Jaylen Brown Drama and Why Boston's Money Moves Were Important: Season Wrap with Sean Grande

Summary

Locked On Celtics — Jaylen Brown Drama & Boston’s Money Moves with Sean Grande

Podcast: Locked On Celtics
Host: John Karalis (Boston Sports Journal)
Guest: Sean Grande (Celtics Radio Play-by-Play)
Episode Date: May 12, 2026
Episode Focus: Dissecting Jaylen Brown’s recent PR saga, why Boston’s “money moves” at the deadline were not just about saving cash, and the evolution of NBA media and perception.

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Episode Overview

This “season wrap” bonus episode is the third in a series featuring John Karalis and Celtics broadcaster Sean Grande. The discussion dives deep into several key Celtics topics at season’s end:

• Jaylen Brown’s turbulent post-playoff media narratives and PR missteps
• How NBA stars’ public communications shape — and sometimes torpedo — perception
• The importance (and misunderstood necessity) of Boston’s recent salary cap moves
• A thoughtful NBA history comparison between Tatum/Brown and Jordan/Pippen
• Addressing, and debunking, common misconceptions held by Celtics fans after the playoff exit

The conversation is rich in analysis, behind-the-scenes context, and candid, veteran NBA perspectives.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Jaylen Brown’s Season, Public Perception, and PR Misfires

Timestamps: 02:25 – 10:32

• Grande reflects on Game 7 vs. the Sixers, the blown lead, and the feeling that the Sixers “had to win that game and very nearly didn’t.”

  • [02:26] Sean Grande: “You could not be any happier for a dude who for nine years was Robin… and then when he got the chance, he was Batman. Yeah, did it. He did it.”

• Media vs. Player Messaging:

  • Jaylen repeatedly calling it his “favorite season” caused eye rolls but was also noted by the media all year.
  • Public “drama” was sparked when Tracy McGrady (TMac) repeated rumors about Brown’s happiness/confidence in Boston, say he “heard” things — which media and fans immediately linked to Jaylen, regardless of actual communication.

• PR Crisis Origins:

  • [04:29] Chris Forsberg: “You just have to sit with it…when people are screaming…shut up, let people scream themselves out, then pick it back up.”
  • TMac’s “I heard” phrasing was problematic. Even if there was no direct conversation, “the majority of people are going to believe that Jaylen Brown is feeding you information.”

• Ultimately, Forsberg says:

  • “I don’t think Jaylen wants to be traded. I don’t think any of this stuff is…untenable…At worst, Jaylen was frustrated by something that happened at work. He confided in somebody…that doesn’t mean you’re always going to try to quit your job.” ([08:24])

2. New Media Environment: Pitfalls of Athlete Self-Representation

Timestamps: 09:08 – 13:07

• Grande on Athlete Livestreams & Socials:

  • “What if 25 years ago, Kobe and Shaq were doing live streams…? We fall back on ‘boy, this is a PR disaster.’ There is no PR.”
  • Athletes want direct control, but “new media will have new consequences.”
  • “Stephen A. Smith…feasts off your live stream and makes segments out of it.”

• PR Exists for a Reason:

  • “If you say this, this is what’s going to happen…doesn’t matter if you mean A, it’s going to be interpreted as B.” ([09:33])

3. Tatum & Brown vs. Jordan & Pippen: Managing Perception

Timestamps: 13:26 – 17:14

• Grande argues Tatum and Brown don’t have to be best friends, noting NBA history parallels:

  • “They are work colleagues who have very different lives.”
  • Drawing from the past: Jordan’s baseball hiatus and Pippen’s invitation via sneaker-pointing — a simple PR gesture that could have quieted rumors if today’s stars did similar things.

• Grande explains:

  • Players sometimes fail to use easy, positive PR optics, which would “save you the grief of somebody interpreting your live stream the wrong way.” ([16:20])

• [16:49] Grande: “Does that change anything in real life? No. Does it change the overwhelming perception…? Yes.”

4. Why PR Advice Still Matters

Timestamps: 17:08 – 21:06

• Forsberg suggests big-ticket athletes need to heed professionals with media, even if their egos suggest otherwise:

  • “They are gods…But when it comes to talking in public and understanding how things are going to be perceived…They don’t understand that part.”
  • “Those guys need to understand: Be careful of this particular word and you’ll be okay.”

• Grande expands the advice to local coaches, too:

  • “They in need of public relations guidance might extend to some coaches in town as well.” ([21:06])
  • PR slip-ups aren’t new or limited to athletes.

5. Fan Narratives, Money Moves, & False Red Sox Comparisons

Timestamps: 24:26 – 31:49

• Dissecting Criticism of Celtics' Money Moves:

  • Grande and Forsberg push back forcefully on fans lumping Celtics tax moves with Red Sox-style penny-pinching.
  • Grande: “How irresponsible…for Brad [Stevens] to not get them under all of the penalties…You had to make that. That’s not how this works. Any of this works.”
    [28:24]
  • Multi-team trades and cap gymnastics saved Boston future headaches, didn’t harm the roster.

• On fan outrage about minor players moved for tax purposes:

  • “Who cares? Who cares?” ([29:55])
  • “Don't listen to ... Twitter. Listen to Bobby Marks … Brad did, was sorcery. It was just sorcery.” ([31:49])

6. The Real ‘Two Max Players’ Question

Timestamps: 29:17 – 31:24

• Grande:
  • “The discussion is, can you win in this salary system with two max players? ... That is the discussion…the system being as it is, can you have two players on contracts like that?”
• This is the next big question for Celtics’ roster construction, not whether Tatum and Brown are buddies.

7. Playoff Disappointment, Center Dynamics, and Perspective

Timestamps: 34:11 – End

• Grande and Forsberg bemoan missing a big Knicks or Madison Square Garden series and reflect on changing feelings at season’s end.
• Forsberg: “Matchups matter in the playoffs,” referencing Embiid’s struggles matching up with elite, offensive centers.
• Grande closes: “Right now you got Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown and Peyton Pritchard and Derrick White and a trade exception. And let's see what…Trust in Brad.”
  • The summer is set up to be fascinating — no need to panic.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Jaylen Brown’s Evolution:

  • “For nine years was Robin…when he got the chance, he was Batman.”
    — Sean Grande ([02:26])

• On Media, PR, and Perception:

  • “If you say this, this is what's going to happen…Stephen A. Smith is going to feast off your live stream and make segments out of it.”
    — Sean Grande ([09:33])
  • “PR exists for a reason…when it comes to talking in public...they don't understand that part.”
    — Chris Forsberg ([18:02])

• On Fan Misconceptions:

  • “That’s lazy and not paying attention to what had to happen to reset penalties and reset the tax…it's a Facebook commercial. That's not how this works. Any of this works.”
    — Sean Grande ([28:24])

• Grande, on player relationships:

  • “They have never been best friends, nor do they have to be. They are work colleagues who have very different lives.” ([13:26])

• Grande, on today’s NBA drama:

  • “Live streams…there is no PR. They're doing their own thing without advisors or anybody telling them, ‘Jaylen, you get to say whatever you want. This is your stream and you've earned that right. Go crazy. But …’” ([09:32])

• Forsberg, on context and humility:

  • “You can sit there and be like, I do not understand the collective bargaining agreement. So I’m going to listen to people who do, and they're going to explain to me. OK, this was actually… why this all happened.” ([32:01])

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Timestamps for Important Segments

| Time | Segment | |-----------|--------------------------------------------------------| | 02:26 | Jaylen Brown’s season, Game 7 breakdown | | 04:29 | The origins of the Jaylen Brown PR “drama” | | 09:08 | The risks of “new media”—athletes on livestreams | | 13:26 | Tatum & Brown as NBA work colleagues, not best friends | | 16:00 | Grande’s Jordan/Pippen PR comparison | | 17:08 | Why PR professionals are (still) essential | | 24:26 | Debunking money-move criticisms and Red Sox comparisons| | 29:17 | Can two max players win under the NBA’s salary system? | | 34:11 | Playoff disappointment and context moving forward | | 36:00 | Closing: It will be a fascinating summer |

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Episode Takeaways

• Drama is more perception than reality. Jaylen Brown’s frustrations were overblown by public/social media. Sometimes a vent is just a vent.
• NBA players controlling their message is a double-edged sword: Without seasoned counsel, the optics can quickly slide from authentic to damaging — even unintentionally.
• Boston’s salary cap machinations were essential, not stingy. Comparing Celtics moves to Red Sox austerity is factually wrong and ignores huge CBA changes.
• PR optics matter. Sometimes, five seconds of staged PR can save months of drama.
• The big question: Can Celtics win with two max players in the new NBA system? That issue looms much larger than the mythic chemistry questions about Tatum/Brown.
• Perspective and patience are the order of the offseason. There’s disappointment, but also a strong core and options — trust in Brad.

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For Celtics fans, this episode provides sharp analysis and context for misunderstood storylines and leaves listeners armed with smarter perspectives on both Jaylen Brown and the direction of the franchise.

Transcript

[Chris Forsberg]

Foreign. Hi, this is Wes Goldberg, host of Locked on NBA Daily and Locked on Heat. And today's episode is brought to you by adt. Imagine you're watching the game at a buddy's house when you get a call that someone tried to break into yours. In a second, everything can change. That's why there's ADT. ADT security systems help keep your home safe 247 with the most company operated monitoring centers in the industry. And the ADT plus app keeps you in control the whole time. Don't leave your home wide open during an emergency. When every second counts, count on ADT. Visit ADT.com or call 1-800-ADT ASAP. This is Jake from Lock Dawn. When the game's on the line, the best know when to pass because the right assist can change everything. And off the court, it's no different. That's where your State Farm agent comes in. Whether it's protecting your car, your home, or helping you prep for the unexpected, they'll help set you up with a game plan that works for you. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. Coverage options are selected by the customer. Availability and eligibility vary by state. Now in part three of the conversation with Sean Grandy, why the Celtics have to sit with whatever is being said about them right now. It doesn't matter what it is. Even Jaylen Brown, you have no choice. Locked on Selfish Pod, home of the winners.

[Sean Grande]

Hey, welcome back to the show. I'm John Corrales.

[Chris Forsberg]

Really do appreciate you being here. For this bonus episode, the final episode between me and Sean Grandy, we did 90 minutes of podcasting. I broke it up into three shows and so this, the bonus podcast on a Tuesday is the third show. So if you missed parts one and two, those have been released. Scroll back on your feeds so you get everything in a nice little timeline and this will do it. We're going to start. Well later on we'll get to Bill Chisholm and what fans are getting wrong about trade deadline moves. In the second segment we'll get into a Michael Jordan Scottie Pippen comparison with with Tatum and Brown. No, he's not comparing anybody to Michael Jordan necessarily. Get ready for a great Doc Rivers impression too. But let's just start with more on this conversation about Jalen Brown.

[Sean Grande]

My storyline as I was calling game seven, I was so convinced when games as as 48 hours were going by and then Tatum was out. To me this became an unbelievable opportunity for the Sixers and the way Embiid and George and everybody was playing to Me, I thought the Celtics could win Game 7, but I wasn't expecting it. I thought that's. That's a team with momentum. That is probably the better team right now. And when they got up by 17 late in the third, going into the fourth, and Celtics started chipping away, the way I was calling that game, my storyline was, they can't. The Sixers can't possibly blow this, can they? After 44 years, they can't possibly. This. I can't even begin to describe how calamitous a loss that would have been for the Sixers to cough up that lead after 44 years against a team that not only didn't have Tatum and. And, you know, Kate in foul trouble, the Sixers had to win that game and very nearly didn't. And again, I don't know. People subscribe to that theory of one more shot goes in if there's a psychological element to the Celtics taking the lead, if they have. Oh, yeah, you know, with. With. With two minutes to go. So I think you have to be able to change in real time. And maybe because of my whole perspective of the whole year, it was easier for me to put on that hat as the game was going on. But. And I'm not being. I'm not. The last thing I'm being is, hey, wasn't it a great year? Forget what happened, mourn what happened, be angry about what happened. Just know when we start to turn the page to what is next, and this is going to be a fascinating summer, as many of them are, as you turn the page, that this year was in many ways what it was supposed to be, including, hopefully a first team, all NBA. For Jalen first. Whatever we're about to say about him, his year was, as you like to say, Chef's kiss. You know, it was. It was. It was an amazing season, and you could not be any happier for a dude who for nine years was Robin, felt all along in his heart of hearts that if ever given the chance, he could be Batman. And then when he got the chance, he was Batman. Yeah, did it. He did it.

[Chris Forsberg]

And so after the season, I think he was feeling that a little bit. And, yeah, that's. This is where we get into the, like, the reason I. I brought that up at the beginning of this was just to say, like, the Celtics did blow this series, in my opinion. And so they have to sit with this, like, when. When you. When you screw up. And I still believe that they. They screwed up. They. They. Like I said at the beginning of all of this, There were things they could have done offensively to get better looks, but when that happens, you just have to sit with it. And these people that are screaming at that, like, you, you can't. You just have to shut up, let people scream themselves out, and then pick it back up. Jaylen's. Like you said before, we had heard this is my favorite season. A handful of times prior to that time saying it again, there was like, dude, we get it. Geez, man. Like, that's, I think that was the reaction. Like, we understand. I think there, there are some people who are like, man, the media's really neglecting the fact that he has been saying it all season. Like, no, actually, we're taking that into account that he's been saying it all season. There was no need to reiterate it at that particular moment that if, if a PR person was there and he had said, hey, I'm going to say this, it'd be like, no, no, no, no, please don't. Do not say that at all. Say anything else but that. And then the TMAX stuff, which he says he didn't talk to Jaylen and whatever, whatever. When you say I heard, then TMAC has to understand. Yep, but he knows you're his friend. Everybody knows he looks up to you. So you have to understand that when you're saying something about the Celtics, just go into it thinking that everybody who's hearing you believes that Jaylen Brown is feeding you information. Whether he is or isn't, the majority of people are going to believe that. So when you say I heard, well, that is how that's going to be received. So another PR gaff at that point, and I'll give Jalen the benefit of the doubt and say that he didn't talk to TMac. I have no idea. I believe he kind of did, but let's just say he didn't. Still doesn't matter. It doesn't matter whether he did or didn't at this point. So that, that throws this extra element there. It, I think it's all overblown. But every step of this has been. You talk about shooting yourself in the foot. They're emptying the clip in their feet at this point, and each time they turn around. I thought t max response was worse. Yeah, you know, I, I, I, I, I thought it was damage control, and it came off as worse. Like, guys, can somebody with some professional experience in how to handle this stuff, can they just go consult these guys? I'll, I'll finish this rant by saying this. The, the the egos that these guys have are part of what drives them and makes them great. It also I think, makes them think that they are invincible in all of these areas. And this is one where I think there, it got the best of them. I think they thought they can talk their way out of this because they could, they could always play their way out of situations. For the most part. This, this was a hundred percent avoidable, starting with just beat the Sixers so you don't have this moment. And number two, when and where this stuff was said and how it was said was just. I, I don't even think it's a big deal. I don't think it's a big deal. I don't think Jalen wants to be traded. I don't think any of this stuff is, is like leading, unless you disagree. I, I don't think any of this stuff is leading towards. Oh God, this is not this now this seems untenable. I don't think any of that stuff. I think at worst, Jalen was frustrated by something that happened at work. He confided in somebody that was frustrated at work and that happens. Everybody's been frustrated at work. That doesn't mean you're always going to try to quit your job. Like, no, sometimes you just get frustrated at work. You. You vent and that's it. Some, most people don't normally go on TV and broadcast that you were frustrated at work.

