This content is taken from an article by Sam LaFrance for Celtics Blog, translated into Italian by Marco Barone for Around the Game.
In the last season and a quarter, i Boston Celtics they won 101 games out of a possible 128. Their point differential was among the best in history en route to Banner 18 and they set a similar pace to begin their climb to #19. When a team wins as much as the Cs, there is room for celebrations. The fans saw Jayson Tatum give kisses, Derrick White rummaging in your pockets looking for triples, Jaylen Brown buckle up and so much more during Boston's rise to the top of the NBA. But who does it better? Which player celebrations are unmissable?
Honorable Mention: Al Horford – The Timeout
Okay, if this celebration wasn't dead, it would probably be the number one pick. The timeout call of Al Horford it was one of the most creative yet simple ways for a player to trash talk another team, even though Horford would never say that's what it was. “It brings me a lot of joy, it brings me happiness”told NBC Sports Boston's Abby Chin last spring: “It's just something natural. I really don't know when this thing started. When I'm on the pitch, I'm obviously very focused and focus on the things I have to do. But of course I enjoy the process. Often I don't show it, but sometimes I do things that the kids appreciate and so I continue… When I do all this, I really have fun with my classmates. It doesn't even have to do with the other team.” Celtics fans saw their big man bring out this gem after a positive team run had fallen on the opponents like an avalanche, forcing the coaches to call a timeout. It went well… until it went bad. Unfortunately, the celebration ended during the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals. Horford performed the timeout gesture in the first half of Boston's Game 1 loss to the Miami Heat. The fact that the game was lost certainly didn't help, but the real nail in the coffin was the use that Jimmy Butler made of it two games later, when the Heat had built up a 29-point lead and were at 3- 0 in the series. Perhaps there is no “saltier” moment than Butler's use of the timeout, which a few months later was included in the trailer for the NBA 2K24 video game. As great as cheering was at its peak, it's pretty hard to keep using it after it backfired so much.
5. Payton Pritchard – “That’s What I Do!”
The exultation of Payton Pritchard “That's what I do” is officially the first in the charts. The gesture of Fast PP it's simple, but it hits home every time, especially because you know he just did something crazy. We first saw it in the 2022 Playoffs, when the former Oregon star hit a three-pointer in the fourth quarter of a blowout Game 7 win against the Milwaukee Bucks. He ran down the court, pointed to his chest and made it clear to everyone that shooting threes is his job. The funniest thing is that Pritchard has had more and more opportunities since then. So instead of taking a shot when the game is basically over, he has now become the designated man for Boston's buzzer beater. And damn… it's still his job.
The best thing about this shot is that it's a bit reminiscent of Kevin Garnett in plain clothes getting excited after Ray Allen scored the winning basket in the 2009 Playoffs. Pretty much the same vibe, right?
4. Derrick White – what's in your pocket?
Derrick White's “Whats in your pocket?” move for celebrations it is the equivalent of a new song at the top of the charts. He has captivated the Celtics community and fans can't get enough of him. Every time White hit a big shot this year, he checked his pockets to prove to everyone that he has an endless supply of three-pointers. White's explanation for this unconventional gesture is quite simple: “When you hit a 3-pointer, you just feel it. That triple is safe, as if it were in your pocket. [“have someting in your pocket” in inglese indica la certezza che qualcosa vada bene, ndr.]”. It's one of the most random things I've ever seen a player do to celebrate, but everyone seems to like it. It's a shame that NBA playing shorts don't have pockets, it would have been pretty amazing to see White literally empty his pockets after a big accomplishment.
3. Jaylen Brown – buckle up
Now, it's not exclusively his, but Jaylen Brown's “buckle up” celebration is a lot of fun. Traditionally, the seatbelt movement is used to indicate that the opposing offensive player has been “secured”, having therefore played a great defensive possession. We've seen Brown use it for this purpose, but he didn't stop there. As he told The Athletic's Jared Weiss, he belts every half of the court and literally everyone: “I put it to people. I put it to myself. I'll put it to you if I have to. To everyone”. Sure, maybe it's not entirely original, but the safety buckle celebration is the most versatile on this list, so JB deserves some credit.
2. Jayson Tatum (and Jaylen Brown) – Kiss of Death
After criticism of being “corny” or “lack of aura,” Jayson Tatum has one of the balliest celebrations in the league. His “kiss of death” is now consolidated. In recent seasons, Celtics fans have seen the star make the classic “call game” after scoring sensational daggers. Here's an example from last year:
Tatum's kiss became popular a few seasons ago. Once he took off, Jaylen Brown joked that he was actually behind the gesture: “Jayson stole my kiss” – said JB in 2022 – “He watches me while I train… and then in the pre-match, when I prepare for the match, he watches my training and what I do”. However, we've seen Brown and many other Celtics give kisses over the years. Grant Williams also featured during his time as a Celtic… but he wasn't as cool and collected as JT.
1. Whatever rabbit Luke Kornet pulls out of his hat
There is only one king of celebrations and his name is Luke Kornet. When you think of Kornet, the first thing that comes to mind might be one of the ridiculous things he did after scoring a basket. In the words of Derrick White: “Let him do what he does… He's the best”. There's always something to keep an eye out for when it comes to the long run: he's been seen stirring things up, putting a unicorn horn on his head, making a dove with his hands and much more during his time with the Celtics. “Luke Kornet's celebrations are really beautiful”said Jaylen Brown, who evidently respects his partner's skills in this little game: “Where would we be without it? We like to have personality in our team and have fun, and Luke is the spirit of that.”. Kornet's baggage seems to be endless when it's time to celebrate. Just take a look at its history. For example, there are the celebrations, undoubtedly fantastic, but then there is the great work by Kornet, the “spazz dab”. For the week following the incident, it seemed like nothing else was talked about. Sport is fun (and also winning) and there is no doubt that Kornet is all of this. Even at the 2024 title parade, he didn't do anything wrong. Enjoy:
