Malcolm Brogdon has been an inspired addition to the Boston Celtics bench unit this season, following his addition via trade during the summer.
Currently, Brogdon is among the front runners to receive consideration for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award. However, according to the veteran guard, he’s only focused on team success.
“For me, that’s not important at all…Like I really don’t care about that award at all. I really want to win with this team. I came here to win a championship, to put up Banner 18. That accolade really means nothing. I want to win,” Brogdon told NBC Sports Boston’s Chris Forsberg during an exclusive interview.
Since joining the Celtics, Brogdon has been an elite member of their rotation, providing them with 13.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game while shooting 48.6% from the field and 46.2% from deep.
Malcolm Brogdon Impressed With Jayson Tatum
During his interview with Forsberg, Brogdon reserved some high praise for Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum, noting how the 24-year-old conducts himself with humility and class.
Malcolm Brogdon talks about how Jayson Tatum surprised him when he joined the #Celtics
“Jayson Tatum, he’s really as humble and good of a guy as they come, especially a superstar. It’s hard to find superstars that are really as laid back, and personable, and classy as he is. He’s a well-rounded guy,” Brogdon said.
Tatum has been incredibly focused to begin the new season, with the forward looking to exercise the ghosts from last season, where Boston fell to the Golden State Warriors in a six-game series for the NBA Finals. In his first 29 games of the season, Tatum is averaging 30.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game while shooting 47% from the field and 35.8% from deep.
Malcolm Brogdon Is Becoming a Leader
On December 16, the Boston Celtics fell to defeat against the Orlando Magic, following a poor performance across the board. When speaking on NBC Sports Boston’s post-game show, Brogdon displayed the type of veteran leadership that likely attracted the Celtics to him in the first place.
“They played harder. They made shots. We did not make shots that we usually make tonight. But overall, I thought they gave more effort, and I think that’s the issue. It’s not the non-shot-making; it’s the effort. We’ll pick it up on Sunday, for sure…There are no excuses…We’re a veteran team, we’re trying to win a championship here, so there are no excuses. They outplayed us tonight,” Brogdon said.
Despite their successes in recent years, the Celtics are still a young team, so having an additional veteran voice in the locker room will only serve to help keep everyone’s feet on the ground during both the good and bad spells that an NBA season throws at you. Of course, Tatum and Jaylen Brown have also emerged as leaders on the team due to their status as two of the best wings in the NBA.
Yet, if Boston is truly committed to challenging for an NBA championship, they will embrace having multiple leading voices within their rotation, especially when they’re as impactful as Brogdon has been to start his tenure with the team.
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Celtics’ Malcolm Brogdon Gets Candid: ‘Means Nothing’