[Sean Grande]

That's just. Let me put it this way. What if 25 years ago, Kobe and Shaq were doing live streams after every game and every practice? What if Rasheed Wallace was doing a live stream after every game he got kicked out of? What if Dennis Rodman was doing live streams after. We're calling this the we fall back on. Boy. This is a PR disaster and this is a PR gaff. There is no pr.

[Chris Forsberg]

They're.

[Sean Grande]

They're doing their own thing without advisors or without anybody telling them, you know, Jaylen, you get to say whatever you want. This is your stream and you've earned that right. Go crazy. But no, if you say this, this is what's going to happen. If you say this, this is what's going to happen. If you say this, it doesn't matter if you mean A, it's going to be interpreted is B, because Stephen A. Smith is the best in the world at what he does and makes a ton of money and earns every dollar of it. You know why? Because he's going to feast off your live stream and make segments out of it. It doesn't matter what's true. It does in these cases. From a PR standpoint, from a talking head standpoint, it matters what you create. So Doc Rivers used to tell me all the time when players would go out or whatever, nothing good ever happens after midnight. I'm sure if Doc were here right now, he'd say nothing good ever happens on these live streams right now. Because they don't. Because. Because they don't.

[Chris Forsberg]

Told you. Great Doc impression. When we come back, more on Jalen and why PR people have jobs for a reason. Sean makes that comparison to Jordan and Pippen next. Today's show is brought to you by Kalshee. The playoffs are here and it's the most electric time in basketball. California. You can trade every single playoff game, every series, the conference finals, championships. It's all there at CalShe. The Knicks advanced and are pretty big favorites. They're 59% on Cowshi to win their next series, paying out at 164.76. So the Knicks are looking good. People like them. On calshi you're trading against your peers in a live market, so there's no house. As the probability changes, you can buy in and out of your position. It doesn't work like a stock market. You don't have to wait until the games are played. You can buy in now and cash out before if you've made a little bit of money. That's how it works. So for a limited time, you can download the Cal she app, use the code locked on. You get $10 when you trade 10. That's K A L S H I Kalshi trade on anything 18 plus. Only restrictions and eligibility requirements apply. Event contract trading involves risk and may not be suitable for all investors. Price, value and available markets may differ from those mentioned. For more information, see kalsheet.com regulatory Today's show is brought to you by Rocket Money. If you've ever opened up a bank account and thought, where'd all my money go? You're not alone. Keeping track of subscriptions, spending and bills can get overwhelming fast. And I know, especially nowadays, that money can really fly out. That's where Rocket Money comes in. Helps you take control of your finances all in one place. It tracks all of your subscriptions in one spot, so you can cancel the ones you don't need with just a few taps. It automatically categorizes all your spending so you can actually see where your money is going. And you can set budgets, get alerts, and stay on top of upcoming bills. It makes everything feel more organized gives you a clearer picture of your finances day to day. Rocket Money is a personal finance app that helps you find and cancel unwanted subscriptions, monitors your spending, and helps you lower your bills so you can grow your savings. Let Rocket Money help you reach your financial goals faster. [e-mail] LockedOn that's RocketMoney.com LockedOn thanks for making Locked on Celtics your first listen every day and being part of this show every Monday through Friday. Plus bonus podcast like one of these parts of the conversation with Sean's going to be the show's daily. It's Monday through Friday. Like I said, it's on YouTube. So subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Watch the show there, get into the comments section, share your thoughts with me.

[Sean Grande]

I'm John Corrales.

[Chris Forsberg]

I'm a beat writer. I cover the Celtics for Sports illustrated. Celtics on SI. I've been doing this podcast for 20 years, doing this, covering the team for 20 years, doing this podcast for 10. So thank you for being with me and being an everydayer. Let's get back to the conversation here with Sean.

