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.”
