The NBA Finals are a different beast than not only a regular-season contest for the Boston Celtics but even a playoff series at a lower level of the postseason. Media attention, bi-coastal travel, celebrity appearances, and a media crush unlike almost anything else in sports.
Asked if the experience of his first Finals game at home felt different with Celtics luminaries like Paul Pierce in attendance, Boston All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum joked a bit with the press. “Paul Pierce? We had Nelly — we had Nelly in the building,” he said to a peel of laughter rippling through the crowd of reporters. ” St. Louis was in the house.”
“It’s tough because there is so much media attention,” added Tatum. “The routines are different. We’re practicing at the Garden and things like that.”
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“So in those moments, it’s like, this is a lot, this is the Finals, it’s big. But at the same time you want to keep that same focus of we’ve got a game on Friday, we’ve got to lock in,” suggested the St. Louis native.
“When you walk in the Garden and it’s already filled while you’re warming up, you definitely notice a different energy. But you can’t get too caught up in that; it’s still basketball, it’s still a game. We’re just trying to win one at a time.”
Asked how it felt to have Nelly performing at the halftime show wearing his jersey, Tatum smirked and pointed out that St. Louis was a small city, and that his parents knew him since high school.
“Nelly is arguably like the most famous guy from St. Louis,” he grinned, “until I catch up.”
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