[Sean Grande]

It's a, it's an amazing time. If, if I were, I guarantee you, I'd be so stubborn as a player, I'd be doing it too. You don't want the media in the middle. You want your own message out there. You've earned that right. Go crazy. But just know this new media will have new consequences, whatever that's worth. And all year long we have documented this and I've been around these two extraordinary young men for their entirety of their NBA careers, fascinated by them as individuals, fascinated by the duality of how I think if their lives had been different, Jason could have been Jalen. Jalen could have been Jason with one with the family one being so socially active. If their lives have been different, I'm completely in awe of them as human beings. And not only what they're doing now, what they're go what Jalen does after basketball is going to dwarf this potential hall of Fame career he's in the middle of and his number going up if he never plays another game. As if he's the number one guy for the Atlanta Hawks next year. His number's still going out in Boston. That elite a player and elitist people. All that being said, they're in a new world and they have never been best friends, nor do they have to be. They are work colleagues who have very different lives.

[Chris Forsberg]

Are.

[Sean Grande]

Who's Jason hanging out with when the games are over? In practice, his kids yeah, right. They're not. They have different lives, and that's maybe part of what makes them the people that they are. But I made reference that allows you, if you don't manage that PR wise, then you're asking for trouble in the new world. And here's my example of that. I used it quite a bit during the middle of the year and because I think there were a lot of. The only reason I hesitated to make Michael Jordan 1995 baseball comparisons to Tatum being away from the team and Scottie Pippen is that somebody would aggregate it into saying Grandy says Tatum is. Is essentially Michael Jordan. That's not what I'm saying. I'm using the situations, and they were in the middle of that. With Scottie Pippen having his career year, playing great for the Bulls, there's a image that NBA fans will know immediately what I'm talking about when the rumors are starting up because the baseball strike had happened. So Jordan wasn't going to play baseball and he might come back to the Bulls. There's a moment during a nationally televised game where they cut to Scottie Pippen and he's wearing the Jumpman Nike sneakers, and he points down to the Jordan logo on the sneaker, looks at the camera and says, come back. Come on back, Michael.

[Chris Forsberg]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Sean Grande]

And that didn't seem like anything if Jalen had done that once. Yeah, right. And again, it doesn't matter what's real and what's not. I'm saying, just from a PR standpoint, can you imagine if some national TV game in February when we were out in la, he had done something like that. None of that. Nobody would be discussing any of this stuff and then fitting in. But they don't. To their credit, they don't stage photo ops and they don't stage, you know, let me put my arm or whatever I'm. Sometimes for when you've been around long enough like we have, you know, that makes your life easier. Sometimes, even if you staging a PR thing for five seconds sometimes saves you the grief of somebody interpreting your live stream the wrong way.

[Chris Forsberg]

Yeah. If he had just gone out one game and played in a. A pair of Tatums.

[Sean Grande]

Something like that. And it didn't matter if it just. Just the. Again. Does that change anything in real life? No. Does it change the overwhelming perception that creates the illusion that Jalen. That forces Jalen to come back on and say, I don't want to leave Boston. Like he shouldn't have had to say that.

[Chris Forsberg]

Right.

[Sean Grande]

The perceptions.

[Chris Forsberg]

Listen, man, PR exists for A reason?

[Sean Grande]

Yeah.

[Chris Forsberg]

Pr. Those people have jobs for a reason. You know, and this is where. This is why I said ego. Like, there's an ego that's like, I know they don't like us. I know the players don't like us.

[Sean Grande]

I don't know.

[Chris Forsberg]

They. They lump me in with, you know, all the media. They just say, the media. And it's. It's just everybody. I don't think, like, if. If Jalen was walking down the street and he saw me, he'd say, hi. You know, it's not like he'd be like. He'd flip me off and be like, yeah, media. But regardless, there. They have to understand that when you walk into this. This sphere, there. The rules are just a little bit different. You. You watch the Good Place.

[Sean Grande]

I know it.

[Chris Forsberg]

Yeah. There's a. There's a point where Chidi talks to Michael like the. This is the. The. The plan had flipped. Michael's trying to learn philosophy. Michael's this all more immortal being. And he. He says, look, when it comes to human. Chidi says to Michael, when it comes to human philosophy, I just know more than you. And it was just like that. Like that moment of Michael's this big immortal being, and he can conjure up anything anywhere. But in this particular instance, Chidi knew more about this one thing than this immortal being, and it was true. And it becomes a turning point in their relationship. But it applies to these pro athletes who are, in essence, in this. In this realm, big immortal beings. They are characters. They are gods. They. We talk about them in terms of. Of gods and we call them that. But when it comes to talking in public and understanding how things are going to be perceived and how one word, one little word, when TMac says, I

