NEW ORLEANS - Basketball is supposed to be a sanctuary.
Thats what basketball players always say in the toughest times, isnt it?
It sure didnt feel like one on this Sunday night in New Orleans. Not after Kobe Bryants tragic death. This time, stepping onto the court almost felt... wrong.
I think it was hard to play for everybody. Just around the league it was, Marcus Smart said after the Celtics loss. We still cant believe that its true. I think in the back of our minds were still wishing and hoping that its not. But its just tough. Its tough for everybody out there and it was a tough night for us.
There were discussions around the league about whether the games should have been canceled. It was obvious that everyone was affected by the news. Once it was clear the games would go on, the best that teams could do was honor Bryants memory.
Kobe would have wanted us to play was a common refrain after the game, and thats probably true. So they played, and honored the late number 24 by taking 24 second violations on alternating possessions to start the game.
If people got to watch those games and watch the 24 second violations, and they got to appreciate that as fans, then I think were happy to do whatever were asked to do, Brad Stevens said, acknowledging that the decision on whether to play was a tough one. "If it brings somebody, somewhere a little bit of a distraction in an otherwise tough day, then thats OK too.
As Stevens said before the game, Bryant is Jordan-esque in the eyes of some of the younger players. Jayson Tatum couldnt talk to the media after the game. He idolized Bryant, posting a touching tribute to his idol on Instagram. He left the arena the way he walked in; the way he spent his entire time there, with his hood up over his bowed head.
Others admitted they were also distracted.
Yeah, it was hard to play. It was tough, Jaylen Brown said. I take a lot of the blame, a lot of responsibility, the things that I do well, the things that I do great, I didnt do great today. It was just one of those games."
Stevens said the team made some uncharacteristic mistakes that cost them this game, and Brown certainly had his fair share. He wasnt alone.
Both teams played. Both teams had their Kobe connections. Both teams had their struggles. They played as best they could considering the circumstances. They did it because they had to.
It wouldnt have bothered me at all if we didnt play. I didnt feel like playing today, Gordon Hayward said. "I dont think anybody on either team would have minded if we didnt.
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