Boston Celtics fans know good basketball when they see it. And even though NBA legend and former Celtic Blake Griffin was only in Beantown for one season, he realized that the Boston faithful are a special group.
During an exclusive interview with Celtics Wire, Griffin discussed the effort of the 2025-26 Celtics, who’ve used hustle plays and constant board crashing to make up for their less talented roster, which is missing six-time All-Star Jayson Tatum as he recovers from an Achilles rupture. The 15-10 C’s are in third place in the Eastern Conference right now and have exceeded most of their early season expectations.
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“Even when they’re not shooting the basketball well, the effort is being given,” Griffin said. “You’re watching effort on the court.”
While some fanbases might experience a reduced level of enthusiasm for a franchise missing its premier player, that hasn’t been the case with Celtics fans. They recognize the on-court effort from the undermanned C’s and cheer like the current team is the same group that captured a title in 2024.
“That’s what I really appreciate about Celtics fans probably the most — they appreciate effort, and I think they’re smart,” Griffin revealed. “They’re some of the smartest basketball fans in terms of like, they know shots aren’t always going to fall, but the one thing you have to do over there is you have to play hard. You have to give effort. If you’re not going to give an effort like you will get booed, and rightfully so, this the one thing that you can control.”
Griffin isn’t the only Celtic to notice this phenomenon. Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla, who’s a New England native and grew up a Celtics fan, echoed Griffin’s sentiments back in late November following a thrilling home win over the East-leading Detroit Pistons.
Apr 4, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Boston Celtics forward Blake Griffin before action against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
“They just appreciate great basketball,” Mazzulla said. “The result obviously matters, but we’re in a place where they just appreciate the grit and the toughness.”
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Boston will need to impress its fans with effort once again during its next two games. On Monday, the Celtics host the 20-5 Pistons (who may be eager to avenge their historic winning streak that the Green Team snapped) and on Wednesday, the 15-11 Toronto Raptors come to TD Garden.
Dropping these two contests could result in the third-place Celtics falling all the way to ninth. But, regardless of record, Griffin wants fans to appreciate what the underdog C’s have been able to do so far this season.
“I hope that Celtics fans are proud of this team so far, because it’s been fun for me to watch from afar,” he said.
If what Griffin, Mazzulla, and others say about the Boston faithful is true, they shouldn’t have to worry about Celtics fans’ pride.
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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Blake Griffin loved Celtics fans during his short time in Boston