[Sean Grande]

heard

[Chris Forsberg]

that word changes how everything is going to be. If he had said anything, but I heard. If he said, I think then we could have just been like, well, T. Max. Just guessing. He's, you know, whatever. And. And then the. I haven't talked to Jalen. I said that. I think. I didn't say that. I know that would have been a little bit more kind of accepted. But those guys need to understand, like, be careful of this particular word and you'll be okay. They don't understand that part. They just think me saying it is just going to make it. Well, this came directly for me. It's not chopped up. It's not, you know, parts of this sentence, and part of that sentence, I'm saying it. And so they. Therefore, you can believe it. That's that stuff doesn't work. And, and they, they still need some level of. I don't know if it's training or, you know, a consigliere is somebody to be like the, the, you know, someone from the media to be like, hey, Jaylen, I will advise you privately to. These are the ways you don't screw this up. And, or somebody from the PR team. Somebody, I'm from the Celtics pr. Just to be like, okay, Jaylen, just be aware of these words and this little thing. He just needs to understand that because Jaylen says a lot of stuff and 99% of it is fine, great, whatever the stuff like you said, the stuff he does off the court, amazing. Jaylen Brown is an incredible human being, an incredible basketball player. I have nothing negative to say about Jalen as far as his, you know, who he is as a person. But man, every once in a while with these live streams, you just got to be careful about what you say because this, this kind of stuff is what, what the byproduct is.

[Sean Grande]

I might suggest in May of 2026 that the. They in need of public relations guidance might extend to some coaches in town as well.

[Chris Forsberg]

Some may need a little pr. We're in the middle of it.

[Sean Grande]

I mean that, by the way, that's a PR disaster. That's an example of what happens when you make every public relations mistake.

[Chris Forsberg]

When we come back, Bill Chisholm that discussion things. Fans, some of you are getting wrong about the trade deadline moves. Today's show is brought to you by five Hour Energy. If you've got a sweet tooth, you know how tough it is to find that perfect treat without all the sugar. That's why Fruity Rainbow five Hour Energy shots bring that nostalgic flavor back in a whole new way. Fruity Rainbow 5 hour energy shots treat your taste buds to an explosion of fruity flavor with a tasty caffeine kick. It's quick, it's easy, and you get that satisfying sweet craving satiated while keeping things simple and on the go. And again, no sugar. So sweet tooth approved. It's very convenient. It's a little small portable shots. You can grab a handful of them, throw them in your bag. Whenever you need a little pick me up, just reach in and grab one and there you go. It's a go to. I know when I'm traveling, it's easy to throw into my bag. I know I'm not traveling right now, but you can get one. Maybe that three o' clock crash that you feel. That'd be a good Time to grab your candy flavored chaos with fruity rainbow Five Hour Energy shots. It's available online at Five Hour Energy, the number five hourenergy.com or on Amazon. Today's show is brought to you by Wayfair. Your outdoor space should feel like you. It's one of those spots that you keep meaning to fix up but never quite get around to. That's where Wayfair comes in. They make it easy to find pieces that match the vibe that you want. It's very easy to filter on Wayfair by style, by budget, so you can get exactly what fits your space. My wife and I are constantly exchanging Wayfair links whenever it's time to refresh a space. We did a porch recently and that was something that Wayfair very much helped with. And again, your style, your budget, you want to maybe save a little bit, you want to splurge. It's all there at Wayfair. With thousands of verified reviews, you can feel confident in what you're getting. So your space actually feels put together someplace that you want to actually sit, relax and spend time. Get prepped for patio season. For way less head to Wayfair.com right now to shop all things home. That's W a Y f a I r.com Wayfair Every style Every home thanks for making Lockdown Celtics your first listen every day. If you never miss an episode, it's time to make it official. Join the Lockdown Every Dare club. Get ad free audio access to our members only. Discord and more. It's all built for you, our most loyal fan. Go to lockdownceltics.super cast.com lockdown celtics.supercast.com 5 bucks a month or 50 bucks for the year to join the Lockdown Celtics every dayers club. Now more with Sean Grande. Bottom line is just a little a little hint of pr. Just a little dash, a little spice. A little PR spice in this in this recipe can help along go a long way man. We've been talking for a while. Is there any topic that you want to get to before we wrap this up?

[Sean Grande]

