Jaylen Brown has no words for how last season ended.
The Celtics star guard still thinks about his team’s loss in the Eastern Conference semifinals to the Knicks last May, with Jayson Tatum tearing his Achilles tendon in Game 4 of the six-game rout that would also keep him out for at least a large portion of this year’s game.
“Last year we won the championship. Duck boats, champagne… this year we have to listen to insufferable Knicks fans,” Brown said.
“I don’t know how we lost in general…”
Knicks fans went wild in May when they upset the Celtics to advance to their first conference finals in 25 years, with festivities including burning the opponents’ jerseys after the series ended.
Still, Brown may want to get used to Knicks fans being “insufferable” at least for the 2025-2026 season, as Tatum is expected to miss most of the upcoming season due to the devastating injury as the Knicks project to become one of the top teams in the East.
Tatum’s Achilles tendon injury isn’t the only thing the Celtics can blame for their exit last season, as the Celtics were largely healthy for that playoff series and trailed in Game 4 when Tatum took a 3-1 series lead on the road to the Knicks.
The Celtics were forced to completely overhaul their roster due to the Tatum injury, as they do not expect to compete for a title this season.
The Boston brain trust decided to trade several pieces of the 2024 title team, including guard Jrue Holiday and forward Kristaps Porzingis, and they also let Al Horford and Luke Kornet leave via free agency.
The Celtics went an impressive 64-18 last season, but their overall over/under win projection is set at just 41.5 as Boston looks to retool its roster for future seasons.
They acquired Chris Boucher and Anfernee Simons during the offseason.
Brown expects to take on a bigger role this season when the Celtics close their season against the 76ers on Oct. 22, while the Knicks take on the Cavaliers.
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