Getty Nelly, Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
A lot has been said about the Boston Celtics crowd following their involvement in game three of the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors.
While some took offense to how the TD Garden crowd treated Draymond Green, others have put it down to being part of the Celtics experience. Boston is known as a fierce sports city, and its fans are some of the most passionate in the world, so you shouldn’t be shocked by their intensity.
Speaking on a recent episode of The Undisputed, rapper Nelly shared his experience from game three, noting how the entire building was a wall of noise throughout the contest.
“Man, that was deafening. It was serious bro. It was serious…I wasn’t too far from where Golden State was sitting, and you could tell they heard it. You know, you watch some teams that are probably used to it, used to getting it, and they kind of shut it off a little bit.
But, you could tell they heard it, man. It was shaking the floor, they were letting you know that you were in Boston. Draymond, they were letting you know they knew your name, probably knew your address, what car you drove, and you could just hear it, it was coming from all angles. You’re talking about one of the greatest sports cities in Boston, so they knew what their job was, and they played it to a T,” Nelly told Skip Bayless.
Tatum Pays Homage to Nelly
Hailing from St. Louis, Nelly is one of Tatum’s idols, in a similar way to that of Bradley Beal. They all come from the same small city, and they all have each other’s backs, rooting for future successes and being there to help guide each other.
After the Celtics’ 116-100 victory on June 8, Tatum was asked about Nelly being in the crowd and performing at half-time, to which the three-time All-Star responded by paying homage to the ‘Country Grammar’ star.
“Yeah, that was big. That’s my guy. I’ve known Nelly forever. Him and my mom went to high school. He’s known my dad. St. Louis is as big as this room, so we all know each other. Nelly is arguably like the most famous guy from St. Louis until I catch up,” Tatum told reporters following the game.
Tatum Dealing With Shoulder Issue
Since mid-way through the Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat, we’ve seen Tatum clutching at his shoulder following contact. Luckily, the All-NBA wing has been able to play through the pain, and it hasn’t looked that debilitating after the initial flare-up.
Speaking to the media on June 9, Celtics head coach Ime Udoka shared some details regarding his star player’s shoulder and noted that the pain is short-lived, but it will likely continue to bother Tatum throughout the remainder of the post-season.
“Jayson, I think it’s a stinger that’s going to flare up whenever he gets hit the wrong way. Not sure if it has any impact on him finishing. He is still shooting the ball from 3. Just the initial hit where you’ve seen him get — had to shoot some free throws after, might be a little numb there. He is shooting 3s right after, so I’m not sure it hampers his ability to finish at all,” Udoka told reporters during his June 9 media availability.
Hopefully, Tatum’s shoulder will heal throughout the off-season, once a championship has been won, or lost. But until then, we’re likely to see the St. Louis native play through the pain barrier, as he bids to bring a championship to Boston for the first time since 2008.
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