Editor's Note: This article and accompanying photos were originally featured in Emerson College's The Berkeley Beacon: http://www.berkeleybeacon.com/
EDITORIAL. PHOTOS BY JESSE LIEBMAN
Nate Robinson slinked into the Celtics locker room Tuesday night, his 5-foot-9 frame sliding along the mahogany walls, his diminutive size dwarfed by human skyscrapers like Kevin Garnett and Shaquille O'Neal, each in the seven-foot range.
Robinson had just come from the parquet floor in Boston's TD Garden where the Celtics held an open practice for their fans.
Hundreds of green-clad die-hards gathered under the Garden's historical rafters, an NBA record 17 championship banners waving above them, as they cheered on their gladiators in a friendly scrimmage.
Robinson did his best to appease the excited crowd, displaying deft moves all afternoon, splitting defenders in the lane, his ball-handling skills so slick the basketball seemed like a yo-yo in his control.
But Robinson did more than just steal the show on the floor - he also stole teammate Ray Allen's sneakers and promptly threw them into the crowd, much to the delight of fans.
Those who follow the team closely may be aware of Nate's series of Twitter videos that display his prankster antics, everything from high-flying dunks over the 7-foot-2 Shaquille O'Neal to dumping salt in the big man's water during lunch break.
As we assembled to enter the locker room toting microphones, video cameras, and tape recorders, it hit me.
It may have been the new Garden, but the old aura was still there.
It's the place where Red Auerbach celebrated most of those 17 banners. It's the place where countless bottles of champagne were popped in jubilation. It's the place where dozens of hall of famers suited up for some of the biggest games in NBA history.
And now, it was the place where a college sophomore was about to interview some of his biggest basketball heros.
The first feeling was of intimidation. But as soon as I stepped foot on the plush carpeting, I realized I had been there before. Standing in that locker room, I felt like I was in my high school locker room again. Things were easygoing, fun, and enjoyable.
When most guys were showering up to go home, Robinson was still running around in his practice clothes, drenched in sweat, tossing his cell phone to a teammate to throw in his locker while he ran off to find Shaq.
In sports, team chemistry can be everything, and this team has it. It's a blend of players from different walks of life.
And while the Miami Heat has garnered most of the attention so far this offseason with their acquisition of LeBron James and Chris Bosh, winning is more than just adding star players to your team.
Ask every New York Yankee team from 2000 to 2008 - you need to have fun. Because after all is said and done, the bottom line is you're just playing a game.
And that's what this team does so well, on and off the court. They don't take things for granted, and they just want to win.
Different backgrounds have mixed since the Celtics first formed the "Big Three" in 2007 with the acquisitions of perennial all-stars Garnett and Ray Allen to go along with Paul Pierce.
Then there's Nate, who just last year was an embattled bench player on the woeful New York Knicks.
It was reported that many teams had given up on him because of attitude issues. Still, the Celtics took a chance on the 5-foot-9 spark-plug, sending away fan favorite Eddie House in a year where Robinson would end up being a pivotal part of the Green's championship run.
Then there's Shaq: "The Diesel," "Shaqachusetts," the "Other Green Monster", or whatever nickname you want to refer to him as.
Boston is the sixth team the big man has played with. He won three titles with the Lakers and another with the Heat. Yet, for a man who is on the all-time NBA leaders list with over 28,000 career points, he just feels happy to be where he is.
"No, it doesn't matter. I couldn't care less," said Shaq when asked whether he wanted to start. "I'm a consultant here for this corporation, so whatever they need me to do. They need me to come in and run a couple of board meetings I'd do that, they need me to come off the bench I'd do that. It doesn't matter."
That's the selfless attitude this team has.
For most of his time in New York, Robinson butted heads with management for a starting point-guard role. Now he's fine with his job as backup, and most of all, he's having fun with it. Last year, perhaps the two most important reserves, Glenn "Big Baby" Davis and Robinson, coined themselves as "Shrek and Donkey."
Simply put, they wouldn't have it any other way.
In my eyes, these guys closely resemble the "Cowboy Up" attitude of the 2004 Boston Red Sox, a team that snuck into the playoffs via the wild card, and ended up winning the World Series.
That season, most of the focus was on the New York Yankees.
This year's Celtics are facing a similar situation, and Allen had no problem admitting that both the league's and the media's spotlight is shining brightest on South Beach.
"It's more heavily anticipated," said Allen about the season opener, reporters crammed around his locker. "I do believe that people are definitely more excited to see them than they are excited about seeing us. Truly they know as a team what we represent…"
Allen's voice then trailed off into laughter. His voice became inaudible over the din from across the locker room.
To no one's surprise, it was Robinson, sitting inside of Pierce's locker, clapping, hooting, hollering, and stomping, making his own music. Staring at the little point guard, still in his sweats and sneakers, Allen couldn't help but smile and think about his team.
"I do believe this team is deeper [than last year's] but we also have to prove that," said the nine-time all-star and one of the most accurate three-point shooters in league history.
"Some nights our minutes are going to be a lot fewer than others. I believe anything for the team. If we come out with a victory then we are all on the good side of the fence."
It's a sentiment that Shaq echoed, and one that captain Paul Pierce openly supports. The team doesn't care how it gets its job done - as long as it does.
In practice, each player showed positives. Garnett has said his knee is better and backed it up with some agile moves on the court.
"I don't take anything less than perfect," said Garnett, sweat pouring off his face and beads splashing on the media's microphones. "Even though I'm a human being the way I work and the way I go at things is to better myself to be in perfect terms."
Still, for all the weapons they boast in their 2010 arsenal, the common knock on the Celtics is that they're old compared to other teams int he league. Boston's big three; Pierce, Garnett and Allen, are 33, 34 and 35 years old, respectively.
The Heat's big three meanwhile, James, Bosh and Wade are 25, 26 and 28 years old.
But it appeared the Green were looking to do everything they could to dispel that myth during Tuesday night's scrimmage.
Shaq was working the lane, Pierce was showing off his signature fade-away jumped, and Allen was perfecting three-pointers from the corner.
And as center Kendrick Perkins said in an interview with Last Call, the Celtics' track record speaks for itself.
"We can't be under the radar with four future Hall of Famers. We just can't."
So while the bulk of the NBA may view the Celtics as a collection of aging stars, the Green will just keep plugging away, following Nate's lead, and enjoying the ride.
Because as the old adage says, age is just a number.
The Celtics though, they're all focused on a different number: 18. Banner 18, that is.
And after what I saw Tuesday, I can't help but think they've got a damn good shot at winning it.
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