Podcast Summary: Green With Envy: The First Annual "The Middies" Awards ft. Jaylen Brown, Jonathan Kuminga and More!

Date: January 23, 2026
Host(s): Will Weir & Greg Meneakis
Guests: Multiple shoutouts (Mike Gorman, Drew Carter, Amina Smith, Dana Barros, and more)
Podcast: Green With Envy: A Boston Celtics Podcast (Blue Wire)

Overview

This special episode of Green with Envy celebrates the first annual “The Middies,” the podcast’s own unique take on mid-season NBA awards, delivered with trademark Celtics flavor, banter, and plenty of humor. Will and Greg dive into Celtics storylines, shout out both underappreciated and headline-grabbing performances, and use pop culture references to spice up their awards, while reflecting on team dynamics, fan discourse, and current NBA events. The episode is playful, insightful, and occasionally veers off-court with comedic asides.

Episode Structure and Main Segments

• [01:38] Intro to The Middies
  Will introduces the episode concept—fun, offbeat “award show” for the Celtics’ season midpoint.

• [03:43] The Jaylen Brown Appreciation, and Origins of The Middies
  Greg and Will discuss naming the awards after Jaylen Brown, honoring his midrange prowess.

• [04:12–09:34] Celtics-Pacers Recap and the Jaylen Brown Discourse
  Celtics’ 119–104 victory over the Pacers, Jaylen Brown’s dominant performance, and the ongoing evolution of his role and perception in Celtics discourse.

• [09:34–57:06] The Middies Awards Presentation
  Will and Greg each give out a series of creative, often pop-culture-inspired awards highlighting Celtics performances, NBA storylines, and some left-field topics.

• [57:06–End] Parent Advisory, Listener Interaction & Closing Thoughts
  Parting reflections, listener messages, and banter over family-friendliness, plus a weather check-in and sign off.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Jaylen Brown Segment: Recognition and Evolution

• The show is named "The Middies" in honor of Jaylen Brown’s midrange scoring abilities and his role as a "midrange assassin" ([03:43–04:12]).
• Will: “He transcends the award show. The man IS the award show. It’s in his honor. AKA the Middies.” ([04:12])
• Both hosts emphasize that Brown has shed the “yeah, but...” qualifiers, becoming a player who is simply “awesome. Full stop.” ([06:54])
• Comparison to NBA duos (MJ/Pippen, Steph/Clay) and how Brown has stepped out of the shadow narrative ([06:54–09:34]).

Celtics–Pacers Game Recap

• Brown’s Pacers line: 30 pts, 10 reb, 5 ast, 3 stl.
• Greg admires Brown’s physicality: “…he has imprinted his physicality in every game this season…against the Pacers, they just didn’t have anybody that could deal with him.” ([05:21])
• Defensive shoutouts and Brown’s leadership on tough nights.

The Middies Awards (Highlights, Quotes & Timestamps)

1. The Game of Thrones: Winter Is Coming But Spring Is Around the Corner Award

Winner: Derrick White
[10:43–15:08]

• For enduring a cold shooting January, with a career pattern of bouncing back strong in February.
• Will: “Apparently, winter is not kind to Derrick White, does not like January…Hang in there, guys. January is almost over. February’s around the corner.” ([14:18])

2. The Tobias Fünke Hair Plug Award

Winner: Jordan Walsh
[16:40–22:21]

• Discussion about Walsh’s visible hair regrowth with empathy and genuine curiosity, relating to personal hair loss, and possible group hair regrowth plans among Celtics players.
• Greg: “Are him and Jaylen Brown on the same hair growth plan?...Did playing great basketball unlock something genetically within Jordan Walsh?” ([19:18])

3. The Pats Are Back in the AFC Championship Game, and That’s the Way I Think It Was Always Supposed to Be Award

Winner: Sam Hauser
[22:28–28:15]

• Celebrating Hauser’s hot shooting and cementing himself in the starting lineup.
• Will: “When it settles in and you get, like, a Sam game, you’re like—this is right. This is why we actually really love Sam and need Sam.” ([25:43])

4. The Will Byers “I Picked the Wrong Time to Finally Speak My Truth” Award (Stranger Things reference)

Winner: Jonathan Kuminga (Golden State Warriors) – with Steve Kerr as Vecna
[28:21–34:07]

• A long, humorous analogy about Kuminga finally demanding a trade and balling out at an inopportune moment—just as other players on his team go down injured.
• Greg: “…how you can banish someone from your team when your talent is middling at best…?" ([30:23])