No, I think. I think we covered it. I. I think at this point other things will happen. The Red Sox will do some Red Sox things and maybe take some. I think. I think part of the reason Celtic fans are so upset is because they all of a sudden realize that now it's Red Sox season and that has not started well. That was really disappointing for a lot of us. They're making just as this Celtics team made me look bad at the start by winning too many games. You know, I thought the Red Sox were going to be much better certainly in the first half of the year than they were last year when they were under. Under 500 into June. So that certainly has been. That's part of the disappointment of the season ending. But I think if you're going to have faith in anybody, don't you have faith in Brad? I think one, we've covered the narratives that I. The narratives that the Celtics had a bad first round series and it's really disappointing and it hurts. Go crazy, feel your feelings. And everything I said earlier, there are the individual narratives about the three point shot. Sometimes I like to poke at those. The other one that was beginning to bother me during the year was the notion of the saving of money, conflating the Red Sox and the way they're about with what the Celtics had to do and how irresponsible it would have been for Brad to not get them under all of the penalties. Not when that opportunity exposed itself. And then people that want to jump at it are extracting the Simons trade as an example of the Celtics sacrificing this season to make a money. It was a money move. It helped. They can't. That part can't be argued. But this notion, because Anthony Simons might have been able to come off the bench in game seven and make some shots, forget the injury thing for a second. And yet nobody wants to say this. What would he have been doing for the previous three months once Tatum came back, who wasn't playing? You had to make that. It's. It's. No one wants to answer that question. All right. You want to play Simon's 28 minutes a game with that roster, with Tatum back, who. Whose 28 minutes was he taking? Derek White's, Peyton Pritchards, Sam Houser. And there was nobody. I was dry and it didn't take long for Max to join me. I was driving the Simons bandwagon. I. I've said this many. Anthony Simons as a Celtic, 10 out of 10. I have no notes for everybody. The way he handled himself, the way he tried to adopt the defense, the way he played the role when he had been a starter for multiple years in the NBA. How he came off the bench could not have been more impressed with that kid. And I hope he gets paid by someone and whatever, but that didn't mean that wasn't the right thing for this team to do. And I see it. I see a lazy narrative forming that this happened to happen when the ownership changed, no matter how to. Wick's full on credit. And I've told him this. Wick went out of his way. At the, at Bill Chisholm's first news conference with you guys, I remember specifically you had the first question. And I remember telling Christian Maglio, I tell him exactly what the question was going to be. I'm trying to remember back what it was, but I knew what the question was because I listened to the podcast every night. I knew what it was going to be. I thought Bill was really good once he. Once Bill threw his notes away that day and started talking, I thought he was great. And Wick went out of his way that day, which he didn't have to do, to say, I would have done the same thing. We were. This is what we were going to do, whether there was an ownership change or not. But I see this lazy notion that the Celtics were these crazy spenders under Wick and that they won't be under Bill, and it's. That's lazy and not paying attention to what had to happen to reset penalties and reset the tax. And I've never seen people so insistent. I've heard people say, I've never seen fans so excited about billionaires saving money. I've never seen people on the air so excited about billionaires losing money. Like, why, why should they, why shouldn't they have made those moves? Because maybe Josh Minot might have helped you in one of these games in the series. That's not how. That's a Facebook commercial. That's not how this works. Any of this works.

[Chris Forsberg]

Yeah, no, that. That's a good one. Because.

[Sean Grande]

Well, first of all,

[Chris Forsberg]

no one understands the difference between baseball's financial system, football's financial system, basketball's financial system are Hockey's. And I don't even know what hockey's financial system is. Everybody just assumes it's kind of all similar. And it could not be further from the truth, especially what the NBA is doing with these second aprons and all that stuff. I mean, that's, that's for, like, nerds like us to talk about and what this podcast is for, to break down all this crazy nuance. But you know, all of those things.

[Sean Grande]

And John, to say, to have the conversation in these environments of can you win? Not Jalen and Jason, can they play together? And do they fit together? Do they like each other? Do they Don't. When they've already won a championship? It's the discussion is, can you win in this salary system with two max players? That's the conversation that you can have in the NBA, not, oh, do Jalen and Jason get along? Or are they hanging out, going fishing? That's not the point. It's. That is the discussion that you can have is with the system being as it is, can you have two players on contracts like that? That's a fair discussion.

[Chris Forsberg]

That, that is a fair discussion. And I. I think the. The thing that people. Well, first of all, the thing that drove me crazy when people got on the Celtics for making these. These moves, it's who the Celtics got rid of. Like, they. The trading Minot for Vuchovic in theory, I was like, okay, I thought there might have been a better option out there maybe, but I get it. You need. You needed a center. You needed a center. You needed to rebalance this roster. And okay, fine, that's how you did it. The Josh Minot, Chris Boucher, Xavier Tillman moves to get you under the tax. And people were complaining about getting under the tax. Like, they. They remade the end of their bench to. To get under the tax. Who cares? Who cares? Like, I. I like X. I. I thought Josh Mina, Josh Minot might not have liked me, but I like Josh Minot. I. I hope he does well. I hope all these guys do well. I never want. I never actually root for anybody's failure in the league. I. Well, except for maybe Trey Young. But anyway,

[Sean Grande]

how come Anthony Davis teams keep getting the number one pick?

[Chris Forsberg]

It's kind of crazy, right?

[Sean Grande]

Weird.

[Chris Forsberg]

But the complaining that the Celtics remade the end of their bench with three guys who aren't playing and then signed three guys who aren't playing. And honestly, one of those guys, Ron Harper, was. Was more impactful than any of them at points during the season. That part drove me nuts.

[Sean Grande]

Don't listen to. Listen to Bobby Marks. Listen to the people who understand this, who say Brad did, was sorcery. It was just. It was just sorcery. And, you know, that's like that.

