I mean, it was well documented that you became such a mentor to those young guys, But was there ever a time where you and Kevin love felt like the Will Smith named in the living room?

Just like just looking at once, Jr was gone.

You know, me and Caleb deftly felt like the Will Smith.

And you're looking around.

You're like, man, this is totally the only people left that was part is running the training staff, like, literally, everyone's gone.

T lose gone.

So that was you know, we were definitely upset about that.

And what not?

But thank God.

You know, we can't have each other and literally like next door neighbors.

Your house is.

So we just say, Hey, but glass, I want to just talk, talk about the past few days, and then I'm sure you also watched what was going on in the bubble.

From what you know about LeBron and being on the championship run with him.

What If anything surprised you about his performance in the bubble.

E think, of course it's performance was amazing.

But the key, which separates him from all the people, that how well he was able to keep his team locked in like Let's be realistic when guys, you're going to the bubble because you know hasn't been invited.

So the world was opening up like opening up bit by bit.

But then for us, Brush and I have to You have to go basically going lock down for your career so mentally that I know for sure.

Guys were definitely upset about that.

But him to be able to keep his guys and his group locked in on you know, the goals go like, Do we wish we were home in L.

A.

Playing Staples?

Yes, of course.

But you know, we're in Orlando.

Let's make the best of it, and that shows real leadership.

That's what That's the picture of a gold, someone that can, you know, banging his band together and whether it's rain or shine or whether they're playing in Jupiter or Mars or Earth like they're locked in on what the common goal was.

And I think That's what's more special than just the numbers he put up.

You know he's gonna put I mean, I saw him average 40 15 and 15, so nothing impressive number wise, like him.

So for him to keep the group together, that's like that was like icing on the kid.

Be honest.

What was your reaction when you saw a then rookie Jason Tatum not only dunk on LeBron but then flexing his face in those 2018 playoffs?

No.

So, to be honest, because watch the film he blows Jason Bowles by me on the exile swinging Jason on the wing.

I'm the clothes on Jason, so I do a hard closer.

He ripped.

Jason was buying me.

So I guess you could say it's technically my fault because I didn't keep Jason in front of me for when the dunks on LeBron.

So you know I must.

I must have been wheeling and dealing.

I must do something that happened a couple of times.

I wasn't wheeling and dealing to get decent on my side, so I e.

Something friend Kristen taking, taking the blame for that accountability, Take accountability.

Jason showed a lot of emotion there, but he's, you know, he's more of a quiet leader.

What was your first impression of Jason?

And how has it changed now that your teammates?

Yeah, I think, uh, no, you're definitely where I think he's, uh He leads by by action, how hard he works, you know, he's in the gym getting extra shots of working on his body.

So he leads with, you know, how he conducts himself with this craft.

And I think you know that that's that's That's a great part of leadership.

And I think for myself that I could bring to the table is my voice.

Just because I've been through, you know, a lot of my career in such a short period of time.

So I think it's a good balance because, you know, there's a There's a time against Toronto where we were up by 23 they cut it down to 11 on during a time out.

Was the first time ever seen Jason really just get upset and get loud and, like, tell guys like you can't be doing this no more like when you see blood, you can't take your foot off the gas.

You got to just keep going and keep punching them until until they just stole the white flag.

You can't just, you know, a couple of knockouts and just chill, like know that, like great teams and what we're trying to become And we wanna put us up in that championship contending position When you when you stop on somebody, stop on the next, you cannot give them no air.

You gotta keep drilling it and play the full 48.

So when he got frustrated, raised his voice.

I was, like, beautiful.

So this is that the evolution of not just him as a person, look for him as a leader of our team.

What was your impression of Marcus Smart And how has it changed now that your teammates with them?

But we've been going against him for so long.

And, you know, we've had 3000 Boston himself, you know, I know smart very well.

But you know, he's that guy that you want him on your team.

You just don't wanna go against him because, like you said, you know, defensively he'll take, you know, calls or some people might think it's a charges on us, and I think it's the flop.

But you know, like I'm glad he's on our team.

But I, like you, said, he's a type of guy you want on your team.

You want to win a championship.

You know, guys like that, whether you know, he might not be the most talented, like other wing guys in our league.

But you know, you want that guy in a box.

So with you ready to rumble and right to play hard because you know, I always always told like, you know, hard work always speeds talent, especially when when you get a fray and then you're down.

Whether it's 31 or two, you want a guy that says, You know, let's lace them up.

Let's go, Let's go, let's go fight, Let's go, Rumble!

You mentioned your You know, you've been told so many times that you're the missing piece on this team.

Um, they you know, they have that core of of Jason, Jalen and Marcus.

But you called that guard play picture perfect for you.

What did you mean by that?

I mean, just just because you know, when we get Kimba back, you know their garden with Kemba, especially with Kemba and Jason, the attraction that caused on run offense.

We're defensively where teams are gonna blitz them or, you know, over help for me is a big That's a That's a dynamic roller.

It's it's bread and butter just for me.

It's literally just said a good screen roll heart in front of the rim and the big has to make a decision because I'm gonna get a good enough screen within the two on one action.

So me and what, this Camba or Jason or Jalen were coming on a 12 1 tandem base.

Got to make a decision you're gonna give.

Jason Tatum was a 25 points per game scorer on easy bucket, or you're gonna try to take away his floater a layup, and then I'll be open.

And if helper helps the helper, then you'll have Marcus smart or dealing on other side of the corner.

We open three.

So for me, when you have guards of that talented, it's very similar.

When I start with Kyrie, when you have a broad, you have guards that just attracts so much defensively.

It opens up everything for for for myself and smart in front of guys out there, so it's It's it's picture perfect and, you know, they let me get all the rebound.

So I'm not.

I'm not.

I'm not tripping.

I'm excited about that.

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