5. The Stranger Things “How Many Endings Do We Need?” Award

Winner: Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks
[36:19–39:59]

• Commentary on the ongoing and often melodramatic Bucks’ seasons and the ever-circling drama around Giannis’ future.
• Will: “Can we just end this thing, guys? Like, I get it. You guys had a good run…but honestly, I thought about earlier today, the Bucks are probably better off taking this to the offseason because I don’t know what they’re gonna get right now.” ([37:45])

6. Delete Your Browsing History Now Award

Winner: Viewers who searched “Abella Danger” after the NCAA Championship
[42:51–47:40]

• Greg humorously comments on ESPN showing adult film star Abella Danger in the crowd, prompting likely many Google searches.
• Greg: “I’m giving this award to all men and women out there. If you looked up Abella Danger…” ([45:50])

7. The IU Fernando Mendoza “This Guy is Getting a Bag” Award

Winner: Neemias Queta
[48:03–57:06]

• In-depth discussion about Queta’s contract prospects; ranking him among NBA centers earning $7–20M per year; strategic Celtics implications for his next deal.
• Will: “He was phenomenal in the Pacers game last night…Nemias Keita is in every single one (of Boston’s top five lineups) … a huge difference maker.” ([55:37])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Will, on The Middies: “This isn’t your traditional midseason award show, so if you’re looking for that, you’ve come to the wrong place.” ([01:38])
• Greg, awarding Jordan Walsh: “I just want to say I’m rooting for Jordan Walsh. I'm rooting for him on the court. I’m rooting for him off the court. Everything included. Follicles included.” ([20:41])
• Will, after Greg’s Stranger Things monologue: “That was pretty impressive, to come all the way around on that. Connecting all of that.” ([33:51])
• Will, on Sam Hauser: “There’s not a single night any team would go into a game plan…no, that’s Sam Hauser. He’s like a 42% shooter for his career. We’re still going to have to respect him.” ([28:15])
• Greg, on Straw-Maning the adult film banter: “You have to both pretend like you don’t know who it is … and mom’s really confused. You know, that just happens.” ([58:23])
• Will, on Giannis/Bucks drama: “We could have been a little bit more crisp with it. Giannis and the Bucks, you guys are kind of at that point.” ([37:45])
• Listener banter: Greg: “Listen to this one with your family.” Will: “This is the PSA for all you parents out there...” ([57:19; 58:23])

Additional Fun Moments & Asides

• [16:09–22:21] Lighthearted, self-deprecating hair-loss talk, and podcast “permissions” to make bald jokes.
• [28:21–36:16] Deep Stranger Things discourse, including best/worst scenes and SNL parodies.
• [46:34–47:17] Wry commentary about sports fandom and the awkwardness of “that guy” who’s smug about knowing the most obscure trivia.
• [55:54–57:06] Insightful breakdown of Celtics contract strategy—a nugget for hardcore fans.

Timestamps of Key Segments

• [01:38] – Episode & awards introduction
• [03:43] – Jaylen Brown, origins of ‘The Middies’
• [04:12] – Celtics vs. Pacers recap
• [10:43] – Derrick White’s cold January (GoT award)
• [16:40] – Jordan Walsh hair award
• [22:28] – Sam Hauser’s starting lineup case
• [28:21] – Jonathan Kuminga/Stranger Things monologue
• [36:19] – Giannis & Bucks drama
• [42:51] – Abella Danger “internet history” moment
• [48:03] – Queta contract and “bag” analysis
• [57:06] – Parental advisories & listener feedback
• [58:23] – Closing remarks

Tone & Style

• Lively, irreverent, witty, occasionally NSFW; mixes serious hoops analysis with comedy and pop culture references (“Game of Thrones”, “Stranger Things”, SNL).
• Unfiltered personal anecdotes, genuine Celtics fandom, plenty of inside jokes.
• Hosts intentionally blur content boundaries, giving listeners both analysis and big laughs.

Bottom Line

This inaugural Middies Awards episode is a treat for Green with Envy regulars and new listeners alike: equal parts Celtics deep-dive and playful, pop-culture-laced storytelling. Beyond basketball, it’s a window into the rapport, humor, and perspective of two lifelong fans, with shoutouts to under-covered Celtics (Hauser, Queta, Walsh), honest talk about team dynamics, and a reminder that not all midseason awards shows need to play it straight.