C’s React to HBO’s ‘Celtics City’ Premiere
If you’re a history buff, if you enjoy basketball, and if you’re a fan of the Boston Celtics, then HBO and Max have a treat coming for you.
On March 3, HBO will launch Episode 1 of “Celtics City,” a nine-part docuseries that takes an extreme deep-dive into the history of the winningest professional basketball franchise on Earth.
Executive producers Bill Simmons, Connor Schell, and Gabe Honig, and seven-time Emmy award-winning director Lauren Stowell pieced together the saga with more than 80 interviews with Celtics Legends and never-before-seen archival footage dating from the team’s inception all the way to its 2024 championship run.
Those 2024 champions got to have a sneak peek at the show on Friday night as part of a premiere screening at the Revere Hotel, where they watched Episode 5, which recaps the 1980s and focuses heavily on the peak of the Celtics-Lakers rivalry.
Being the history buff (and Colorado Buff) that he is, Derrick White is already hooked after watching one episode.
“It definitely dives into a deeper element about the team,” he told reporters Saturday afternoon. “You learn more about the team, more about the city, and everything that goes on. Obviously I wasn’t born in the 80s, and I haven’t seen the earlier years, so I’m looking forward to learning more about Celtics history. I’ve heard a lot, and just to get a deeper look on the Celtics’ history and how it affected Boston and kind of shaped the NBA as well.”
Looking back on that history adds to White’s motivation and pride in representing the Celtics.
“Every time I put on this jersey, I know it’s a blessing,” White said. “And just to play in the Garden in front of these great fans, it’s always good to have a nice reminder like that. It just makes me more thankful and grateful I get to play for an organization I love in a great city.”
What Joe Mazzulla loves about the show is how it doesn’t only display the team’s highs; it also covers the lows from over the years and how the team has risen back up after hitting adversity. It highlights the championships, but it also details the hardships that the organization dealt with both on and off the court. It covers conflicts within the locker room, it dives into social issues within the city, and it examines how the team handled tragedy following the deaths of Len Bias and Reggie Lewis. Ultimately, it shows how the organization overcame obstacles time and time again on its path to unparalleled success.
“Everybody always remembers when things go well, but this shows the difficult parts,” Mazzulla recapped. “I think that’s important to know that you have to take the good with the bad; you have to take the journey.”
The coach added, “It gives perspective into the responsibility that we have toward moving the organization forward. But also, if the people before us didn’t do what they did and achieve what they did, then this job isn’t what it is. It just gives great perspective into the opportunity that we have.”
Fans will have an opportunity to dive into the docuseries on March 3 at 9 p.m. on HBO, and it will also be available to stream on Max with new episodes airing weekly through April 28.