[Chris Forsberg]

It goes back to what I said an hour ago, which is we give all of the reactions on the Internet the equal weights, whether they deserve equal weight or not. And there. It's just. We live in a world where when people. There's a comedian who has a bit. That's like, used to be that when you didn't know anything, people would be like, you don't know anything. And you'd be like, yeah, I don't know anything. And that's it. Now you don't know anything. It becomes like this insult. You still don't know any. Like, we we're in a place where everybody wants to think that they know everything. You can, you can, you can sit there and be like, I do not understand the collective bargaining agreement. So I'm going to listen to people who do, and they're going to explain to me, okay, this was actually. This is why this all happened. And you go, oh, the. Okay, I get it. It's. It's like, it's like when, when Homer was trying to deliver, was it Lisa and. Or. Yeah, I think it was Lisa. And Dr. Hibbert goes in, he's like, okay, I'll handle it from here. And he goes, oh, college boy, eh? You know, like that's, that's kind of like, no, you let the doctor handle the thing and you stand aside and like, we, I'm not just saying me, because I will bring people on that know the collective bargaining agreement and we'll talk through it and they'll explain it. When something like this happens, we'll explain it and go, oh, okay, I understand it now. And more people need to just listen and understand, like, oh, I don't understand this. This thing. Explain it to me, okay, now I understand it. And I'm not going to listen to it as if they are the Red Sox, because the Red Sox have no caps, they have no aprons, they have none of that stuff. So the conflating is a good word. Once again, good word from the word guy. It drove me nuts, too. I thought that, I thought that storyline was. Was kind of insane.

[Sean Grande]

And it's. Listen, people are angry, feel your feelings. I get it. Today, as we're talking on Sunday, it was not only a been game four Madison Square Garden today is the one year anniversary of the Jason Tatum injury and he would have been playing at Madison Square Garden. You give me that stage and that storyline, John. That's where I eat. And I didn't get that series. So nobody was more disappointed than me to not go back into the building that I grew up worshiping. You know, a Madison Square Garden having this extraordinary story to tell. If these two teams were going to play again and how they came back together again with Tatum and all the other, you know, one year later on the exact anniversary, it's a bummer bummer for everybody and for the Sixers to just have those three Embiid games and then Embiid just went back to being whatever in that series, not being competitive. And the Flyers and the Sixers have this great week in Philadelphia sports when we're down there, and then they both get swept in the next round. Life comes at you fast.

[Chris Forsberg]

It does. Excuse me. It does. And I think it just, it speaks to the center situation as well, because the Celtics, I'm not the biggest Carl Anthony Towns fan, but he's obviously really good. It's tough. It's tough. It's tough for Embiid to guard that guy. Right. When you have a Carl Anthony Towns. Embiid is kind of screwed versus a Namishkeda. With no disrespect to the Nimish Kate. I thought he, he was the most improved player in the league this year. That was just a guy that you can. You weren't worried about him burning you and you, you didn't have to play him the same way. So, yeah, the Sixers get swept because now all of a sudden, Joel Embiid's going to try to cover Cat and, and like, yeah, it's just a different dynamic. Matchups, matchups matter in the playoffs, so. All right. Well, man, this has been an extensive conversation. I do appreciate it, Sean. So thanks for hopping on.

[Sean Grande]

Hey, you know, it was, it was. We needed a few days, but he cool off and then try to get a little, a little perspective. But this is the turning point. Max and I had a, you know, we, it was a blast to, to call these games this year and to cover this team and to tell the story of the Ron Harper game in Houston and the. The Luca Magic against Orlando on the final day of the season and to have more, more great memories and bummer. But right now you got Jason Tatum and Jalen Brown and Peyton Pritchard and Derrick White and a trade exception. And let's see what you know. Trust in Brad.

[Chris Forsberg]

It's gonna be a fun summer. Thanks, Sean.

[Sean Grande]

You got it, man.

[Chris Forsberg]

Thanks for being with me here for all of these conversations. So this one conversation that was broken into 3P. We just talked about so much for so long. This made the most sense to give you three half hours and I did it over two days. Just two podcasts on the same day. So thanks for being here for all of that. Sean is great and he does an amazing job as the Celtics radio play by play guy. I do appreciate him taking a lot of time out of his day to join me here. I appreciate you for taking all this time out of your day every day, Monday through Friday, plus these bonus podcasts. It's great to have you here. It's also great to have you share the podcast. Please tell everybody they should be listening to and watching the Lockdown Celtics podcast here on the Lockdown Podcast Network. It's your team every day. This podcast is brought to you by Colgate Total. We take oral health as seriously as you take sports. That's why Colgate Total Active Prevention uses advanced technology to help prevent oral health problems like cavities and gingivitis before they start. It's clinically proven to provide 24 hour antibacterial protection with twice daily brushing after four weeks of use. So get a winning routine and prevent oral health problems before they start. Shop Colgate Total Active Prevention at a retailer near you. Liberty Liberty Mutual customizes your car and home insurance to save you money. That's it. That's the ad. No bells and whistles. No guys, I said no. No bells and whistles. No trombones are fine. Visit libertymutual.com and make the switch today. Liberty Liberty Liberty Liberty. What if your drive was fueled with more like more protection for more time on the road? Shell V Power Nitro plus provides more protection for longer lasting engines, so it helps keep your engine running like new for whatever drive is ahead. Shelby Power Nitro plus engine performance that lasts compared to minimum detergent gasoline with continuous use of Shelby Power Nitro plus and gasoline direct injection engines, actual effects and benefits may vary. See Shell Us More Dash Protection for more information.